2025#030/031 [Apple] Black Friday Festival - iPad Air and Beats Studio Pro

This time, I am reviewing two items together.

The first is the iPad Air M3. The other is the Beats Studio Pro.
Let's start with the Air.

1. Apple iPad Air M3/11"/256GB/Blue

Black Friday Festival

Every year at the end of October, crazy people from all over the world gather for the terrifying Halloween festival. This year, it felt like it ended with a bit of a fizzle, and just as I thought I was released from the curse of oranges and pumpkins, Japan immediately started getting covered in songs, green, and red for the holy birth festival of Christ. Recently, however, a bargain festival called Black Friday has started to take place.

Sales are held everywhere, from AEON and Amazon to local electronics stores, but the highlight is definitely Amazon.

What to buy

I wanted to upgrade my iPad from spring to summer this year, but it sold out instantly during the pre-sale, and I was completely disappointed. Then, finally, the long-awaited Black Friday Sale arrived. When I checked the iPads, the Air 2025 M3 model was included. So...

Deciding on the specifications

1. The Pro is too expensive
2. The base model does not support Apple Intelligence
3. I am a bit dissatisfied that the mini uses the A17 CPU instead of the M series
4. The 13-inch screen size jumps up in price, and since my Mac is already a large 16-inch, I don't really need that much from an iPad
So, I went with the 2025 Air 11" M3.
5. 128GB is less than a modern iPhone, so I went with 256GB, which is the limit for value! (I found my old 512GB iPad Pro 10.5" very useful!)
6. For the color, I chose blue, which is close to the Sierra Blue of the iPhone 13 Pro I am currently using.

And after I bought it, it was delivered the very next day with incredible speed. I was surprised, wondering how the logistics work.

Arrival and Unboxing

My impressions are: it's thin, it's beautiful, and it's fast!

I had been using an iPad Pro 10.5" that I bought around 2018 for a long time. Since the CPU is only about an A10x, it's natural that there would be a difference, but I realize now that the hardware level required by the OS was actually quite high. In any case, it's snappy.

I mainly used my iPad for content consumption like reading, music, and videos, but some video sites had issues with the browser acting up, so I plan to test those things out.

Also, recently, when it comes to taking notes, creating memos, and doing simple photo editing, the iPhone 13 Pro is a bit tough for my aging eyes (I should have gone with the Pro Max), and my big MacBook Pro 16" is intended for home use, so I was feeling a bit frustrated. It looks like I'll be able to do these things comfortably now too.

Accessories

By the way, in addition to using it at home, I plan to get a case and screen protection for when I take it out.

I debated whether to go with a hard glass type or a film type for the screen, but I decided on a film type from Simplism, which I've often used for my iPhones in the past.

It was advertised as being able to be applied perfectly without air bubbles, but maybe I'm just clumsy, as a few air bubbles remain... well, they'll probably disappear eventually.

As for the Apple Pencil, only the USB-C version or the Pro version is compatible, so I would need to buy a new one, but since it's a bit pricey, I decided to pass for now. I haven't used it very often in the past, but after seeing a few blogs recently, I found some things I'd like to try myself, so I'll probably buy one eventually.

The official cases are also quite expensive, so for now, I looked for something affordable that suits my taste. I'll try to report back if I get the chance.

Recommendation rating: ★★★★★ (No complaints!)

2. Beats Studio Pro Navy

A little extra treat

At the same time, there was something I couldn't overlook that was on sale for 50% off: the Beats Studio Pro.

I was originally a Beats Studio user. When I bought my AirPods Max, I gave that pair to my family, and they are still using them (I repair the ear pads whenever they break).

The problem with AirPods Max

For the past two years, the AirPods Max have taken that spot, but the downside of the Max is that they are heavy and the clamping force is quite tight. After about two hours of use, I get a headache, or rather, my face and jaw joints start to hurt, and everything aches.

According to several other users, it seems I'm not the only one who feels this way. They say you get used to it over time, but even now, if I use them for a long time, I end up suffering from the pressure on my head, much like Sun Wukong when he angered Xuanzang Sanzang.

In the coming cold season, I don't feel like wearing them for casual walks while letting in some ambient sound, so I use them at home when I want to watch movies with the volume cranked up. It might be a bit of a waste...

And now, back to the Beats Studio Pro.

I checked various things. The orthodox design remains the same as it used to be. The technology has at least caught up to the latest standards. However, it somehow feels cheaper than its list price, but there don't seem to be any issues with its performance.

Above all, even Ohtani-san wears them!
On top of that, they are half-price during this Black Friday sale. I couldn't help but get my hands on them.

I used the money saved on the Air to put toward these, making it a combined treat for myself this winter.

Unboxing and First Impressions

When I opened the package, there was a surprisingly small black pouch. It's quite compact. Unlike the bulky storage of the AirPods Max, which gets criticized for looking like a bra, this feels nice.

It's a bit disappointing that the AirPods Max, which should be leading in design as an Apple product, remain expensive even after adding USB-C support, and the storage design hasn't changed either. I guess I'll just have to wait and see for a while.

With a lot of plastic, it's hard to call it luxurious, but it feels light in the hand, and when I actually put it on my head, it felt good. It's a snug fit, unlike the feeling of having your head pinched by the large clips of the AirPods Max.

How is the sound?

It's a good sound with the heavy bass that is typical of Beats. I listen to a wide range of genres from hard rock and metal to electronic, hip-hop, classical, and jazz, so it's hard to lean toward one specific sound, but when I listened to my playlist, it had that nostalgic, good, bass-heavy sound that is characteristic of Beats.

By the way, this has absolutely no basis and is just my personal impression, but it sounds more analog than Apple's AirPods series. It's a good sound that doesn't betray expectations.

Recommendation Rating: ★★★★ (There might be likes and dislikes regarding the sound, but I personally like it.)