The New iPad and iPad Air Are Already Discounted Before Their Release

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Tomorrow Apple will be releasing new MacBooks and iPads, which is why you’re seeing discounts on the older MacBooks and iPads. There are two iPads being released tomorrow, the M3 iPad Air, which you can pre-order right now for $559 (originally $599) for the 11-inch version, or the the 11th-generation iPad for $329 (originally $349) for the 11-inch version, or $749 (originally $799) for the bigger 13-inch version. Impressive by Apple’s standards considering they haven’t even released yet. However, this could be because the older versions might be a better deal for you.

Yes, it’s always nice to get the shiny new toy, but as Jake Peterson, Lifehacker’s Senior Technology Editor explains, the new iPad Air might not be worth it when you can get the very capable M2 iPad Air for cheaper. Most people can justify an M3 chip over an M2 chip on a laptop, where there’s more multitasking, heavier applications running, and speed is more important. But unless you’re looking to do those things on a tablet, the difference between the M2 and M3 chip’s speed might not be worth the money for you.

If you can wait until after the release of the new iPads on March 12 to make your purchase, that will be the most sensible decision, as the M2 iPads will likely drop in price and be a better value than the new iPad Air (if you can find the M2 iPads in stock). While Apple might not sell the older iPads in new conditions, Amazon and Best Buy will.

However, if money is not an issue and you want the best iPads available, both the iPad 11th-generation and the M3 iPad Air will be your best options.