Apple iPad Air 11" M3 Starlight 2025

The iPad Air M3 is a fast, lightweight tablet with a great display and best-in-class connectivity. The 60Hz screen and mediocre battery life are the main trade-offs. If you can find it on sale, it's one of the best tablet values out there.

The M3 chip is the star here, and it shows. Our database puts the GPU in the 94th percentile and the CPU in the 75th, which means this tablet handles everything from Procreate to video editing without breaking a sweat. The 8GB of RAM is solid, though not class-leading, and the 128GB base storage is fine for most people but fills up fast if you're into big games or 4K footage. Connectivity is a standout at the 96th percentile, with Wi-Fi 6E and 5G keeping you fast on the go. The screen is where things get interesting: 500 nits and 264 ppi look great for reading and streaming, but that 60Hz refresh rate feels dated when you've used a ProMotion display. It's a strong performer overall, just not the absolute best screen experience in this price range.

Against the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11, the iPad Air M3 wins on raw performance and app ecosystem, but Samsung's display tech is arguably better for media consumption. The Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus is a solid Android alternative with a bigger battery, but it can't match the M3's sustained performance. The Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Ed is the real wildcard here: it runs full Windows, which makes it a better laptop replacement, but it's heavier and pricier. The Xiaomi Pad 6 is a budget pick that undercuts everything, but you're giving up the polish and longevity of iPadOS. For most people, the Air M3 is the sweet spot between power and price.

Pricing is all over the map right now. In the US, you'll see listings from USD 308 to USD 1,250, and in Canada it's CAD 720 to CAD 1,697. That's a massive spread, and it means you need to shop around. The best US deal we're seeing is at the low end of that range, which makes this an absolute steal compared to the iPad Pro. At full retail, it's harder to justify, especially when the Pro offers a better display and more RAM for not much more. But if you catch a sale, this is easily one of the best tablet values out there.

The iPad Air M3 is Apple doing what Apple does best: taking last year's Pro chip and dropping it into a thinner, lighter, more affordable body. You get the M3 with its 9-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine, 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD in the base config. It's fast, it's familiar, and it runs iPadOS like a dream.

But let's be real about what this is. It's not a Pro replacement. The 60Hz display is the big compromise here, and the 29Wh battery means you'll be reaching for the charger more often than you'd like. Still, for reading, studying, and light business work, this thing absolutely nails it.

Skip this if you need a true laptop replacement or do heavy multitasking. The 8GB of RAM and iPadOS limitations will frustrate you if you're trying to run desktop-class apps. Also skip it if you're a serious mobile gamer or media enthusiast who wants a high-refresh display. The 60Hz screen and mediocre battery life will annoy you daily. If you need all-day battery without thinking about it, look at the Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus or a Surface Pro instead.

If you're a student, a reader, or someone who wants a tablet that just works without the Pro price tag, the iPad Air M3 is an easy recommendation. It's fast, light, and the display is great for everything except high-refresh gaming. The battery life is the one real annoyance, and the 60Hz screen will bug you if you've used a Pro. But for first-time iPad buyers or anyone upgrading from an older model, this is the one to get.