The iPad Air M3 makes one of our favorite tablets even faster, though folks who own a recent Apple tablet won’t find much new here.

It's a refresh to Apple's solid mid-range tablet, but it lacks the versatility, power, or price of Apple's other iPad options. The iPad Air 11 with M3 is fine for certain tasks, but it can’t be your cheaper MacBook with a touchscreen.

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.