After a bunch of price increases, the M3 iPad Air stands out if you’re looking for the best tablet under $500.
After a bunch of price increases, the M3 iPad Air stands out if you’re looking for the best tablet under $500.
Most of Apple’s price increases have gone into effect, resulting in iPads and other products costing hundreds more than they did a few days ago. If last week’s Prime Day sale wasn’t a good time to consider buying an iPad, we found a deal worth considering that’s just under $500 right now. The 128GB iPad Air that has the M3 processor, plus both Wi-Fi and 5G cellular support, costs $499 at Best Buy. At just $50 more than the base iPad (now $449, up from $349), it’s a significantly faster and all-around better tablet.
The latest 11-inch iPad Air features Apple’s fast M3 chip with GPU upgrades like dynamic caching for smoother performance in demanding apps. It also supports the Apple Pencil Pro and the newest Magic Keyboard, which features a larger build and a 14-key function row. Read our review.
While the last-gen Air matches the base iPad’s 11-inch screen size, the Air has a laminated, antireflective coating, plus a wider color gamut. In other words, it’s the better choice for entertainment or for creating content. In terms of specs, its M3 processor leaps ahead of the A16 with more cores, not to mention Apple Intelligence support (as well as support for iPadOS 27 coming later this year). It also boasts Apple Pencil Pro support.
