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Updated on 28 June 2023
28 June 2023
6 mins read
Brian
Marketing Manager Back Market UK & Ireland
As the new school year approaches, you need to make sure you have all the right tech bought ahead of time. For the new school year, we have made a small selection of good student deals with student discounts on Apple products in particular! As a student, you’re entitled to a 5% discount on the entire catalogue of the Back Market site - that’s a further discount on all of our refurbished products which are already on average between 30% and 70% cheaper than buying new.
5% Student Discount Sitewide
No matter which product appeals to you, as a student you benefit from a 5% promo code on the entire Back Market site. It's a bit like our student rate. Explore the rest of our back to school promo here.
MacBook or iPad for your studies?
If we stick to the basics of 2.0 school supplies, you will definitely need a tool for writing your essays and internet research. In our Apple range, you have two solutions: a MacBook or an iPad (with keyboard).
Basically, it comes down to this: an iPad is lighter and cheaper, but it has less storage, a single USB-C port, less battery life and it may lack the flexibility for all types of productivity tools when restricted to one operating system for certain applications. If that's inconvenient for you, we recommend investing in a MacBook instead.
In detail:
Screen: iPads and MacBooks are all equipped with a Retina screen, no distinction at this level. For older models, MacBook Pros are the best.
Storage: If you don't want to bet everything on the cloud, the MacBook Air and Pro have a clear advantage here. In any case, do not buy less than 128 GB.
Performance: Unless you buy the latest iPad Pro, MacBook Pros have a performance advantage.
Connectivity: You will need adapters in both cases, but MacBooks have more ports.
Working comfortably: the iPad is more compact than the MacBook, but the external keyboard makes transport less convenient (unless you buy the magic keyboard for the iPad). The MacBook is a better compromise, unless you don't mind a touchscreen keyboard.
It is up to you to make your choice. In any case, you will find refurbished iPads and MacBooks, in perfect working order at Back Market, and 30%-70% cheaper than new.
Since MacBooks are a more popular choice, let's go into a little more detail; what are the criteria for buying a MacBook? The main differences between a MacBook Air and a MacBook Pro are screen size, weight, and performance:
The MacBook Air is light (…like air) and generally less expensive.
The MacBook Pro has a bigger screen and it has more power.
The MacBook Air is more suitable for simple office work, such as taking notes or browsing the Internet. If you need a little more power, for more demanding tasks (graphics work for example, or games), opt for a MacBook Pro instead. It's up to you which suits you best, but when choosing your model, consider maximizing CPU power, RAM, and storage. For more information about the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, read our dedicated article here.
Apple student products are not the only ones that can accompany your return to school. If you are looking for other models rather than a MacBook, you can take a look at our selection of cheap laptops for students.
And since back to school is much more than the resumption of classes, we also made a selection of products for you to liven up your student apartment or simply to have fun. Find our best speakers, headphones and game consoles at student prices below.
You will find all iPhones and Samsungs, as well as many Huawei, Xiaomi, Google Pixel and many other smartphones on Back Market. To find out more about the model that would suit you best, we invite you to take a look at our smartphone comparison tool .
If the budget is the most important element for you, we recommend a reconditioned iPhone which is naturally cheaper due the technicality that it's second hand, however you can rest assured that when you buy from Back Market, all parts are fully inspected and replaced to be refurbished in a "like new" condition. Back Market's reliable merchants source models from the latest to old, such as the iPhone X for around £200, an iPhone 8 from £130, or a Samsung S9 from £125 if you prefer Android instead. For higher budgets, we recommend the iPhone XR , iPhone XS and, for the more tech-savvy among you, the iPhone 11. On the Android side, you will find the Samsung S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra to meet all your needs.
To host a fun party at university you need some great sound, which at a low price, there is nothing better than a JBL speaker! If you have a budget of more than £100, we recommend the JBL Flip 5. It is perfectly waterproof, has 12 hours of battery life and can be paired with other JBL 5 models to fill your whole apartment/student dorm. And it can go down to 65 Hz, enough to take advantage of the bass.
Otherwise, the old models (4 and 3) are also excellent choices. The design is the same, but they're slightly less tight and the bass isn't as powerful. On the other hand, the Flip 4 is equipped with a stereo speaker.
And if that's too expensive for you, you can fall back on a Google Home Mini. Smaller and lighter, and supports control via smartphone.
Whether it's for listening to music while going to class, watching videos and movies or for gaming in your spare time, we have a selection of great headsets at low prices for all tastes. We recommend the following:
Beats Solo3 and Beats By Dr. Dre to hear every note.
The Hyper X Alpha Pro from our great selection of gaming headsets with microphone for gaming sessions in total immersion.
A Bose Bluetooth headset if you have a higher budget.
Since the announcement of the release of the PS5, the prices of the PlayStation 4 Slim or Pro have dropped. Now's the time to take a look at our console catalog if you're planning on playing FIFA or Call of Duty after school. For online parties on the go, there's nothing better than the Nintendo Switch.
When not talking about the latest eco-friendly tech and reducing our carbon footprint, Brian enjoys the odd game of football, a classic horror (book or film) or just to kick back with a beer or a proper Scottish whisky. Slàinte Mhath!