It happens every time new iPads hit the shelves, but I’ve never seen it happen like this before. The previous generation iPad Air has taken a massive price cut at Amazon today, and while we’re used to seeing heavy discounts on older models once the new kids are on the block this is a seriously impressive saving.
You’re getting the 64GB WiFi model for just $399 at Amazon right now (was $599) for a massive $200 discount. Before today’s offers, this had only ever dropped to $449 during rarer sales in the past few months. Before January, the M1 iPad Air would only ever drop to $499 when on sale.
This is an astonishing discount – even the iPad Air before this never kicked down to $399. In fact, I wouldn’t wait for Prime Day iPad deals on this one. Major savings like this generally only take place when retailers want to clear stock of an older device – and nine times out of ten it gets the job done, fast. I don’t expect these iPad deals to last long at all – we’ll gradually see certain colorways running out of stock without returning until all models are off the shelves. That means stock likely won’t last until Prime Day – and you can bet new generation iPad Airs won’t be nearing these kinds of prices any time soon.
Should you buy the M1 iPad Air?
At $399, the M1 iPad Air is an excellent buy for anyone who wants to do a little bit of everything with their new tablet. This is the sweet spot of price and performance for heavier schoolwork, streaming games, and multi-tasking between slightly more demanding apps. You’re not paying for the high-end display and processing power of the new releases, but unless you’re replacing your laptop there’s really no need to just yet.
In fact, I’d recommend the M1 iPad Air over the 10.9-inch 10th-generation iPad right now. The latter is slightly cheaper (currently on sale for $334 at Amazon) but features a considerably weaker processor in the A15 Bionic chip, a lower-quality display, and is only compatible with the original Apple Pencil. For the sake of $60, there’s really little decision to be made here.
Of course, if you’re just looking for an everyday screen for streaming movies and TV and the odd Apple Arcade venture, the 9th generation iPad is still your go-to. Even a $399 sale price isn’t enough to compete with the sub-$300 tag on the base device, especially if you’re not going to be using demanding apps or multitasking.
Of course, we’re rounding up all the best gaming tablets on the market right now, as well as the best gaming handhelds and the best gaming phones for more portable play.
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