Apple’s M1 iPad Air is as powerful as a MacBook, and it’s $100 off

Apple’s entry-level iPad 9 tablet (currently on sale for $249.99) is fine for basic things, but many people need more power. The iPad Pro is obviously a huge upgrade, but you’ll need to cough up a lot of money to get one (currently on sale for $749). That’s where the iPad Air comes in, offering plenty of power at a more palatable price. And that’s especially true right now, while Apple’s impressive M1-powered iPad Air is on sale at the lowest price ever.

The 5th-generation iPad Air tablet has a retail price that starts at $599, and that’s how much you’ll spend if you buy one from Apple. But Amazon is offering a big 17% discount that drops the price to $499.99. That matches the all-time low and is probably the best deal you’ll find all year on this model.

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I have to admit, I’m not much of a tablet user. I have an old iPad Pro, but I can’t even remember the last time I turned it on. I use my iPhone when looking up something quickly or browsing social media. And when I need to do something a bit more complex, I go straight to my MacBook Air.

Tablets don’t really fit into my workflow, personally. But I’ve tested them all, and if I were to buy a new tablet for myself, it would be Apple’s 5th-generation iPad Air. It offers the perfect balance of power and value — especially right now while it’s on sale at the lowest price ever.

Available on Amazon

Apple’s latest iPad Air is powered by the same M1 chip you’ll find in several Mac computers, like the M1 MacBook Air that’s discounted right now. There’s an M1-powered iMac in my house that I use from time to time, and I can assure you that it’s incredibly fast and powerful. Put that same chip in an iPadOS tablet, and it screams!

The 5th-generation iPad Air has a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina Display that is stunning. It makes my old iPad Pro look like a tube TV. The clarity is unreal, and the colors really pop. You also get 12-megapixel cameras on the front and back, Touch ID on the side button, WiFi 6, and all-day battery life.

This powerful tablet retails for $599, which is a fair price considering it’s more powerful than many laptops out there. At $499.99 on sale, the iPad Air is a steal.

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There’s still a downside to the M1 iPad Air for some people since $500 is a lot of money to spend on a base model tablet. If you want to spend less money and you don’t need quite that much power, there are two other deals you might want to consider today.

First, as I mentioned earlier, the iPad 9 is currently on sale for $249.99. This is Apple’s entry-level model, and it’s down to the lowest price I’ve seen in months.

Or, if you want something that packs a bit more punch, the newer iPad 10 with 256GB of storage is $59 off at $539.99. This is also an all-time low price, just like the M1 iPad Air.