What are the "pros and cons" of the iPad Air 3? Is it the iPad for me?

The iPad Air 3 models have been discontinued. However, this Q&A has been updated subsequently with current iOS details and more and can be quite helpful for anyone buying or selling one of these tablets on the used market.

Only you can decide if a used iPad Air 3 -- the iPad Air 3 (Wi-Fi Only), iPad Air 3 (Wi-Fi+Cellular US/CA/AU/NZ), iPad Air 3 (Wi-Fi+Cellular Global), and iPad Air 3 (Wi-Fi+Cellular China) -- is the best iPad for your needs.

However, an independent and objective "pros and cons" can help you make a good decision.

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (iPad Air 3 with Smart Keyboard)

If you would prefer a more in-depth take, EveryiPad.com also provides a detailed comparison of the iPad Air 3 models that you may like.

For those who like quick-and-easy highlights, though; this summary should be perfect:

Pros:

• Beautiful, thin, and impressively light weight design.
• Bright, high-resolution and crisp 10.5" IPS LED-backlit 2224x1668 (264 ppi) display.
• Quite fast for the price with 3 GB of RAM.
• Excellent battery life.
• System-wide mirroring support.
• Built-in support for extensive 4G/LTE (28 bands) on cellular-equipped models as well as 802.11ac Wi-Fi.
• Bluetooth 5.0 support.
• Dual cameras (front and rear) with 1080p support.
• Usable onscreen keyboard, support for the Apple Smart Keyboard, and bundled iWork apps -- Pages, Numbers, and Keynote -- make productive use quite possible.
• Inexpensive compared to the iPad Pro and Mac notebooks.
• Touch ID support.
• Support for original Apple Pencil.

Cons:

• Slower than the iPad Pro line.
• No support for the much better Apple Pencil (2nd Gen).
• The battery is not intended to be replaced and self-replacement is quite difficult.
• Storage capacity cannot be upgraded and may be inadequate given increasingly large file sizes to display images and other content optimized for the high-resolution display.
• No SD card slot.
• Shooting photos and video with such a physically large device is awkward.
• No bundled headphones (a particularly miserly omission given the price of the device).
• Fairly expensive compared to the iPad mini and some third-party tablets.

So, is the iPad Air 3 right for me?

Ignoring subsequent tablets, the discontinued iPad Air 3 still remains a solid choice for an Apple tablet although it is reaching the end of the road for operating system support these days.

It provides the same performance as the new-for-longer iPad mini 5, but the iPad Air 3 has a larger display and support for the Apple Smart Keyboard. Accordingly, the iPad Air 3 is a worthwhile trade-off for someone who finds the iPad mini too small or prefers the larger screen and better keyboard support and who doesn't mind the extra size and weight.

The iPad Air 3 also is a good choice for anyone who finds the regular iPad too slow or otherwise insufficient or who finds the high-end iPad Pro too expensive.

In the US, site sponsor Adorama sells new iPad Air models with free shipping. Other World Computing sells used and refurb iPad Air models at bargain prices with free shipping, as well. Finally, if you need to sell an iPad, A+ BBB-rated Cash for Your Mac and GoRoostr will buy your older iPad with an instant quote and prompt payment.

In the UK, site sponsor Hoxton Macs has a large number of used and refurbished iPad models with a one-year warranty and free next day delivery throughout the UK. Delivery across Europe also is available starting at just £9.99 for two-day delivery to France and Germany.

In Australia, site sponsor Mac City may have used iPad models in stock, as well. All Macs and devices are available with a free warranty and fast shipping across Australia.

Please also see EveryiPad.com's Ultimate iComparison feature to dynamically compare any iPad model to any other iPod, iPhone, or iPad.