For anyone looking to get a new iPad Pro–or iPad Air–and have been waiting to see what Apple’s new models will bring to the table, the wait has been worthwhile. The flagship tablets for 2024 come with some of Apple’s best technology packed inside of an incredibly slim form factor, as well as an OLED screen to make every activity and task on them pop with vivid detail. Apple’s 2024 iPads and the upgraded Apple Pencil Pro are available to preorder now ahead of their May 15 release. as is the new Apple Pencil Pro that is compatible with both the iPad Air and iPad Pro.
While the iPad Pro does have a premium price, you can save $50 on your order by becoming a My Best Buy Plus member. Best Buy’s rewards program costs $50 a year, but you’re getting some great perks like exclusive discounts, free two-day shipping, and early access to sales. And if you’re getting the new iPad Pro, you’re getting the membership for free as a result of the discount–so there’s no reason not to sign up. If you trade in your old iPad to Best Buy, you can get the new iPad Pro for as little as $399.
The iPad Pro is a workhorse device, one that allows for high-power performance and is ideal for creative people on the move. Ever since the line was first introduced several years ago, they’ve been popular with artists, video editors, and other creative professionals, and their potential for productivity is increased when paired with an Apple Pencil Pro. Admittedly, the new iPad Pro is pure overkill if you’re looking for an entertainment device for when you want to sit back at night and chill with some Netflix or a few rounds of Marvel Snap, but the other draw of an iPad Pro is that it can realistically replace a laptop or PC for many people.
With its M4 chipset, the iPad Pro can also serve you well as a mobile gaming console. Apple has made some moves recently to attract big names in the gaming scene, and with titles like Resident Evil Village, Death Stranding, and Assassin’s Creed Mirage available on supported hardware, the idea of a very portable and sleek game console is tempting. These tablets also have GPU upgrades, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and mesh shading, so AAA games should look great on the new tandem OLED displays. The same goes for cloud gaming and remote play with your PlayStation, Xbox, and Steam libraries
Combine a 2024 iPad Pro with a nice stand, connect a wireless controller via Bluetooth, and you’ll have a solid gaming setup when you’re not creating art or editing videos. Some of these models also have a “nano texture” on their display, Apple’s solution for reducing screen glare while avoiding washed out colors on its iPads. This is essentially a matte texture applied to the screen, but with some clever engineering, there’s no frosting on the surface that you’d typically find with this textured layer. This is the same tech you can find in Apple’s high-end Studio Displays (very fancy monitors).
Of course, if you don’t require that much power, you can also look at the iPad Air as a more affordable alternative. While they don’t have the M4 chipset of the iPad Pro–the new iPad Pro has around 50% better performance in comparison–the M2 chip inside of them is nothing to sneeze at. That’s still an impressive amount of power, and while this model doesn’t have an OLED screen, the LED display still packs a visual punch.
For entertainment, the iPad Air has two stereo speakers and mics, while the iPad Pro has a quad-speaker system and four mics. The more expensive iPad Pro will naturally sound better with its robust setup, but the iPad Air should still be pretty decent when you’re relaxing in bed and streaming an episode of Shogun. If you’re into photography, both models have decent 12-megapixel cameras with an f2.4 aperture mounted on the rear, and the front-facing cameras are now placed in a landscape position.
One of the other neat design choices this year is storage capacity, as at the very minimum, you’ll be getting 256GB of space to install apps, save content, and store pictures on your iPad Pro. If you need as much space as possible, the line maxes out at 2TB. The iPad Air, meanwhile, starts at 128GB and goes up to 1TB.
We’ve gathered up all the available purchase options for you, including base models and the fancier versions equipped with a SIM card slot for cellular coverage.
Preorder 2024 iPad Pro and iPad Air at Best Buy
All of the iPad Pro models are available in Silver and Space Gray color variants.
Preorder iPad Pro 11-inch – Starting at $999
Preorder iPad Pro 11-inch (Wi-Fi and cellular) – Starting at $1,199
Preorder iPad Pro 13-inch (Wi-Fi) – Starting at $1,299
Preorder iPad Pro 13-inch (Wi-Fi and cellular) – Starting at $1,499
All of the new iPad Air tablets are available in Starlight, Blue, Space Gray, and Purple color variants.
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