And it’s even better when it’s on sale – and there are plenty of deals to be found on it now it’s the ‘old’ model following the launch of the iPad Air 5 in March 2022. The Air 5 has Apple’s M1 chipset and optional 5G connectivity, but that doesn’t mean the older fourth-gen iPad Air isn’t worth buying. It’s actually cheaper than ever before, making it a bargain. Here’s all you need to know about where to buy the fourth-gen iPad Air (2020) and, more importantly, a selection of the best hand-picked deals. For more, read our iPad Air (2020) review. You can also find deals on the iPad Air 5 (2022) if you’re interested in the latest model.
Where to buy the iPad Air (2020) – best deals
Following the release of the fifth-gen iPad Air (2022) in March 2022, Apple has discontinued the iPad Air 4 (2020). See live discounted prices from top retailers below:
Can I buy the iPad Air (2020) on contract?
If you’re tempted to make use of the optional cellular connectivity and get the iPad Air 4 at a discount on contract, we’ve got some bad news. While the tablet was once widely available in the UK and US on contract, all networks have since dropped the fourth-gen tablet in favour of the newer iPad Air 5.
Where to find a refurbished iPad Air (2020)
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. There is stock of the iPad Air (2020) at the Refurbished Store right now, but it comes and goes as stock gets sold. If you find there aren’t any available when you look, here are a few other refurbished resellers worth checking out: See our full guide to buying a refurbished iPad.
How much does the fourth-generation iPad Air cost?
Apple decided that the redesign of the tablet should be accompanied by a noticeable bump in price. Despite 2019’s iPad Air starting at £479/$499, the 2020 model cost £579/$599 when it was released. Here are the original prices so you can check if you’re getting a great deal or not:
iPad Air 2020 (64GB, Wi-Fi): £579/$599iPad Air 2020 (256GB, Wi-Fi): £729/$749iPad Air 2020 (64GB, Wi-Fi & Cellular): £709/$729iPad Air 2020 (256GB, Wi-Fi & Cellular): £859/$879
What was new in the iPad Air (2020)?
As mentioned, the fourth-generation Air was a complete redesign of the iPad Air range, bringing it closer visually to the iPad Pro and iPhone 13 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 was the first time Apple had included a side-mounted fingerprint scanner on any of its products, but it has since appeared on the iPad mini 6, and it has 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 was the first Apple product to feature the 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 processor as part of the iPad Air range. Don’t get confused though; despite the A14 Bionic branding, the M1 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 colours available, including green and blue options alongside the standard Silver, Space Grey and Rose Gold colour options. For more on Apple’s fourth-gen iPad, take a look at the latest iPad Air (2020) news. Lewis Painter is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor. Our resident Apple expert, Lewis covers everything from iPhone to AirPods, plus a range of smartphones, tablets, laptops and gaming hardware. You’ll also find him on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.
