It was easy to get lost in Apple’s release explosion last week, which also included the new MacBook Air M4, but Apple recently launched a new iPad Air M3.
Together with a new processor, the medium -ranking tablet received a new professional level keyboard partner. For such a powerful tablet, its price also remains at a tempting level, from $ 599 / £ 599 / AU $ 999 (for the 11 -inch model) and $ 799 / £ 799 / AU $ 1,299 (for the 13 -inch version).
But should you buy the iPad Air M3? Or is it a medium useless term between the renewed base iPad and the most powerful iPad M4 full of OLED?
We have gathered all the most important Internet criticisms below to see if there is a consensus and we help you decide the best iPad for you. Starting, of course, with the experiences of PakGazette with the last air of Apple …
IPad Air M3 reviews
Techradar: “Stretch the value even more with more power for the same price”
Good
- M3 chip power
- Vibrant screen
- Strong battery life
- Awesome audio
Bad
- No promotion screen
- Family design
Our iPad Air M3 review concludes that it is an even better value option than before, and potentially a reason to omit the iPad Pro (2024). The air lacks the best screen on its professional class and (ironically) ultrafine design, but “we really notice and enjoy the speed impulse” of its M3 chip.
That means, as our review concludes, that the new iPad air “blurs the line between who this is and for whom is the iPad Pro”. Through most of the tasks we launched, from the edition of photos and videos to applications and work games. While it is not far ahead of the M2 chip yield, it seemed “almost impossible” even slowing it down.
In summary, the iPad Air M3 is definitely a decent update “if it has an iPad M1 or more, an input level iPad or other tablet” and needs more energy.
The edge: “An excellent tablet, and I would like Apple to use ipados to be more versatile”
Good
- Faster m3 chip
- Big Magic Keyboard update
Bad
- No face identification
- Apple’s intelligence is limited
- Much more expensive than the base iPad
Verge Review Chimes’s iPad Air M3 with most of our findings, which means that it is a great option if you want a future proof tablet a little more than the most affordable base iPad.
Unlike us, Verge reviewed the 13 -inch version. The conclusion was: “If you want a bigger model, I encourage you to consider the 13 -inch PRO.” We think the same after achieving the numbers in the various iPad Air M3 configuration options.
Another slight point of difference was that Verge did not notice any real world difference with respect to the M3 chip compared to its predecessor. That means that it recommends that “Keyboard Magic 2024 Air Plus 2025” can be the combo to go if you can find it for sale.
CNET: “Once again, the iPad Pro for the majority”
Good
- Speedy M3 processor
- Without pricing
- New Magic Keyboard
Bad
- No OLED screen
- It can be expensive
Unlike the edge, CNET does not believe that the iPad Pro now is worth compared to the new air (unless it is considering a high -end air such as the 1TB model).
What is the difference between the two? The professional gives an OLED screen, a thinner design, a facial identification chamber and a Lidar scanner along with an M4 chip. But as we also conclude, the lines between the air and the professional are now even more blurred, and it depends on how much they want those additional characteristics.
Similarly, the CNET review concluded that there are two great reasons to obtain the new air on the base iPad: its M3 chip and its compatibility with Pencil Pro. It also praises the magic keyboard, which says it is “a better option now than it was”, and in an execution issue, it says that the 11 -inch model “would be the one that would consider.”
Wired: “Now an option for creatives and players, but lacks exciting updates”
Good
- Small performance impulse
- New magic keyboard case
- 5G connectivity
- Advanced graphic powers
Bad
- Heavy than iPad Pro
- Basic LCD screen
- There are no new color options
- Ipados still limited
Wired settled in an average 7/10 rating for the iPad Air M3, with the main recommendation to wait for price falls if you need the M3 power. “It offers great experience, but it does not contribute anything vital to the table that guarantees paying the full price,” concludes the Wireds review.
Their comparisons from side to side with the airs of iPad M1 and M2 showed that “it was difficult to detect a distinction in the performance between the three,” apart from the M3 that feels “a little more Snappier” but not markedly so.
The other main criticisms are air design (“it is comic that iPad air is still a few heavier grams and almost a complete millimeter thicker than the iPad Pro”) plus the lack of battery life and screen improvements. Wired believes that Apple should have replaced its LCD panel with the mini LED seen in the iPad Pro in 2021 and 2022.
In summary, while Wired believes that the Air M3 remains a solid option, he acknowledges that “we are in the precipice of an even more thin, faster and better model” in the near future.
Engadget: “A modest update that is still easy to recommend”
Good
- Asequible large screen iPad
- Improved and cheaper keyboard
- Power m3 chip
Bad
- Aging screen
- No face identification
- The colors can be brighter
- It can be quickly expensive
Like most iPad Air M3 reviews here, Engadget did not notice an impact on the real world of the new M3 chip (despite the Geekbench scores that show an improvement of 16% on the M2). However, he points out that the chip makes the tablet a little more future proof.
Like Wired, Engadget believes that Apple should have updated air screen technology to the LED mini panel of the iPad Pro for a few years. The combo of an update rate of 120Hz and 1,000 shine nutes (1,600 nits for HDR content), he says, “would be an important improvement” given how popular iPads are to watch videos. On the other hand, he also admits that “the iPad Air screen is still quite charming.”
In conclusion, Engadget says: “The air remains a clear update on the base iPad”, thanks to its “improved screen, a stronger performance, a more solid multitasking experience and better accessories.” But also that most people who want “only a good iPad” probably don’t miss air updates.
The ipad air m3 verdict
Despite some lower opinion differences, there is a clear consensus in iPad Air M3 reviews: all reviewers think it is a good average range table if it is a slightly boring incremental update.
The new air can also be potentially trapped between two feces. The renovated base iPad remains a better value for those who simply want an Apple tablet (and Apple’s intelligence does not care), while the cost of iPad Air M3 configurations can be mounted to the point where the iPad Pro M4 could be the best bet (particularly if you need a 13 -inch screen).
The main reasons for choosing an iPad Air on the base iPad are its compatibility M3 Chip and Apple Pencil Pro. Meanwhile, the iPad Pro M3 offers a much better OLED screen, an M4 chip, ID face, a lidar sensor and better speakers.
But most of the reviews also concluded that, if the latter is not important for you, the new air remains a fine tablet, the 11 -inch model being the optimal point for size and price.
