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iPad Air pre-orders now live: here are the best retailers to order from

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Good news everybody! After seemingly months of waiting for the new iPad Air 4 pre-orders to go live, it's now finally available on the Apple store for an October 23. release date. Are you happy? We're certainly happy! not least because our prediction of pre-orders going live the same date as the new iPhone 12 has proven correct.

Links for pre-orders from Apple and other leading retailers are just below, so if you're ready to go, just head on straight through and the best retailer offerings. We've also rounded up everything you need to know about this interesting new premium tablet from Apple just below, just in case you needed a little bit of guidance before you make that purchase decision.

With Apple's mid-September event officially announcing a new iPad Air for 2020 we now have a worthy replacement to the capable, but slightly dated 2019 iPad Air. More options are always fantastic, but is it worth the price? Right here you'll find links for the now live pre-orders, price information, a quick specs breakdown, and also a direct comparison to 2019's model - all the information you would need before considering a new iPad Air 2020 pre-order.

The iPad Air pre-order is now live, but this new release also means we should also be seeing some a fresh round of competitive prices on cheap iPad deals - great news if you find the new updates not worth the cash.

Firstly, here are the direct links to the relevant iPad Air Pre-order pages on Apple. Pre-orders are now live ahead of an October 23. release date.

All Apple stores worldwide are now accepting pre-orders for the new iPad Air 4 and it'll be the first place where most people place their orders. Will stocks last? It's hard to say just yet. but if they don't there's also plenty of other excellent retailers with pre-orders now live. We've rounded up the best ones just below, including the current status of their sites iPad 4 pre-order pages.

iPad Air pre-orders: other leading retailers

  • US:
  • Amazon - not live yet, but Amazon's iPad Air 4 page is now available.
  • Best Buy - pre-orders now live, on all colors and models
  • Adorama - pre-orders live, including with financing options
  • BHPhoto - pre-orders live, with free expedited shipping
  • UK:
  • Amazon -  not live yet, but expected to land in the following days
  • Currys - page is live, but pre-orders aren't just yet
  • John Lewis - not live yet, but again expected soon

US retailers have mostly updated their iPad 4 pre-order pages already, with the exception of Amazon, who's sure to follow shortly, if not by the end of the day. In the UK we're still waiting for most retailers to go live but it won't be long now.

iPad Air pre-orders 2020

(Image credit: Apple)

How much do iPad Air pre-orders cost?

iPad Air pre-orders cost $100 more than the previous model, which sits inline with the move to make the Air line more competitive with the iPad Pro. You're certainly getting a jump in power over the previous model as well. As always, the iPad Air is the somewhat underrated middle child of the whole iPad range, sitting between the top-end Pro series, and more basic standard 10.2-inch iPad. That's still reflected in these 2020 iPad Air pre-order launch prices, but you're eking a little closer to the premium side of things in this year's release.

iPad Air pre-order launch prices:

  • 64GB - $599 / £579 / AU$699
  • 256GB - $749 / £729 / AU$1,129

It's worth mentioning that these are just starting prices for the Wi-Fi only models, if you want to include the option for cellular capabilities then you'll be spending an extra $120 on top of the above asking prices.

iPad Air pre-orders: what do you get for your money?

The brand new iPad Air 2020, as expected, comes with a selection of storage sizes (64GB, 256GB) but unexpectedly, comes with not only a brand new look but a few brand new colors as well. Old favorites Silver, Rose Gold and Space Gray make a return but we're also seeing the new addition of a Green and Sky Blue this year.

The screen size and display have also been upgraded, from a 10.5-inch Retina to a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina and inside you're getting the new A14 Bionic chip - which Apple claims is their most advanced mobile processor yet. As if that wasn't all, there are also upgrades to the camera systems - which now support 4K video at 60 FPS. 

Altogether, we're not just looking at an iterative improvement here. The new iPad Air isn't only a fresh new look for the range as a whole, but it's also packing some serious hardware - probably enough to warrant an upgrade if you've been holding off.

