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Apple’s M2 iPad Air is great, but you should get the M1 iPad Air instead

Published May 14th, 2024 11:21AM EDT
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Image: Christian de Looper for BGR

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Apple’s new 2024 iPad tablets will be released on Wednesday, May 15. The M4 iPad Pro with an OLED display is a massive upgrade over the old models, and people can’t stop talking about it. Then there’s the new M2 iPad Air, which is also a sleek new tablet. If you really dig into it, however, Apple’s new 6th-generation iPad Air isn’t the huge upgrade some people were hoping for. Unless you want the larger 13-inch iPad Air, there might be a better option out there for most people.

Apple’s previous-generation M1 iPad Air is more than enough for most users in search of a new tablet. And while it’s still in stock at retailers like Amazon and Walmart, you can get an iPad Air 5th-Gen starting at just $399 instead of $599, which is the best price of the M2 iPad Air.

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Our iPad Air review makes it crystal clear that the 5th-generation iPad Air is an awesome tablet. You get power and performance like you can’t believe, and yet this model is much less expensive than the iPad Pro, which starts at $799.

The 5th-gen iPad Air features a great design with a large 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display and smaller bezels. There’s no home button on the front, but you still get Touch ID because there’s a fingerprint reader integrated into the sleep/wake button on the side.

Also of note, Apple’s latest iPad Air is powered by the Apple M1 chip instead of an A-series chip. That’s the same powerful Apple silicon that’s used in Mac computers, and it makes the iPad Air one of the fastest tablets on the planet.

Of course, all that power comes at a price, and in this case, it’s either $599 or $749, depending on how much storage you need. Right now, however, iPad Air deals on Amazon will save you up to $200 on either model. That means you can pick up an iPad Air with 64GB for $399 instead of $599, or you can get the 256GB version for $599 instead of $749.

Walmart has the same deals, so you can check both retailers to see which one has the color you’re looking for.

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If you’re looking for a new iPad, but you were hoping to spend a lot less money, you’re still in luck.

In addition to those iPad Air deals, Amazon is also offering some great discounts on Apple’s 9th-generation entry-level iPad. This is the 10.2-inch iPad that’s still among Apple’s most popular models even though there’s now a 10th-generation tablet above it.

The 10.2-inch iPad remains in Apple’s tablet lineup with a base price of $329 for the 64GB model. Right now, however, there’s a discount that drops it to $249. Or, if you want more storage, the 256GB version is down to $379. Regardless of which size you get, you’ll save $100 off the retail price.

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Maren Estrada Deals Editor

Maren Estrada has been the Editor of BGR Deals since it launched in 2013. She has more than 20 years of experience testing more than 1,500 products, and reviewing a wide range of consumer electronics including mobile devices, smart home products, computers, and home appliances.

Previously, she was a leading consultant specializing in copywriting, product development, and new product launches.