All iPads Why is the iPad Air 3 in the line up?

[jakeuten]

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I can’t see who the iPad Air 3 is for.

On one hand, you have the 10.2” iPad 2019, which is much less expensive but offers overall the same capabilities, and on the other hand you have the iPad Pro 11” which offers 120Hz, the smaller bezel design, Face ID, and the laminated display (which the iPad Air 3 also has), at $300 more, which is no small price, but if price is a concern, I don’t see why anyone would go for the iPad Air 3. The iPad 2019 is marketed towards the average consumer in my opinion, whereas the iPad Pro 11 appeals more to the hard core nerds and actual professionals. Does anyone here have an iPad Air 3? Why did you choose it over the iPad 2019 or iPad Pro 11? I’m just not seeing why this iPad exists.

 

[ssledoux]

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I can’t see who the iPad Air 3 is for.

On one hand, you have the 10.2” iPad 2019, which is much less expensive but offers overall the same capabilities, and on the other hand you have the iPad Pro 11” which offers 120Hz, the smaller bezel design, Face ID, and the laminated display (which the iPad Air 3 also has), at $300 more, which is no small price, but if price is a concern, I don’t see why anyone would go for the iPad Air 3. The iPad 2019 is marketed towards the average consumer in my opinion, whereas the iPad Pro 11 appeals more to the hard core nerds and actual professionals. Does anyone here have an iPad Air 3? Why did you choose it over the iPad 2019 or iPad Pro 11? I’m just not seeing why this iPad exists.

It's a nice middle ground. It's got more base storage than a 7th gen (64gb vs 32), better display, is thinner and lighter, and I'm sure there are a couple other little perks I'm missing. ;-p

I bought one for my grandson and myself (I wound up trading my granddaughter for her mini 5 because she was missing having a bigger iPad). It's a really nice device that offers a little better user experience over a 7th generation, while being all the iPad most people need. Whether it's worth the price difference would depend on the person using it and how much they valued the "extras" offered.

 

[rui no onna]

The Air 3 is a middle ground both in terms of price and features.

Upgrading from iPad 10.2 to Air 3 is an extra $70-170 depending on how much storage one needs.

Upgrading from iPad 10.2 to Pro 11 is an extra $370-470 or more than double the price of the iPad 10.2.

The bump up from iPad 10.2 to Air 3 is easier to make than the one from 10.2 to Pro. Heck, you could buy both iPad 10.2 and Air 3 for the cost of one 2020 Pro 11.

 

[UncleBillVT]

I see the processor as the biggest difference. The 7th gen runs the A10 with the M10 coprocessor, the Air 3 runs the A12 Bionic with neural engine & M12 coprocessor, the pro run the A12Z with the M12.

The 7th gen will be antiquated a lot sooner. If you’re used to a laminated display...

 

[sananda]

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I can’t see who the iPad Air 3 is for.

Possibly for me. My 64GB 2013 iPad Air is full -ish so I think at some point I should replace it. If I get iPad, I can only get 128GB. Since I'm full at 64GB, I'd like more of a jump in storage than just to 128GB. And if I got iPad I'd be replacing one non laminated screen with another which wouldn't seem like much of an upgrade. So possibly for me.

I haven't decided yet. I might get a Pro.

 

[Wackery]

It‘s a parts bin ipad so it makes economic sense

 

[AutomaticApple]

I'm sure there are a couple other little perks I'm missing. ;-p

Bigger size?

 

[ssledoux]

Bigger size?

Yeah, it's slightly bigger (10.2 vs 10.5), but I totally left out the better processor, although someone else mentioned it.

 

[Seanm87]

I bought the iPad Air 3 because it was a good upgrade from my air 2 and I didn’t want to pay for the pro models.

The base iPad would have been a downgrade.

 

[AdamNC]

Only thing I think the Air needs is a bump in ram. Put 6 gigs lik the 2020 and it would be a awesome middle ground seller.

 

[joeblow7777]

As someone who owns an Air 3 it seemed like the perfect choice for me. 2 generation newer processor and a bigger and better display than the entry level model. Significantly less expensive than the Pro. It’s the iPad I would recommend for most consumers.

 

[Akela_A]

It's the middle choice basically. Before they resurrected the Air line there was simply too big of a gap in the lineup - you either bought a $330 baseline model that had missing features it's precursor model had like a laminated display, or you jumped all the way up to a $800 Pro. It's was like if the iPhone lineup consisted of a $400 iPhone SE and a $1000 Pro and nothing inbetween. The iPad market is large enough to support a bunch of different models at different price ranges.

In terms of what you get over the base model: a better screen and a faster processor can make a huge difference, especially for people using iPads as drawing tablets. That's who the iPad Air is really aimed at really.

