Apple lifted the lid on the much-rumoured iPad Air at its ‘Time Flies’ event last September, and it’s a big change compared to 2019’s model.
The 4th generation iPad Air, which went on sale 23 October 2020, features a complete redesign, bringing it in-line with the iPad Pro aesthetic, and it shares a few similarities in the display department too. There’s also the new A14 Bionic chipset to get excited about.
Here’s all you need to know about where to buy the iPad Air 2020. For more, take a look at our iPad Air (2020) review.
We’re separately looking at where to buy the iPad 10.2in (8th generation) here.
How much does the iPad Air cost?
In a move that some certainly won’t appreciate, Apple has decided that the redesign of the tablet means a noticeable bump in price. Despite last year’s iPad Air starting at £479/$499, this year’s model is set to be available from £579/$599:
- iPad Air 2020 (64GB, Wi-Fi): £579/$599
- iPad Air 2020 (256GB, Wi-Fi): £729/$749
- iPad Air 2020 (64GB, Wi-Fi & Cellular): £709/$729
- iPad Air 2020 (256GB, Wi-Fi & Cellular): £859/$879
You can compare iPad Air 4 prices across top retailers below:
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Where to buy the iPad Air (4th gen) – Best deals right now
The iPad Air (2020) is available primarily from Apple in the UK and US, but as with other Apple product, it’s available via a range of third-party retailers too.
1. Apple iPad Air (2020, 64GB, Wi-Fi + Cellular)
From: Amazon
Was: £709
Now: £589.97 (£119.03 off)
View Deal
This discount on this model previously ballooned up to £230 off! While £120 off the Rose Gold model is less impressive, it’s still the best price around right now for this model.
2. Apple iPad Air 2020 (64GB, 4th Gen)
From: Amazon
Was: £579
Now: £549 (£30 off)
View Deal
Amazon beats both Currys and AO on the entry-level iPad Air 4 (Wi-Fi only). We’d recommend watching this space over Prime Day as Amazon previously had up to £105 off this model.
3. Apple iPad Air 2020 (256GB, Wi-Fi + Cellular, 4th Gen)
From: Amazon
Was: £859
Now: £759 (£100 off)
View Deal
Amazon comes in again with the best price on the 256GB option with cellular conncetivity. However, John Lewis also has £60 off and offers a 2-year guarantee for free.
4. Apple iPad Air 2020 (64GB, 4th Gen)
From: KRCS
Was: £579
Now: £567.42 (£11.58 off)
View Deal
If you miss Amazon’s discount on the 64GB Air 4, KRCS also has £11 off. It’s not as high, but delivery is free. KRCS also has £14 off the Wi-Fi and Cellular model (64GB).
5. Apple iPad Air 2020 (64GB, Wi-Fi + Cellular, 4th Gen) with 2GB data
Now: £22 per month
View Deal
Sky’s offer is the most competitive if you’re looking at total costs. Where O2 and Virgin’s contracts last 48 months, Sky’s is only 36 months – but with no upfront costs and a monthly rate that outdoes other contract providers for 2GB data.
6. Apple iPad Air 2020 (64GB) with 10GB data
Now: £20 upfront, £34 per months (3 months of Disney+ or Prime Video for free)
View Deal
O2’s plans also include 3 months of Disney+, Prime Video, Amazon Music Unlimited, Audible or Calm for free, and 100 texts. This rate is over a 48-month term, but you can choose shorter plans (at higher monthly rates).
7. Apple iPad Air 2020 (64GB) with 4GB data
From: Virgin Media
Now: £21.50 per month, no upfront cost
View Deal
Get 4GB of data for the price of 2GB from Virgin media. The term is over 48 months.
8. Apple iPad Air 2020 (64GB) with 2GB data
From: EE
Was: £50 per month
Now: £45 per month, no upfront cost
View Deal
Get the iPad Air 4 without any upfront costs from EE on its Essential Plan.
Where to find iPad Air 4 deals – Best places online
Retailers in the UK that currently stock the iPad Air (2020) include:
Meanwhile, those in the US should head to:
Where to get refurbished iPad deals
The Apple Refurbished Store should be your first destination if you’re after a refurbished iPad deal. As Apple Certified Refurbished, you can expect the device to look and work just like new, but at prices up to 15% lower than the RRP.
The only issue is, you may not always find the model you’re after in stock. We can’t see the iPad Air (2020) at the Refurbished Store right now, but here are a few other refurbished resellers worth checking out:
See our full guide to buying a refurbished iPad.
What’s new with the iPad Air (2020)?
This is the key question, especially considering the £260/$270 price hike of the base model of iPad Air with the release of this year’s model.
The good news is that there’s some justification for the rise in price – it’s essentially a complete redesign of the iPad Air range, bringing it closer visually to the iPad Pro and iPhone 12 design. It sports a larger 10.9in display, up from 10.5in of the previous model, but the bigger improvement is in the bezel department. Like Apple’s Pro iPad, the iPad Air features significantly reduced bezels, and the Home button has been moved too.
While it used to sit below the display, Apple has moved it to the top-right of the tablet this time around. It’s slimmer than the standard Home button but features the same Touch ID tech. It’s the first time Apple has included a side-mounted fingerprint scanner on any of its products, but it has admittedly been a feature on Android smartphones and tablets for quite a few years now.
That said, it shouldn’t come as a shock that despite featuring the same bezels as the iPad Pro, the iPad Air doesn’t feature Face ID – Apple has to keep some features exclusive to the high-end model, after all. It’s also a standard 60Hz display, not the 120Hz ProMotion display of the Pro line.
Interestingly, the iPad Air is the first Apple product to feature the new 5nm A14 Bionic chipset, something that in previous years would’ve debuted on the iPhone range before coming to other products. Of course, with the iPhone delay, Apple had no choice but to reveal the new processor as part of the iPad Air range. Don’t get confused though; despite the A14 Bionic branding, the A12X chipset of the iPad Pro range is still more capable with more CPU and GPU cores at its disposal.
Elsewhere, the iPad Air features the same main camera as the iPad Pro, a 12Mp f/1.8 sensor, but no LIDAR or ultra-wide cameras. There’s also a shift from Lightning to USB-C for charging and connectivity, and there’s also a bunch of new colours available, including green and blue options alongside the standard Silver, Space Grey and Rose Gold colour options.
For more on Apple’s latest iPad, take a look at the latest iPad Air (2020) news.