Seriously, are you all right, Apple? You’ve been hitting the sales on relatively new devices pretty hard for a few years now, which was already out of character for your historical stinginess when it came to anything other than clearing out soon-to-be-discontinued stock.
Now you’ve introduced a new iPad, and 16 days later, you’re including it in Amazon’s Spring Sale? It’s a modest $22 off a $349 device, so let’s not overreact here, but it does seem like a cry for help.
Man, I think you should lie down, put a cold washcloth over your forehead, and sip some carbonated Apple juice.
the cheapest ipad gets (a little bit) cheaper
For the longest time, Apple would only discount devices that were several years or generations out of date. It was a way to clear out old stock—typically two generations old—to make way for an incoming generation.
Apple did it most recently last week with the MacBook Air M2, since the MacBook Air M4 had been released the week prior. To discount the 11th-generation iPad so soon after its release, though, doesn’t speak volumes on Apple’s confidence that the base-level iPad will find a healthy base of potential consumers.
Perhaps it’s seen, in these limited weeks, that customers are preferring the mid-level iPad Air M3, which was also released on the same day as the 11th-generation iPad. Or maybe it just fears that’s the case. Or maybe I’m reading too much into the situation.
Still, it’s a strange move for such a new device from any manufacturer, especially Apple. Both the 11th-generation iPad and iPad Air M3 make strong cases for themselves. As I said in my article comparing the two:
Both the iPad Air M3 and 11th-generation iPad make a strong case for themselves in their distinguished price brackets.
The iPad Air M3 is a solid choice for somebody who requires a bit more oomph and power. Those who create digital art on their iPads or who do light to moderate photo or video editing are ideal candidates for the Air M3.
If all you do on your tablet is browse the internet, stream movies, read ebooks, check email, and FaceTime, then you’ll be a-ok with the 11th-gen iPad. It’s more than powerful enough to handle these lightweight tasks. It may be inexpensive, but it isn’t cheap, if you get what I’m saying.
