If you want to get a deal on Apple hardware, you’re often forced to look for used or refurbished models. But there’s one exception: when new stuff comes out. That’s the time you can find the older models, brand new, for huge discounts. Take this fifth-gen iPad Air on Amazon: while it’s nearly identical to the new 11-inch version aside from the CPU, it’s $200 off MSRP.
While I’m a ride-or-die fan of Windows on my PCs and Android on my phones, I have to begrudgingly admit that Apple rules the roost when it comes to tablets. That’s why there’s a 4th-gen iPad Air on my desk right now. Don’t tell any of my colleagues over at Macworld, they’ll never let me hear the end of it.
The one Amazon has on sale gets a much speedier M1 processor, the same one that went into its first-gen Arm Macbooks, though to be honest you won’t even need that power unless you’re running the tablet version of Photoshop (which is an option). The fingerprint reader for login is a nice touch, but personally I’m just glad it uses a USB-C cable so I don’t have to buy new Lightning chargers.
Amazon is selling the 64GB blue and purple models for $399, an impressive 33 percent off the $600 retail price. Other versions are also discounted: you can get pink, grey, or “starlight” (read: kinda gold-ish) for $449, or take smaller discounts on upgraded models with 256GB of storage and/or a 5G cellular connection.
