Microsoft’s 2017 ‘back to school’ sale is way worse than last year’s

It’s July, which means that school will be back before you know it, and Microsoft is the first to kick off back to school discount season with its 2017 offerings. While there are certainly some nice deals on stuff like the Surface Pro 4, none of them really hold a candle to last year’s offer of a free Xbox One. 

The standout item on this year’s deal is a Surface Pro 4 bundle that includes a type cover for $999, or $899 if you’re a student with a valid .edu account. That’s not a bad deal, but it’s worth keeping in mind that the Surface Pro 4 is almost two years old at this point, which makes this feel more like Microsoft clearing stock for the 2017 Surface Pro. 

Microsoft is also offering up to $150 off a Surface Book, if that’s more your speed, and throwing in a free three-month Groove (Microsoft’s subscription music service) membership with all Surface purchases. Lastly, various Xbox One S bundles will get a $20 price cut during the back to school sale, bringing the price down to $279.99. 

The back to school deals start today, July 7th. The Surface Book discount runs until July 15th, the Xbox One S deal until August 30th, the Groove membership offer through September 15th, and the Surface Pro 4 deal runs until September 19th. 

The article was published on : theverge