Software-wise these new 2020 iPad Air comes with the latest iPadOS 14 and can, of course, be expected to be supported with the latest upgrades from Apple for many years to come. iPadOS 14 specifically comes with better Apple Pencil support, new Scribble app, and new designs for popular apps such as FaceTime.

  • Capacity: 64GB, 256GB
  • Size:  247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1 (mm)
  • Weight: 1 pound (458 grams)
  • Connectors: USB-C
  • Display: 10.9-inch Liquid Retina, 2360x1640 resolution at 264ppi
  • Chip: A14 Bionic chip
  • Camera: Up to 12MP, ƒ/1.8 aperture, 60 fps 4K Video recording
  • Battery: rechargeable lithium-polymer, 10-hours

iPad Air pre-orders 2020

(Image credit: Apple)

What about older Apple iPad Air deals?

A new iPad launch is also great news if you're looking for something a little older - specifically the last generation models, which are sure to have some nice little price drops to make way for the newer, shinier offerings.

Right now, 2019 iPad Air prices seem to be holding up at around $499 / £499 /  AU$779 currently but we'd expect these to start decreasing in the following weeks. While the baseline 64GB variants are sold out at most US retailers with no likely plans for a restock, we should see the remaining 256GB models in stock going for a bargain clearout price soon - most likely for around $549 (a $100 discount).

It's also worth considering the older iPad Pro models, in particular the 2018 iPad Pro 11 and iPad Pro 12.9 - which can sometimes be snagged for around $200 cheaper than the new 2020 entries, though stocks are beginning to dry up now.

Looking to kit out your new iPad? We're also rounding up all the latest Apple Pencil deals available right now. Or, if you're looking for the full productivity experience, check out the best cheap MacBook deals

Date

16 Oct 2020

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  • Best cheap laptop deals for March 2022

    Every week we gather together the best cheap laptop deals available at all the top retailers and put them here for you to browse. No matter how big or small your budget, there's a whole range of different devices below that offer you the best value for money in each price range. We aim to take out some of the confusion when it comes to buying a new laptop and show you the machines that are suited to your needs without breaking the bank.

    Know that the laptops we've picked come with some of the best components you can buy for the money, too, including the latest generation processors, fast SSD storage, performance-boosting RAM upgrades and high-quality displays. So, whether you need a cheap Chromebook for light use, a budget laptop for everyday use or a big saving on a high-end ultrabook, we've got them all below.

    Cheap laptop deals by budget

    If you just want to quickly know what the best laptop deal is available this week, then it's this MSI Modern 15 for £349.97 at Box. It has a decent £50 saving off the regular price and we haven't spotted any other laptop deals that beat it in terms of value for money. The inclusion of an Intel i3 processor, 8GB of RAM and a whopping 512GB SSD - something we rarely see this cheap - will give you a great all-around performer for the price. It's suitable whether you need a device for everyday use, multitasking at work or media streaming.

    For those with less to spend, you could go for a budget Chromebook instead. There are some excellent offers in this category, as well as the option to upgrade to a Windows machine for less should you prefer that added flexibility. For the cheapest option, this Asus Chromebook C204MA is only £119.99 at Amazon. For the budget-conscious who need a machine for light use and basic tasks, you won't find anything cheaper worth spending your money on.

    Lastly, for those with a bit more to spend, you should check out this Acer Swift 3 for £529 at Amazon. As well as an on-the-go friendly thin and lightweight design, this cheap laptop deal doesn't skimp on quality components. You get an AMD Ryzen 5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a big 512GB SSD - everything you need in a high-performance mid-range laptop.

    For more info on these and the rest of the best laptop deals available this week simply scroll down. For the Apple fans, you might be interested in our MacBook deals page. Or, if you're just looking for the cheapest web surfer you can find, check out the best Chromebook deals available right now. Lastly, if you're after something with a bit more b, you'll want to check out all the best gaming laptop deals.

