Apple's latest update to the entry-level iPad doesn't add much, sits in a strange spot in the lineup, and is not powerful to join the company's Apple Intelligence push.

Less than a year after updating it with the M2 chip and introducing a larger-screen option, Apple gave the iPad Air another hardware refresh with a power bump. To boost its already formidable productivity chops, Apple also treated the iPad Air to a new, more affordably priced Magic Keyboard with a dedicated function row.

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.