Buying new isn’t always the wisest decision. Much of the time, the so-called latest model’s improvements are miniscule and the difference in performance the average person can pick up on are barely existent. You can save quit a bit of money if you go with an older configuration, and save even more if you get one pre-owned. Back Market is a great source for certified refurbished hardware, and right now, the site has the iPad Air 5 on sale for $301 off. New, the model was originally $599, but you can get it now for just $298 for a limited time. That’s more than half off.
This is the 2022 model featuring the M1 chipset. We’ve had a handful of M-series processors release since then, but this first from Apple is still plenty good for basic, everyday tasks like scrolling through social media, watching YouTube videos, and responding the emails.
The iPad Air 5 comes in two choices of storage and five different color options, though only one combination is currently marked down to under $300. To get the best deal, you’ll be getting the 64GV configuration with the starlight color finish.
Additionally, the 2022 model iPad Air comes as either supporting Wi-Fi only or supporting both Wi-Fi and 5G. Expectedly, the Wi-Fi version is the cheaper one, but you can still get away with using the iPad wherever you please, even without being on a wireless network. Just flip on your phone’s hotspot functionality and you’ll be able to piggy back off its cellular service to send messages, receive calls, and access the internet when not at home.
Certified Refurbished
Back Market has a special breakdown for the different conditions of the refurbished products it offers. It’s set as four different levels including fair, good, excellent, and premium. The model on sale is “excellent,” the second best condition. At this level, you’ll see almost no signs of use across the body of the iPad Air 5. You can expect a healthy battery lift that supports daily use and the model has been rebuilt using verified parts. The key difference between the excellent tier and premium tier is that premium exclusively used Apple parts of any bits and bots that were in need of replacement.
The premium certified refurbished model is currently listed at $380, while the one in excellent condition is $298.
You can save even more if you have an old device to trade in. On the product page, use the dropdown menu to search for the device you have on hand to receive an estimate for how much trade-in value you are eligible for based on the specific model and the condition of the unit.