If the base iPad doesn’t have all of the power or bells and whistles you’re looking for, your next best bet is the 2020 iPad Air. We gave the tablet a score of 90 when it first came out thanks in part to its speedy performance, healthy battery life and fun colors. Normally $599, the iPad Air is back on sale at Amazon right now for $539, or $60 off its normal price. Only the silver model has been discounted at the time of writing this, but if you don’t mind skipping out on one of the more unique color options, this sale price is one of the best we’ve seen in months.
Buy iPad Air at Amazon – $539
The Air sits in between the 10.2-inch iPad and the iPad Pros as Apple’s mid-tier option. It runs on an A14 Bionic chipset with a six-core CPU and a four-core GPU, and this particular model on sale has 64GB of storage and WiFi 6 capabilities. Apple refreshed the tablet’s design to make it look more like the Pros, complete with flat edges, a USB-C port for charging and a lovely 10.9-inch Liquid Retina Display. You won’t get FaceID on this machine, but you will get TouchID thanks to the fingerprint reader on the device’s power button.
Overall, we found the Air to be zippy both in performance and WiFi speeds, and its battery lasted up to 12.5 hours in our testing. While the latest iPad Pros are better if you’re looking for a laptop replacement, you could use the Air as a 2-in-1 while on the go thanks to its compatibility with Apple’s Magic Keyboard. It also supports the second-generation Apple Pencil, allowing it to be a digital notebook for those that prefer writing things out by hand.
A discount like this is a good one to consider if you want an all-purpose tablet that’s one step up from the base iPad. However, there are a few noteworthy discounts on the 10.2-inch tablet right now, too. The 256GB WiFi model is $30 off and down to $449, while the 256GB, WiFi + Cellular model has hit a record low fo $580.
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