The new iPad Air M3 is good value – but I’d still buy this iPad Pro model instead

iPad Air M3
(Image credit: Apple)

  • The new M3 iPad Air offers good value at $599 / £599 / AU$999
  • But it becomes less attractive when you start adding upgrades
  • If you’re doing that, buying an iPad Pro might make more sense

Apple has just launched a new iPad Air with M3 chip, updating the mid-range tablet while keeping its $599 / £599 / AU$999 starting price the same as the M2 edition – a nice little boost for Apple fans. Yet I’ve been having a look at the different configuration options (see the full list below), and pretty quickly you run into a problem: the iPad Pro.

Here’s an example. If it was me and I had my heart set on buying an iPad Air, I would probably want to get the 13-inch model over the 11-inch version. Not only does this get you a more expansive screen – which is fantastic for watching movies and editing videos – but it’s actually brighter than the 11-inch iPad Air. Whereas that device goes up to 500 nits of brightness, the 13-inch iPad Air maxes out at 600 nits.

But picking that upgrade pushes the iPad Air’s price up to $799 / £799 / AU$1,349. Add in a storage upgrade from the base 128GB to 256GB and you’re looking at a grand total of $899. That’s fairly pricey for a mid-range tablet, and it means the iPad Air loses some of its luster.

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iPad Air M3 pricing

Model

$US

£UK

AU$

iPad Air M3 11-inch (128GB), Wi-Fi

$599

£599

AU$999

iPad Air M3 11-inch (256GB), Wi-Fi

$699

£699

AU$1,199

iPad Air M3 11-inch (512GB), Wi-Fi

$899

£899

AU$1,549

iPad Air M3 11-inch (1TB), Wi-Fi

$1,099

£1,099

AU$1,899

iPad Air M3 11-inch (128GB), Wi-Fi + Cellular

$749

£749

AU$1,249

iPad Air M3 11-inch (256GB), Wi-Fi + Cellular

$849

£849

AU$1,449

iPad Air M3 11-inch (512GB), Wi-Fi + Cellular

$1,049

£1,049

AU$1,799

iPad Air M3 11-inch (1TB), Wi-Fi + Cellular

$1,249

£1,249

AU$2,149

iPad Air M3 13-inch (128GB), Wi-Fi

$799

£799

AU$1,349

iPad Air M3 13-inch (256GB), Wi-Fi

$899

£899

AU$1,549

iPad Air M3 13-inch (512GB), Wi-Fi

$1,099

£1,099

AU$1,899

iPad Air M3 13-inch (1TB), Wi-Fi

$1,299

£1,299

AU$2,249

iPad Air M3 13-inch (128GB), Wi-Fi + Cellular

$949

£949

AU$1,599

iPad Air M3 13-inch (256GB), Wi-Fi + Cellular

$1,049

£1,049

AU$1,799

iPad Air M3 13-inch (512GB), Wi-Fi + Cellular

$1,249

£,1249

AU$2,149

iPad Air M3 13-inch (1TB), Wi-Fi + Cellular

$1,449

£1,449

AU$2,499

A pricing problem

iPad Pro 13-inch with M4 chip on a wooden table

(Image credit: Future)

If you’re spending this much money, it might actually be worth considering the 11-inch iPad Pro, which starts at just $100 more ($999 / £999 / AU$1,699).

That gets you an excellent tandem OLED display, Face ID, ProMotion refresh rates, up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness, and the M4 chip, among other benefits. That’s a lot of extra oomph for not much more cash. The main drawback is you’re getting a smaller 11-inch screen, as the 13-inch iPad Pro starts at the more expensive asking price of $1,299 / £1,299 / $2,199.

But if you can live with the 11-inch display (which is still a fantastic screen thanks to that tandem OLED), you’re getting one of the best tablets money can buy for only a little more than a less-advanced iPad Air. And, ironically, the iPad Pro is even thinner than the iPad Air, despite the latter’s name implying that it should be the most lightweight option.

It’s a tricky position to be in. Don’t get me wrong, the base-level $599 / £599 / AU$999 iPad Air is great value, and you get a lot of tablet for your money thanks to its featherweight design and M3 chip. But once you start adding on the upgrades, it’s much less attractive compared to the iPad Pro.

Deciding which device is right for you comes down to personal preference, but if I was looking at the iPad Air and adding a few upgrades, I’d find myself drifting inexorably towards the iPad Pro.

Maybe that’s Apple upselling people by being clever with its pricing, or maybe it’s an oversight that’s undercutting the iPad Air. Either way, the new iPad Air makes the most sense when you don’t add any upgrades to it.

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Alex Blake
Freelance Contributor

Alex Blake has been fooling around with computers since the early 1990s, and since that time he's learned a thing or two about tech. No more than two things, though. That's all his brain can hold. As well as TechRadar, Alex writes for iMore, Digital Trends and Creative Bloq, among others. He was previously commissioning editor at MacFormat magazine. That means he mostly covers the world of Apple and its latest products, but also Windows, computer peripherals, mobile apps, and much more beyond. When not writing, you can find him hiking the English countryside and gaming on his PC.

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