The iPad Air 11 with M3 is fine for certain tasks, but it can’t be your cheaper MacBook with a touchscreen. It’s better than last year’s model, but good enough may not be enough to justify the upgrade for lingering M1 iPad Air users.

Unlike the Pros, the iPad Air at least comes in a couple extra colors that add some panache. In the case of the iPad Air M3, you can pick from Blue, Purple, Starlight, and Space Gray. The colors are not super-vibrant, but add a tasteful hue to the chassis.

There are reasons to spend more on this Air than the entry-level $349 iPad, even if you're spending $250 more to get it. The two big ones are the M3 chip and Pencil Pro ($129, sold separately) compatibility.