    Cheap laptop deal of the week

    MSI Modern 15: £399.97 £349.97 at Box
    Save £50
    – Here's our pick for the best laptop deal this week. The MSI Modern 15 is reduced by £50 at specialist retailer Box and is terrific value for money. With a solid Intel i3 processor and 8GB of RAM, you'll have enough power to breeze through multiple everyday tasks and work with ease. The large 512GB SSD also ensures speedy access to your files and applications, while the backlight keyboard is a nice accessibility extra.

    Cheap laptop deals under £200

    Lenovo IdeaPad 3i Chromebook: £179 £129 at Currys
    Save £50
    – This Lenovo IdeaPad 3i Chromebook is one of the cheapest laptop deals we've spotted this week. As you would expect for this price, it's about as basic a device as you can get, with an 11.6-inch screen, 4GB RAM and 32GB of storage. Still, it's a good option for those who only need something for very light use or school work and want to spend as little as possible.

    Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 1i: £199 £149 at Amazon
    Save £50
    – Those who prefer a basic Windows machine for under £200 will do well with this 11.6-inch Lenovo IdeaPad that's currently £50 off at Amazon. It comes with a free upgrade to Windows 11 and 1 year of Microsoft 365 to get access to all the useful apps such as Word, Excel and Powerpoint.

    HP Stream 11: £219 £159 at Currys
    Save £60
    – Another cheap Windows laptop is available at Currys. The HP Stream 11 is identical to the Lenovo above in terms of spec and features including the Windows 11 upgrade and 1-year of Office 365. However, it sports a whopping 14-hour battery life and a much lighter frame that those more on-the-go will prefer.

    Acer Chromebook Spin 311: £279.99 £179 at Amazon
    Save £100
    – This is the best 2-in-1 laptop deal we've found for under £200 this week. We always like to include one on this list where possible for those who prefer the flexibility of these hybrid devices. Expect a basic 11-inch machine given it's so cheap, but for light everyday use and a bit of streaming, it'll do the job.

    Asus C523NA Chromebook: £229.99 £189.99 at Amazon
    Save £60
    – It's not always easy to find a laptop with a 15.6-inch screen for under £200 but this Asus C523NA Chromebook just slips under that price range at Amazon. Along with the larger screen size, you get an Intel processor, 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage - all components you'd expect for this price and enough to power a machine for general browsing or basic office work.

    Cheap laptop deals from £200 to £300

    Asus VivoBook E510MA: £299.99 £219.99 at Amazon
    Save £80
    – You don't often see a laptop deal this cheap with 128GB of storage. If having extra room for files and applications without relying on the cloud is important then it's worth spending extra on this Asus VivoBook while it's on offer.

    Lenovo IdeaPad Duet: £299 £219 at Currys
    Save £80 -
    The small yet impressive Lenovo IdeaPad Duet is even less this week after an £80 reduction at Currys. That's just £20 away from the all-time low over Black Friday. The tiny 10.3-inch 2-in-1 laptop is designed with portability in mind thanks to its size and the mighty battery life that lasted almost a full 22 hours in our testing. This is the machine you want if you're always on the go.

    Asus M515DA laptop: £399.99 £299.99 at John Lewis
    Save £100
    – There are some solid components for the price in this Asus laptop from John Lewis. An AMD Ryzen 3 processor and a 256GB SSD are not always easy to find for under £300 - and both will give you a noticeable performance boost with everyday use. You do have to compromise a little as this device only has 4GB of RAM, but that's enough to support simple tasks such as emails and browsing.

    Cheap laptop deals from £300 to £400

    Acer Swift 1: £429 £329 at Very
    Save £100
    – This is a good price for a 14-inch Windows laptop from Very that features some decent components and a big 256GB SSD for storage. The ultra-thin and light design makes it an excellent portable option, as well as the impressive 16-hour battery life and improved IPS screen. If those aren't key features and you'd prefer to eke out a bit more raw power for your money, though, you should consider the £20 upgrade to either laptop below.