 

[snipr125]

I decided to get an ipad just before the lockdown kicked off. Any ipad i purchased would need to match or improve on the performance of my iphone 8 plus, and also its p3 wide colour screen with touch tone, so the ipad air 3 was the obvious choice (paid £455 for mine). As others have said in terms of specs and price it sits perfectly in that middle slot between the 10.2 budget ipad, and the pro 11. I seriously considered just getting the Pro 11, but knew in my mind that the Air 3 was right for me. It has served me well thus far, smooth performance with its A12, week long battery, and also its beautiful screen thats great for reading comics especially.

edit - did not consider the ipad mini 5 as we already have an amazon fire HD 8 in the house.

 

[PlayUltimate]

IMO the biggest drawback is that it relies on the Pencil gen1. Otherwise, I would have bought one in a heartbeat a year ago. Instead, I held onto my Air2 and got a 2020 Pro. when it came out.

 

[Torty]

IMO the biggest drawback is that it relies on the Pencil gen1. Otherwise, I would have bought one in a heartbeat a year ago. Instead, I held onto my Air2 and got a 2020 Pro. when it came out.

It really depends on your usage. For my part I dont really need the pencil at all. Its only a gimmick because everything I do with the iPad I can also do with my fingers. So the cheaper the pencil the better.
But main reason for me choosing the air over the pro was that I was not willing to pay the pro price and getting a only a LCD display. Waiting for mini LED.

 

[theanimala]

I bought my daughter the Air 3 because I was able to take advantage of a special sale a few months ago where I got it for $265 for the 64GB model. I was going to do the IP 7 but at that price it was a no brained. My other daughter has the IP 7, and to them they notice no difference. I do like the laminated screen on the Air, and I like knowing the A12 will allow it to get more iOS updates in the future. I understand why they have both models, although I do feel for the majority of people the IP 7 is good enough.

 

[Starfia]

The MacBook Air was originally dubbed "Air" emphasizing thinness and lightness. It took me a moment to check and realize that, mini aside, the iPad Air 3 is still the lightest current-gen iPad. (They're so close, it's natural just to dismiss the "Air" as meaning anything – but it still does.)

 

[spiderman0616]

I'm having trouble recommending the Air 3 to people, honestly. I've had a lot of friends and family coming to me in the last few weeks asking which iPads/iPhones to buy. (People must be getting really bored and wanting to spend money!) On the iPhone side, people seem to give me a huge range of wants and needs, and I've recommended probably 3 or 4 different iPhone models.

On the iPad side though, I feel like people have asked me either "What's the absolute best one?" or "What's the cheapest one I can get right now?" Seems like people either want a cheap one for entertainment or an iPad Pro to use as their main machine. Yes, of course this is all anecdotal based on only my acquaintances, but it does make a fair bit of sense.
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It really depends on your usage. For my part I dont really need the pencil at all. Its only a gimmick because everything I do with the iPad I can also do with my fingers. So the cheaper the pencil the better.
But main reason for me choosing the air over the pro was that I was not willing to pay the pro price and getting a only a LCD display. Waiting for mini LED.

The Apple Pencil is not a "gimmick" just because you don't need one. For those of us who use it for art, design, editing, note taking, marking up documents, etc., it's a fantastic accessory.

 

[joeblow7777]

On the iPad side though, I feel like people have asked me either "What's the absolute best one?" or "What's the cheapest one I can get right now?" Seems like people either want a cheap one for entertainment or an iPad Pro to use as their main machine. Yes, of course this is all anecdotal based on only my acquaintances, but it does make a fair bit of sense.
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I find that regardless of what people say, when it comes to just about any purchase, people don't usually want the very cheapest option and they don't usually need the most expensive option. The Air is the perfect middle ground.

I understand people choosing a different model for various reasons, but I find the OP's question of why it even exists in the lineup to be odd. It seems pretty obvious to me. As others have pointed out, there was previously a pretty large gap in price and features between the entry level iPad and the Pros.

 

[rui no onna]

I'm having trouble recommending the Air 3 to people, honestly. I've had a lot of friends and family coming to me in the last few weeks asking which iPads/iPhones to buy. (People must be getting really bored and wanting to spend money!) On the iPhone side, people seem to give me a huge range of wants and needs, and I've recommended probably 3 or 4 different iPhone models.

On the iPad side though, I feel like people have asked me either "What's the absolute best one?" or "What's the cheapest one I can get right now?" Seems like people either want a cheap one for entertainment or an iPad Pro to use as their main machine. Yes, of course this is all anecdotal based on only my acquaintances, but it does make a fair bit of sense.

With friends and family, I always recommend the basic iPad barring someone who wants either smallest/lightest (Mini) or biggest (Pro 12.9).

Pretty much everyone I know just use iPads for web browsing, ebooks, social media and video streaming and for those tasks, even entry level suffices. And really, their choices are usually between the base iPad vs Amazon FireHD or similar rather than base iPad vs more expensive iPad.

