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The recent Apple price hike has sent the cost of the latest iPads spiralling in recent weeks. For the foreseeable future, it's looking like iPad deals may be tougher to come by for Apple fans on a budget.
Not all is lost, however, as I've just spotted a fantastic deal on a slightly older iPad Air model at Best Buy. Right now, you can get the still-great iPad Air 11 with the M3 chipset for $499 (was $749) thanks to a $250 price cut at the retailer.
While it's no longer the latest model, the M3 iteration is just one generation behind. It's still an excellent tablet by almost any metric I can think of — performance, design, display, and even battery life.
I haven't seen the latest Apple iPad Air M4 drop below $749 since the price hikes were announced a few weeks ago. Subsequently, deals on the last-gen devices are looking increasingly attractive. If you can snatch a decent clearance deal (like this Best Buy listing), then it's definitely worth considering.
Today's best Apple iPad Air dealBest Buy's latest deal on the Apple iPad 11 M3 offers a significant price cut on this still-great tablet. While it's no longer the latest generation, the iPad Air M3 still holds up well in 2026, with a design and display that are functionally identical to the latest model. The chipset is a little slower, but it's still more than enough for even relatively intensive applications. Today's discount at Best Buy offers an impressive $250 off this device, with the option to trade in for even greater savings.View Deal
Is the iPad Air M3 still worth buying?(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)The M3 is an older model now, but it's still an excellent tablet by any metric in 2026. The latest model features a quicker chipset (up to 30%) and more RAM, but in terms of display and overall design, it's virtually identical to the M3 version.
Both feature standard 60Hz Liquid Retina LED displays with 500-600 nits of max brightness. That's perfect for everyday browsing, streaming, or taking notes and doodling with the Apple Pencil. If you're just doing the basics, then there's really no reason to stretch for the latest model — the M3 is more than capable and will save you significantly.
Where the latest M4 chipset model pulls ahead is in things like heavy video rendering tasks, high-end gaming, or AI integration. As a newer model, it should also get one more year of guaranteed software updates over the M3 iteration. Apple typically supports iPads for five to seven years with major iOS updates, for the record.