After revealing an overhauled 10.9-inch iPad Air back in September, Apple has finally started taking pre-orders for its new tablet. If you're keen to get your hands on Apple's latest iPad, you won't have to wait too longer - orders will start shipping as early as Friday.
At present, most new iPad Air models will ship out within four to six business days, although this seems to increase to five to seven business days if you're after a model with 4G connectivity.
If you need a quick recap, the iPad Air brings Apple's midrange tablet family in terms of the Pro series thanks to the "all screen" aesthetic. Despite the similar appearance, the iPad Air starts at $899, which is two-thirds of the iPad Pro's starting pricing.
As the iPad Pro, the new iPad Air is compatible with the second-generation Apple Pencil and the new Magic Keyboard. These cost extra however, and will set you back $199 and $499 respectively. The new iPad Air also features a USB-C connector instead of Apple's standard Lightning port you'll find on iPhones.
The more affordable starting price obviously means you miss out on a few features compared to the Pro. The iPad Air doesn't have facial recognition, instead featuring a Touch ID fingerprint sensor in its power button. You won't get a high refresh rate Pro Motion display, which can make scrolling look smoother. The entry storage capacity is 64GB rather than 128GB. And lastly, the iPad Air is missing the iPad Pro's secondary rear-facing camera and LIDAR sensor.
Pricing for the iPad Air is as follows:
- iPad Air (64GB) WiFi only: $899
- iPad Air (256GB) WiFi only: $1,129
- iPad Air (64GB) WiF + 4G: $1,099
- iPad Air (256GB) WiFi + 4G: $1,329
You'll be able to get the new iPad Air in a choice of space grey or silver, as well as three more interesting colours: rose gold, green, and sky blue. We're expecting to see Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone all offer the new iPad Air on a plan shortly.
Alex Choros
