At $499, Apple’s M3-powered iPad Air is a good deal

售价 499 美元，搭载 M3 芯片的 iPad Air 性价比极高

After a bunch of price increases, the M3 iPad Air stands out if you’re looking for the best tablet under $500. 在经历了一系列涨价潮后，如果你正在寻找 500 美元以内最好的平板电脑，搭载 M3 芯片的 iPad Air 脱颖而出。

Most of Apple’s price increases have gone into effect, resulting in iPads and other products costing hundreds more than they did a few days ago. If last week’s Prime Day sale wasn’t a good time to consider buying an iPad, we found a deal worth considering that’s just under $500 right now. The 128GB iPad Air that has the M3 processor, plus both Wi-Fi and 5G cellular support, costs $499 at Best Buy. At just $50 more than the base iPad (now $449, up from $349), it’s a significantly faster and all-around better tablet. 苹果的大部分涨价措施已经生效，导致 iPad 及其他产品的价格比几天前贵了几百美元。如果上周的 Prime Day 促销没能让你入手 iPad，我们现在发现了一个非常值得考虑的优惠，价格刚好低于 500 美元。在百思买（Best Buy），这款配备 M3 处理器、支持 Wi-Fi 和 5G 蜂窝网络的 128GB iPad Air 售价仅为 499 美元。它仅比基础款 iPad（现价 449 美元，从 349 美元上调）贵 50 美元，却是一款速度更快、综合表现更出色的平板电脑。

The last-gen 11-inch iPad Air features Apple’s fast M3 chip with GPU upgrades like dynamic caching for smoother performance in demanding apps. It also supports the Apple Pencil Pro and the newest Magic Keyboard, which features a larger build and a 14-key function row. 上一代 11 英寸 iPad Air 搭载了苹果快速的 M3 芯片，并具备动态缓存等 GPU 升级，在运行高负载应用时表现更流畅。它还支持 Apple Pencil Pro 和最新的妙控键盘，后者拥有更大的机身设计和 14 键功能行。

While the last-gen Air matches the base iPad’s 11-inch screen size, the Air has a laminated, antireflective coating, plus a wider color gamut. In other words, it’s the better choice for entertainment or for creating content. In terms of specs, its M3 processor leaps ahead of the A16 with more cores, not to mention Apple Intelligence support (as well as support for iPadOS 27 coming later this year). It also boasts Apple Pencil Pro support. 虽然上一代 Air 与基础款 iPad 的 11 英寸屏幕尺寸相同，但 Air 采用了全贴合抗反射涂层，并拥有更广的色域。换句话说，它是娱乐或内容创作的更好选择。在规格方面，其 M3 处理器凭借更多的核心数远超 A16，更不用说它还支持 Apple Intelligence（以及今年晚些时候推出的 iPadOS 27）。此外，它还支持 Apple Pencil Pro。

It stacks up well compared to the newer M4 Air, too, which now starts at $749 for the Wi-Fi model, and a whopping $899 for the cellular. The M3 processor is only slightly slower, it has 8GB of memory instead of 12GB, and its wireless radio is older, but it’s otherwise nearly identical, for much less money. $500 for the M3 Air is a steal. 与新款 M4 Air 相比，它的表现也毫不逊色。新款 M4 Air 的 Wi-Fi 版起售价为 749 美元，蜂窝版更是高达 899 美元。M3 处理器仅比 M4 稍慢，内存为 8GB 而非 12GB，无线模块也较旧，但在其他方面几乎完全相同，价格却便宜得多。花 500 美元买到 M3 版 Air 绝对是超值之选。