Best back to school deals in Australia: save on laptops, phones and more

Apple Education pricing for Mac and iPads
from AU$919 + bonus AirPods or Apple Pencil and 20% off AppleCare+

Students and teachers heading back to school or university in 2025 can save big on all kinds of tech, and score huge savings on additional purchases. Here’s what’s on offer:

• iPad Air (5th generation): from AU$919 (Save AU$80 + bonus AirPods or Apple Pencil)
• iPad Pro (7th generation): from AU$1,529 (Save AU$170 + bonus AirPods or Apple Pencil)
• MacBook Air (13-inch, M2): from AU$1,449 (Save AU$150 + bonus AirPods or Apple Pencil)
• MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4): from AU$2,349 (Save AU$150 + bonus AirPods or Apple Pencil)
• iMac (M4): from AU$1,919 (Save AU$80 + bonus AirPods or Apple Pencil)

Save AU$1,600

We called it a "solid investment for those without cash to spare" in our 4-star Lenovo Legion Pro 5i review, but quality gaming laptops are always going to cost a pretty penny – and it's a lot more attractive with this AU$1,600 saving. Offering great gaming performance, with an excellent array of ports and a lovely display, if you're a gamer looking to catch two birds in one net, this laptop is well worth the investment for work and play. You'll get a 41% saving with this powerful model, but you can configure your PC to your liking and budget on Lenovo.

Save AU$702

An amazing laptop with a durable battery, fitted with a Snapdragon X Plus processor, this ASUS Vivobook is great for word processing and on-the-go use. Virtual lectures and typing out essays are things that this computer will ace, but thanks to its processor (which enables CoPilot+PC AI tools) it’ll likely have compatibility issues with some Windows applications – so if your course requires a specific, high-spec program, you should probably steer clear of the CoPilot+PC range for now.

Save AU$275

Dipping well below the AU$1,000 mark, this Dell Inspiron is worth picking up if you just need a general laptop to complete course work. It’ll run the basics quite easily – stuff like web browsing and typing up documents in Word or Google Docs – but it’ll likely struggle with higher performance tasks, such as music production, video editing and graphical design.

Save AU$204.48

Interested in an art tablet? With the release of the Galaxy Tab S10 range, the Tab S9 is considerably cheaper – perfect for an artist that doesn’t want to spend too much money. This tablet comes with a Galaxy S pen, making it an ideal gadget if you want to do some digital drawing. It’s also a sufficiently capable piece of tech for general course work, and you’ll have no problems typing up lecture notes with it – though you may want to pick up a compatible keyboard case at the same time.

Save AU$38

The entry-level iPad might not be as powerful as the more expensive iPad Air and is certainly not as capable as the range-leading iPad Pro, but for handling the course work across primary, secondary and tertiary education, it’ll likely be more than capable. Just make sure you pair it with a compatible keyboard case if you’re going to be doing lots of typing. It cam down as low as AU$486 during the Christmas period, but it's the best deal currently available.

Save AU$114

Able to open multiple apps at once while also offering kid-friendly features, you’ll be surprised how versatile the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 Plus is. It’s slim and lightweight so you can easily toss it in your bag or use it on the move. 64GB might not be enough for some users, but there is a 128GB model – and you can expand up to 1TB of storage with a microSD card.

Save AU$132

You don't need to sacrifice size for price with this tablet. You can say goodbye to small tablets with this impressive 11-inch Full HD display. Thrown in for good measure is a Lenovo Tab Pen for extra creativity, improved note-taking and easy highlighting – making it excellent for artists and students working, reading and watching on the go. Use the price-beat option to get this best price.

Save AU$468

With the launch of a new Galaxy S range just around the corner, it’s probably not the best time to be purchasing a flagship Samsung device if you care about performance – but if cost is your primary driver on a purchase, the S24 Ultra is a bargain at this price point. We rank the S24 Ultra as our favourite cameraphone of 2024, and with its high-end processor, giant screen and awesome sound, it’s the kind of phone that’s perfectly suited for a photography-loving university student.

Save AU$200

Head back to school with one of our favourite cheaper phones. The Google Pixel 9 offers exceptional cameras and a brilliant operating system that feels almost like Apple iOS on an Android system. AI smarts and a decent processor underpin this great phone, as does a unique camera bump on the back. This is far from the best price we've seen, but if you're after a Pixel 9, this is the current best outright price.