If someone needs/wants either Air 3 or iPad Pro, they already know why they're buying it.

 

[nburwell]

As someone who owns an Air 3 it seemed like the perfect choice for me. 2 generation newer processor and a bigger and better display than the entry level model. Significantly less expensive than the Pro. It’s the iPad I would recommend for most consumers.

Couldn't agree more. I sold my 11" Pro and went with the Air 3 as my usage is mainly web browsing, messaging, email and streaming. It didn't make sense for me to keep the Pro, especially when I have a 13" MBP for more intensive tasks (mainly photo editing).

 

[OldCorpse]

I bought my Air 3 a year ago, but if I were in the market for an iPad today, I'd do exactly the same thing. For me, Air 3 is the best choice. Looking at the iPad choices (especially a year ago), the Air 3 really gives you more than the base models, especially that I wanted more storage (I got 256GB), because I'm big on local storage. It is definitely more future-proof with a newer processor. I also prize lightness, so that was nice, every gram counts.

I looked at the 11" Pro, and it was tempting. Ultimately, I didn't go for it, because I felt that the price premium over the Air 3 just wasn't worth it because the Pro was old tech at that point - and I didn't want to pay a premium for old tech... in fact, with the new Pros out, I still feel there's been virtually no progress either. For that amount of price premium over the Air 3 I'd want a significant jump in the technology - so far, the Pros don't have that, IMHO.

Does the Air 3 have downsides - sure. I think the #1 issue for me is the pencil... that stupid way of charging and nowhere to store - big downer. Issue #2 is I'd much prefer USB-C instead - too often you get "this device needs too much power". And a bit more RAM would've been nice. A bigger screen with the same size (i.e. smaller bezels) is another "nice to have".

The Air 3 has served me well for the year I've had it so far, and I feel it will continue to serve me well into the future, until such a time where the MUCH more expensive Pros really become worthy of the price... so far, I don't feel they deliver enough over the Air 3 to charge so much more.

When the Pros get much more modern technology and some "must have features", I'll buy one. Until then, I'm very happy with my Air 3.

Far from "no place" in the market for Air 3, I feel it is essential to have as an option in the market - and by the number of acquaintances who have the Air 3, it seems the market agrees. YMMV.

 

[Thirio2]

I bought a base Air 3 for mutual use by my wife and I mainly For use as a Kindle reader. It was a very good price before Black Friday. Come Black Friday, the base 7 was such a good price I bought one for me. After using it for a while, I wish I had bought a maxed out air3 for myself. The air weighs slightly less and has much more memory. I find that I use the iPad more than I thought I would. Basically, less weight and more memory are the keys for me.

 

[rui no onna]

I bought a base Air 3 for mutual use by my wife and I mainly For use as a Kindle reader. It was a very good price before Black Friday. Come Black Friday, the base 7 was such a good price I bought one for me. After using it for a while, I wish I had bought a maxed out air3 for myself. The air weighs slightly less and has much more memory. I find that I use the iPad more than I thought I would. Basically, less weight and more memory are the keys for me.

The Air 3 went back on sale during the holidays. Lowest I saw was $599 for the 256GB LTE model on Amazon. I think it was actually cheaper than the Wi-Fi model.

There's usually extended return periods during the holidays so I tend to just buy, keep it sealed and then return if I find a better deal.
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I bought my Air 3 a year ago, but if I were in the market for an iPad today, I'd do exactly the same thing. For me, Air 3 is the best choice. Looking at the iPad choices (especially a year ago), the Air 3 really gives you more than the base models, especially that I wanted more storage (I got 256GB), because I'm big on local storage. It is definitely more future-proof with a newer processor. I also prize lightness, so that was nice, every gram counts.

I might make a different choice if buying today. The pricing on Apple certified refurb Pro 11 is very good.

Does the Air 3 have downsides - sure. I think the #1 issue for me is the pencil... that stupid way of charging and nowhere to store - big downer.

I don't draw and primarily use the Pencil for PDF markup. The less expensive Logitech Crayon (no pairing required) is a great Pencil alternative for me.

I normally have two documents open on separate iPads (7th gen and Air 3) at the same time and it's great being able to seamlessly use the same Crayon on both. Before that, I was using AP1 on iPP 10.5 and Crayon on the 7th gen and it was a major hassle having to switch Pencils whenever I switched iPads.

 

[Digitalguy]

I think the air is a nice middle ground... for now. But if rumors are true, it won't age well, at all...
Rumors say the new basic ipad is coming with A12 this year and that the new air 4 is getting the 11 pro design (but with no promotion, no quad speakers and no face id, but side mounted or under-display touch id) with pencil 2 and usb c.... (and probably, but this is my guess, A13 and 4GB RAM...)
This will kill the resell value of the air 3 down to used budget ipad.... while the 2018 11 pro should keep a pretty high resell value... probably 2-3 times the air 3...