- This article was originally published on iMore and featured in our Back to School guide.
Most students are on a budget, but that doesn't mean you'll have to guard against features. The new iPad Air 3 is the best iPad a student can get because it packs a lot of power, including some Pro features, but it's much more affordable than the iPad Pro range.
- Best Overall: iPad Air 3 (2019)
- Finalist: iPad Pro
- Value choice: iPad mini 5
- Our pick: iPad Air 3 (2019)
(Image credit: future)
iPad Air 3 (2019)
Professional-grade features for an average price
The new iPad Air 3 is a great option, as it packs in some pro-level features, like support for the first-generation Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard, and features an A12 Bionic chip for fast processing power. Despite these powerful features, the iPad Air 3 costs just € 500, much less than the Pro models. View the deal
(Image credit: future)
Who should buy the iPad Air 3 (2019)
The iPad Air 3 is ideal for students and anyone looking for a powerful iPad with professional features like Apple Pencil support (800st generation only) and smart keyboard, but don't want it. Don't pay for the Pro. Base prices, which start at € XNUMX. It's also great for those looking for a medium-sized screen, who don't need facial identification and aren't planning on using it to take new photos.
Is this the right time to buy the iPad Air 3 (2019)?
Yes, it is the right time to buy the new iPad Air 3. It was launched in early 2019 and therefore contains the latest chips and specifications from Apple, as well as the iPad mini 5 (2019).
Reasons to buy
- Screen size 10.5 inches
- Wide-range laminated display with True Tone
- Support for Apple Pencil (XNUMXst generation) and smart keyboard
- Comes with a fast A12 bionic chip
- Touch ID and Lightning cable
- Excellent price / power ratio
Reasons not to buy
- No face identification
- Only compatible with the XNUMXst generation Apple Pencil
- The rear camera is only 8MP
The iPad Air 3 is ideal for students who want an affordable tablet without skimping on power features.
(Image credit: Apple)
The iPad is a great option for students who don't want to carry a heavy laptop, but want something light and powerful enough to take notes during class, work on research, or work. even use projects. But if you look at an iPad Pro, the prices are a bit out of reach for most students, who are likely on limited budgets. This is why the iPad Air is a great option.
With the new iPad Air 3, students will have an iPad that offers a multitude of displays to the 10.5-inch screen. This means plenty of room for writing and reading, especially if you're using a first-generation Apple Pencil for handwritten notes or drawings. Plus, at its 10.5-inch size, Apple's Smart Keyboard fits perfectly, allowing you to choose a full-size keyboard powered by the iPad Air's smart connector.
The iPad Air 3 also comes with a Bionic A12 chip. Although not as fast as the current iPad Pro A12X, it still represents a significant advance over the previous iPad Air with the A8X chip. It also has a neural engine for machine learning and computer vision, such as augmented reality. This isn't the latest and greatest, but it's still powerful enough for a student who would use an iPad.
IPad Air 3 offers the perfect balance between powerful professional-grade features and an affordable price.
Apple has also decided to include a wide color laminated display with True Tone in the new iPad Air 3. The laminated display offers an anti-reflective coating that makes it easy to use your iPad outdoors if necessary. A laminated screen also means that the touch-sensitive layer of the screen and the LCD screen are fused into one layer, resulting in a better overall display. The wide gamut gives you the truest colors available. So if you plan to use your iPad Air 3 to draw and edit photos, you'll get the most accurate colors available.
While most of us don't think the iPad should be used as the main camera, people still are, and that's fine if it's your only option. . However, the iPad Air 3 is only endowed with an 8 MPa camera on the back, photos taken with the tablet will not look as good as if you took the same image with an iPhone XS or XS Max, for example. But it still works fine for tasks like scanning documents, etc. The front camera is 7MP, which makes it ideal for video calls.
We think the iPad Air 3 is a great option for students and just about anyone who wants an iPad with power, but at a much more reasonable and affordable price. It's the perfect middle ground, offering Pro-level features at an average price.
Honestly, why would a student use an iPad? The iPad Air 3 does it perfectly and much more.
Alternatives to iPad Air 3
(Image credit: future)
The iPad Air 3 is in the middle of offering powerful features while being very affordable. However, you can go for the Pro for a few hundred dollars more, or even grab an iPad mini 5 for less.
(Image credit: future)
iPad Pro
When you want the iPad to do everything
The iPad Pro is offered in 11-inch and 12,9-inch sizes and comes with the fastest A12X chip, as well as the promotional Retina Liquid display, true tone, and a wide color gamut. It is compatible with the second generation Apple Pencil, you can use smart accessories such as the smart keyboard, it comes with a face ID, it has a 12 MP rear camera and a 7MP TrueDepth front camera.
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If you need the best of the best and have the money, you should definitely go for the iPad Pro range. You'll get the best Liquid Retina display with True Tone, ProMotion, and a wide color gamut for more accurate shadows for drawing and photo editing. It is also equipped with the fastest A12X chip for raw processing power and can use second-generation Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard accessories. The cameras are much better too and you can choose between 11 and 12.9-inch displays to better suit your needs.
(Image credit: future)
iPad mini 5
Small but mighty
The iPad mini 5 looks like the iPad Air 3, but with a smaller 7.9-inch screen. It also comes with the A12 Bionic chip, is compatible with the first generation Apple Pencil, and has the same 8 MPa and 7 MP rear cameras. It is simply not compatible with smart accessories such as the smart keyboard due to the lack of Smart Connector.
(Image credit: future)
The iPad mini 5 looks a lot like the iPad Air 3 with regards to internals, but it comes in a smaller package. Fast with the A12 Bionic chip, it features the same specs as the front and rear cameras (7MP and 8MP, respectively) and is also compatible with the first-generation Apple Pencil, making it an excellent compact camera-making machine. notes or drawing. Only the smart connector is missing, but you can still use a Bluetooth keyboard with it.
Bottom line
The iPad Air 3 is the best intermediate option for students looking for energy and affordable prices. Of course, the A12 is not as powerful as the A12X in the iPad Pro, but it is still very fast and powerful, especially compared to the previous generation of Airs. Also, Apple Pencil support on a non-Pro iPad is a huge plus, even if it's just the first generation. And smart keyboard support makes productivity easier than ever with iPad Air. It has enough Pro features at a fraction of the price, making it one of the best options for students.
(Image credit: future)
iPad Air 3 (2019)
Professional-grade features for an average price
The new iPad Air 3 is a great option, as it packs in some pro-level features, like support for the first-generation Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard, and features an A12 Bionic chip for fast processing power. Despite these powerful features, the iPad Air 3 costs just € 500, much less than the Pro models. View the deal