Save AU$154

We thought this budget smartphone exceeded its price tag at its original price, so it's a great grab at this reduced one. It might not shine with top-of-the-line charging speed or camera performance, but it has a great-looking display, impressive performance and highly customisable software. If you're looking for a reliable smartphone for your child, or need a cheap handset to get you by, the A35 is a really good choice at this price.

Save AU$150

You can save the same amount on Samsung's even more affordable smartphone in the Galaxy A16, and it's an excellent choice if you're looking for a device that you can use to communicate with your child. For just AU$300, you get a big 6.7-inch screen, 5G connectivity, a generous 5,000mAh battery, three rear cameras (50MP main, 5MP ultra-wide, 2MP macro) and six years' of Android updates.

Save AU$112

Having a monitor on your study desk is, in my opinion, life changing. It allows you to really spread your work out beyond your laptop, and if you’re using a single display on a desktop, it pays to have a second screen for playing YouTube videos, displaying Spotify information or showing notes to refer back to. This S36GD is a cheap and accessible way to a smarter approach to study.

Save AU$8

Wrist starting to ache after long hours at your desk? Eyeing off some expensive ergonomic mice? Consider this more affordable option from Ugreen instead. With a 4.3-star rating on Amazon, it allows you to keep your hand and wrist in a more natural position while surfing the web. Plus, it promises silent clicks, easy connectivity and precision accuracy with high DPI.

Save AU$28.95

Logitech offers some of the best peripherals on the market, and this wireless combo gets you both a keyboard and a mouse for a low price. It’s perfect for if you’re going to be moving your gear around a space, and at the very least, it’s a low cost solution for if you don’t have computer peripherals at home.

Save AU$60

There’s nothing wrong with a cheeky bit of PC gaming between assignments, is there? You’re going to need a keyboard at home if you’re doing homework or assessments in your room or office, and if you’re the type to value high-end gaming peripherals for MOBAs or RPGs, this Corsair K70 Pro keyboard might be the pick for you, especially with such a saving.

Save AU$29.99

Label your school supplies with ease using this handy, cheap labelmaker. Fitted with a 13-character screen, it produces easy labels for sticking on books and folders, making it an organiser’s dream.

Save AU$20

The last thing you’ll want to encounter when under the pump and in a rush to get an assignment out is a low battery phone or laptop. This powerbank should alleviate the stress with its huge 20,000mAh battery, though be aware that it would charge not overly fast with a 22.5W supply.

Save AU$122

Own a Samsung phone? There's few better earbuds you can pair with it than the Galaxy Buds3 Pro – especially when you're saving more than AU$120. They offer fantastic sound and equally great noise-cancelling, as well as a lightweight, comfortable design. We didn't love their price in our Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review, but they're easily recommendable with this deal.

Save AU$90

Don't love the suction tips of the Pro model? The regular Buds 3 are excellent. While they excel as a combo with a Samsung device, they offer great comfort and sound quality no matter the device they're paired with. For just over AU$200, they're an excellent addition to any study session.

Save AU$120

Letting you print thousands of pieces of paper from the comfort of your home, even if your school does offer free printing, there's something to be said about not having to leave the house for it. With a simple, easy-to-navigate LCD display and auto two-sided printing, this printer offers cartridge-free printing thanks to its high capacity ink tank system.

Save AU$20

If your course or class is requiring you to print out documents, it pays to have a printer in the home instead of relying on the printers at your institution. This Hp DeskJet is an affordable way of pulling off a cheap print at home, packing colour printing, wireless connectivity and both scanning and copying.

Save AU$16

Offering phone connectivity and colour printing and contained with a small, unimposing design, this Canon printer is another affordable solution for home printing. It’s great value and gets the job done.

Save AU$65

The most important part of any work or study session is a good chair – but they don't come cheap. If you're looking to grab a solid ergonomic desk chair without spending upwards of AU$500, this chair from Sihoo might be for you. It offers supreme customisability thanks to its adjustable tilt, height and armrests and long-lasting comfort thanks to its mesh design, capped off by easy assembly.

Save AU$103

If the chair above is slightly more expensive than you were looking for, Sihoo has another valuable option for you to look at. Down to just AU$196.99, this ergonomic chair has a 4.1-star rating on Amazon from well over 1,000 customer reviews, with customers applauding its easy assembly, quality, value and comfort. It offers adjustable lumbar support, headrest and 3D armrests, but people taller than 5'10 might be better off looking elsewhere.