    MSI Modern 15: £399.97 £349.97 at Box
    Save £50
    – Here's our pick for the best laptop deal this week. The MSI Modern 15 is reduced by £50 at specialist retailer Box and is terrific value for money. With a solid Intel i3 processor and 8GB of RAM, you'll have enough power to breeze through multiple everyday tasks and work with ease. The large 512GB SSD also ensures speedy access to your files and applications, while the backlight keyboard is a nice accessibility extra.

    HP 14s laptop: £399 £349 at John Lewis
    Save £50 –
    This was one of last month's best laptop deals, but it's slightly pipped by a new offer at Box. Still, this is a good value machine if you don't want to spend more than £350. The highlight is the combination of 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD, which means you will get some terrific performance out of this laptop for everyday tasks and light work. At just 14-inches in size, it's great for those who need a portable and capable device, too.

    Dell Inspiron 15 3000: £469 £399 at Dell
    Save £70
    – Prices have fallen again at Dell so now's a great time to find a deal on the mid-range Inspiron 15 3000. What really sets this one apart is the inclusion of both 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD for under £400 - two top components to get the best performance out of your device. Add to that a capable AMD Ryzen 3 processor and you'll find it makes more involving jobs and multitasking a lot smoother.

    Cheap laptop deals between £400 and £600

    HP 15s laptop: £529 £429 at Currys
    Save £100
    – For just £30 more than the Dell above you can get a nice processor upgrade with this HP 15s laptop at Currys. For those doing slightly more involving work or are often multitasking, this improvement is well worth considering. We wouldn't say it's absolutely vital, though. 

    Acer Aspire 5: £599.99 £449.99 at Currys
    Save £120
    – This laptop from Acer has been reduced at Amazon for a couple of weeks but is now even less at Currys. It's well-built but does feature a last-generation Intel processor - hence the discounted price. It's still more than suitable for all jobs such as emails, browsing, schoolwork and more. The 8GB of RAM ensures speedy performance while the large 512GB SSD will give you super fast access to files and impressive load times for applications.

    Acer Swift 3: £649.99 £529.99 at Amazon
    Save £120
    – For those with a decent chunk of money to spend then we'd definitely recommend this deal on the Acer Swift 3 at Amazon. There's currently over £100 off a machine that comes with an AMD Ryzen 5, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. These are all top-end components that will ensure your laptop can handle all sorts of tasks you throw at it without suffering from slowdown.

    Asus VivoBook S 15: £699.99 £599.99 at Amazon
    Save £100
    – This Asus VivoBook S 15 is the best high-end laptop deal available this week. It features some very powerful components including an Intel i5 processor, 16GB of RAM and a huge 512GB SSD. All these will ensure excellent performance no matter what tasks you throw at it - be that general browsing, video calls, office work or media streaming.

    Best laptop deals over £600

    Microsoft Surface Pro 7: £1169 from £639 at Microsoft
    Save £170
    – There's a big saving on the previous generation Surface Pro 7 from Microsoft. Two configurations of the tablet are available and we'd strongly suggest going for the £899 version as that comes with an i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD - all excellent components for an all-purpose device. Overall, it's still one of the best Surface Pro deals this week.

    Asus VivoBook OLED: £699.99 £629.99 at Amazon
    Save £70
    – This is excellent value for money when you consider you're getting a crisp OLED display in this creative workstation laptop from Asus. The VivoBook range has been designed with content creators in mind, so this is one if you need a good range of ports to attach additional devices, 16GB of RAM to run demanding applications and a speedy 512GB SSD for quick access to files and applications.

    Dell XPS 13: £849 £749 at Dell
    Save £100
    – After a brief disappearance, the excellent offer on the Dell XPS 13 is now back. At just £20 more than the lowest price we saw for one of the best laptops since Black Friday, it's hard to ignore. Get it for its powerful performance, thin and light design, stunning screen, premium build quality and considerable battery life.

