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.

If you’ve picked up an iPad in the last five years or so, the new iPad Air will not surprise you. It is, in every way but one, identical to the iPad Air that Apple released last spring. The only difference is that the latest iPad Air has the M3 chip inside,

The iPad Air with M3 isn’t much different, but that shouldn’t surprise you. A thing that is becoming more true is that small, incremental updates are underrated. Most products get one or two great moments in their history,