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Apple's iPad Air M3 Falls to $499 at Best Buy as Price Hikes Narrow the Lineup

6/30/2026

A Best Buy promotion has cut the 11-inch iPad Air M3 to $499 for the 128GB Wi-Fi-plus-5G configuration — down from its listed price of $749 — arriving at a moment when Apple's sweeping price increases have compressed the gap between entry-level and mid-tier tablets to just $50.

Apple's Price Increases Reshaped the Value Calculation The timing matters. Apple's base iPad now carries a $449 price tag, up from $349 before the recent round of increases.

That $100 jump to the entry model effectively redraws the competitive map: a buyer who previously weighed a $100 premium for the Air now faces a $50 decision at Best Buy's current price.

The question is no longer whether the Air is worth more — it's whether the base iPad is still worth recommending at all. The short answer, at this spread, is that it isn't.