If you’ve been biding your time in the hopes of upgrading to a new tablet, the 2024 iPad Air has dropped to one of its best prices all year. Some configurations are $100 off the regular list price, which means the 11‑inch base configuration is just about hitting that $499 mark at some retailers for yours truly, and the larger 13‑inch version falls somewhere around $699 depending on storage and retailer. This comes at a great time for Apple’s most well-rounded tablet, with accessory bundles and trade‑in promos also frequent.
The new Air houses Apple’s M2 chip, the same silicon that had fueled many of the company’s recent laptops, and it keeps the familiar design that works with the Magic Keyboard and the existing Apple Pencil Pro. The Air is the practical sweet spot for nearly anyone who doesn’t require the ultra‑premium OLED display of an iPad Pro or the faster 120Hz refresh rate — even more so at a triple‑digit discount.
Why This Deal Matters for 2024 iPad Air Shoppers
Apple’s iPad Air is now geared to offer pro‑leaning performance, without approaching the pro‑level price. And a $100 price cut does meaningfully change the value equation, undercutting same‑specced Android tablets and even some more‑compact laptops used for note‑taking or light creativity. It’s the type of markdown we generally see around seasonal spurts in shopping, and it usually vanishes once inventory levels normalize.
According to performance figures shared by Apple, the M2 iPad Air is up to 50 percent faster than last year’s M1 models, a leap in power you’ll notice when rendering multi‑layer edits on a photo project, exporting 4K clips or juggling dozens of browser tabs. That headroom is important far beyond day one; it’s performance you may be grateful for two or three iPadOS releases from now, as apps become heavier and workflows more sophisticated.
Tablet hawks have also pointed out that slates are seeing a modest comeback after a slow year in 2023, and that Apple is still number one in terms of global shipments, according to IDC. That leadership tends to mean stronger long‑term software support, and a deep ecosystem of cases, keyboards and creative tools — another reason a discounted Air is a low‑risk buy.
What You Get With the 2024 iPad Air and M2 Chip
The headline upgrade is the M2 system‑on‑a‑chip, which combines a high-performing CPU and GPU with a powerful media engine for H.264, HEVC and ProRes workflows.
In practical terms, that translates to smoother timeline scrubbing in apps like LumaFusion and snappier AI‑assisted tools in photo editors as those features are rolled out.
The quality of the display is still a strong point. The 11‑inch Liquid Retina panel tops out at up to 500 nits, or as high as 600 for the 13‑inch model — bright enough for sunlit rooms but not too sharp on your eyes while you’re reading, sketching or streaming. The extra space also makes split‑screen multitasking breathe a little more, especially if you live in Stage Manager.
Creators are now given precise stylus support through Apple Pencil Pro, with squeeze and barrel‑roll gestures, haptic feedback and hover on compatible apps. Combine it with the Magic Keyboard, and you have a laptop‑like set‑up complete with a trackpad — a big deal for students and frequent fliers who want to lighten their load without giving up typing comfort.
The 12MP ultra‑wide front camera is optimized for video calls, and Center Stage will keep you in frame as you move around. For supported routers, Wi‑Fi 6E means more bandwidth for faster downloads and less congestion, while the USB‑C port simplifies charging as well as external storage. Battery life continues to aim for all‑day use, with Apple quoting up to 10 hours of web browsing on Wi‑Fi.
Storage options go from 128GB to 1TB, a welcome step that provides casual buyers with a usable base and creators some more headroom.
If you shoot and edit video on‑device, 256GB or higher is a good move to steer clear of getting overly judicious with file management.
Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Buy the iPad Air Now
Among the obvious winners are students, hybrid workers and hobbyist creators. The Air is a dual‑mode e‑reader and note‑taking tablet during the day, and a capable photo or video workstation at night. If you live within pro workflows that require the Pro’s OLED panel, 120Hz ProMotion and M4 performance, move on up. If all you do is a lot of browsing, streaming and chatting, the entry‑level iPad can likely handle it.
For everywhere in between — and that’s most of us — the sheer value provided by the $100 saving makes it difficult to turn down the Air. It’s the rare kind of product that gets better as your needs evolve, be it a keyboard for churning out research papers or a Pencil for digital illustration.
Before You Check Out: Model, Accessories and Storage
Make sure you’re getting the 2024 M2 model, and not one from a previous generation. The most obvious tells are Apple Pencil Pro support and the horizontal arrangement of the front camera. Compare brightness specs if you’re agonizing between sizes, because the 13‑inch is graced by the 600‑nit panel.
Consider total cost of ownership. Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard are sharp additions — though at a cost; some retailers also offer them bundled at a discount. Trade‑in values at Apple, carriers and the like can erode that bill further too, and depending on your circumstances AppleCare+ might be worth a look if you will be commuting with the tablet every day.
And finally, align the purchase with your network and storage use. Wi‑Fi 6E could unlock real gains if your router supports that, and 256GB is a smart floor if you shoot RAW or work with 4K media. Hit those buttons, pile on the $100 saving and you have one of the best tablet bargains of the year.
