Apple’s M3 iPad Air Is A Hard-To-Beat Tablet At This Rare $100 Cut
The latest iPad Air recently received a major internal overhaul, but its high launch price was a hurdle for many. That is changing this week as a significant new discount emerges, bringing high-end performance within reach for more tablet shoppers.
If you are planning to get a new iPad this year, a wide range of Apple’s tablet offerings are on sale today. This includes the latest M3 iPad Air, which is currently priced at $489 at Amazon. This represents a $110 discount (18%) from the usual $599 for the 11-inch Wi-Fi model and specifically applies to the Blue finish.
Meanwhile, other colorways are also on sale, with Space Gray, Starlight, and Purple dropping to $499, which is still a sizeable $100 discount. If you require more storage, the 256GB configuration has also been reduced by $100 and is now listed for $599.
Why Pick The Apple M3 iPad Air?
The M3 iPad Air is an updated version of the M2 iPad Air model (review) and was launched in March 2025. It is widely considered one of the best Apple tablets for both power users and casual owners, largely due to the high-end M-series system-on-chip.
Specifically, the M3 model provides a notable performance boost, running about 20% faster in everyday tasks than the M2 model. It also introduces major enhancements like hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading, which provide significantly better visuals in modern games. Additionally, if you stream often, the added AV1 decoding makes watching YouTube and Netflix videos more battery-efficient.
On the exterior, the M3 iPad Air retains the slim and light design of its predecessor. The 11-inch Liquid Retina display remains unchanged, offering a top-class panel with 500 nits of brightness and a sharp resolution. Those who frequently use video calling will also benefit from the upgraded 12MP FaceTime camera, which is now positioned on the landscape edge to provide a more natural angle during calls.
If you intend to use the iPad Air as a laptop replacement, you can pair it with the Magic Keyboard. Furthermore, it is compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro, which adds advanced functions like haptic feedback and barrel roll support for enhanced drawing and sketching.
Are you considering the new iPad Air as a laptop alternative? How do you plan to use it? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
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