There are many, many tablets out there to choose from and even among just Apple's options, picking the best iPad for your needs may require some research. But sometimes, a deal pops up that makes such decisions much more straightforward. Right now, you can snap up Apple's 2022 iPad Air for just $500. That's $100 off and the lowest price we've seen for the tablet all year. Amazon lists the device for $559, but it's currently applying a $59 coupon at checkout.
The deal is valid on all colors, including blue, purple, pink, starlight and space gray. It's for a WiFi-only model with 64GB of storage. Of note, this iPad Air has Apple's M1 chip. Combined with the lower price, that may make the Air a more compelling option than the regular iPad, which also has a 10.9-inch screen but a less-advanced A14 Bionic chip (that device currently starts at $449).
The iPad Air comes with a 12MP wide camera and a 12MP front-facing camera that supports Apple's Center Stage feature. This harnesses machine learning to detect your head and keep it centered in the frame during your FaceTime calls.
We gave the latest iPad Air a score of 90 in our review, lauding it for the M1-powered zippiness, upgraded camera and battery life (it lasted for up to 12 hours between charges in our testing). We remain fans of the design and build quality as well.
On the downside, Apple stuck with Touch ID instead of incorporating Face ID, while the base storage of 64GB isn't a lot to work with these days. Plus, be prepared to shell out quite a bit if you want to use Apple's official keyboard or the Apple Pencil. On the whole, though, the Air is perhaps the best iPad option for most folks right now, especially bearing in mind the solid discount.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-2022-ipad-air-is-back-on-sale-for-500-155033771.html?src=rss