M1 iPad Air drops to its lowest ever price — get $200 off in massive Prime Day-beating deal

(Image credit: Future)

The best Prime Day deals are good and all, but have you seen what Best Buy and Apple have just dropped? It doesn't just beat Amazon's sales event, it absolutely obliterates the paltry price the mega-retailer is currently offering shoppers!

Right now, you can pick up the M1 iPad Air for just $399 at Best Buy, which is a massive $200 saving. This is the lowest ever price and it’ll make you think twice before grabbing the M2 Air.

In our Apple iPad Air (2022) review, we labeled the slick device a “new standard for tablets” and said “The new iPad Air outshines its predecessor thanks to its powerful M1 chip, 12MP front camera with Center Stage and 5G connectivity.

There are a bunch of other iPad deals out there, including $40 off the M2 iPad Air and the 10th Gen iPad for $321. This saving puts the M1 smack bang in the middle of these two prices, so why should you go for it, rather than save or spend more?

When compared to the 10th Gen iPad, you’re definitely getting more than enough bang for your buck to warrant that extra investment. The M1 chip continues to be an impressive performer — far more so than the A14 Bionic, and it means you’re getting Apple Intelligence support once that launches.

Plus if you’re looking for accessories to enhance your experience, you can make the most of the Apple Pencil range rather than being stuck to the first gen, alongside the impressive Magic Keyboard.

Swipe to scroll horizontally

	Geekbench (single core / dual core)	3DMark WildLife	Adobe Premiere Rush
iPad Air 2024	2,600 / 10,066	5,829 / 34.9 fps	21 seconds
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9	2,116 / 5,164	3,897 / 23.34 fps	40 seconds
iPad Air 5 (2022)	1,707 / 7,151	4,791 / 28.67 fps	22 seconds

When compared to the M2 iPad Air, you are getting a less performant chip for sure, but that gain (in my opinion) is not worth spending an extra $200 — especially since the build quality, display and speakers are just as good on the M1 models.

So this is the ultimate combo breaker of an amazing device for a super low price. If you’re in the market for an iPad, I recommend you seriously consider this deal.

TOPICS

Jason brings a decade of tech and gaming journalism experience to his role as a Managing Editor of Computing at Tom's Guide. He has previously written for Laptop Mag, Tom's Hardware, Kotaku, Stuff and BBC Science Focus. In his spare time, you'll find Jason looking for good dogs to pet or thinking about eating pizza if he isn't already.