    Apple MacBook Air (M1): £999 £889 at Amazon
    Save £110 -
    You save a healthy £110 on the latest MacBook Air here – and one with the powerful M1 chip at the helm no less. That's an excellent price - even if we have seen it around £20 cheaper in the past in a particularly speedy flash sale. This configuration offers 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD which is a solid spec for general use.

    Which stores have the best laptop deals?

    • Amazon: retail giant is often the cheapest in the UK.
    • John Lewis: models come with at least two-year guarantee.
    • Very: Often surprises with cheap prices on electronics.
    • Laptops Direct: specialist UK store has a huge selection of laptop deals.
    • Box: another specialist store with some of the best discounts we've seen
    • eBuyer: the UK computing specialists have some great promotions.
    • Currys: the retailer that's seemingly always having a laptop sale.
    • AO: lots of cheap laptops at this growing electronics specialist.
    • Argos: home delivery or pick up a cheap laptop locally today.
    • Dell: get a great laptop deal direct from Dell.
    • Apple: MacBooks aren't exactly cheap, but they're excellent workstations

    The best cheap laptops

    The best cheap laptop deals are often found on low-price machines that edge their way into the mid-range category thanks to some superior performing-boosting components. It's in this pocket of budget laptop shopping that you'll find some of the most compelling offers. We've picked out a few devices from our guide to the best laptops so you can see the lowest prices available today.

    An Acer Chromebook 314 in grey

    (Image credit: Acer)

    1. Acer Chromebook 314

    A cheap and cheerful Chromebook regularly discounted

    CPU: Intel Celeron N4000 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 600 | RAM: 4GB | Screen: 14-inch LED (1366 x 768) high definition | Storage: 32GB eMMC

    Excellent value for money
    Strong performance
    Premium look and feel
    No touchscreen

    With a 12-hour battery life, bright 14-inch display and tactile keyboard, the Acer Chromebook 314 offers everything you could ask for in a cheap laptop. While this model doesn't quite stretch to 64GB, storage is easily expanded using a portable hard drive and there's a full array of ports to take advantage of as well (though limited display options). What's more, this is one of those rare cheap laptops that looks and feels far more expensive than it actually is - something that makes it one of the best Chromebooks to buy. Thin, light, and sturdy, this is an excellent machine to throw in a backpack and expect it to last all day.

    An HP Pavilion 15 laptop

    (Image credit: HP)

    2. HP Pavilion 15

    The de facto learning laptop lives on

    CPU: AMD dual-core A9 APU – Intel Core i7 | Graphics: AMD Radeon R5 – Nvidia GTX 1050 | RAM: 4GB – 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch HD (1,366 x 768) – FHD (1,920 x 1,080); touch optional | Storage: 128GB SSD – 1TB HDD

    Thinner and lighter
    Tons of options
    Regular discounts
    Shallow, squishy keyboard

    A sturdy choice for a study laptop for school/college/uni. The HP Pavilion 15 has plenty of power for the average student's needs while keeping the costs sensible. There are plenty of configurations available in this budget laptop as well. Some of the best HP laptops favour speedy SSDs, while others go for larger regular hard drives, so it all depends on what you're going to need more really.

    An Asus Vivobook laptop

    (Image credit: Asus)

    3. Asus Vivobook 15

    Mid-range specs for entry level prices

    CPU: Up to Intel i7 | Graphics: Nvidia | RAM: Up to 16GB | Screen: FHD (1920x1080) | Storage: 128GB SSD – 1TB HDD

    Versatile and powerful
    Full HD screen
    Regularly discounted

    The Asus Vivobook 15 can usually be found from £399 upwards, offering baseline specs that vastly outperform many of the Chromebooks usually found at this price point and ranging all the way up to incredibly powerful configurations should you need them. With an expansive Nano-Edge display, you're even getting a full 15.6-inch sized laptop here, coming in at just 1.6kg, a fingerprint sensor and options for speedy Intel Optane memory as well. 

    Cheap laptops: what to look out for

    Cheap laptops can often lure shoppers in with a sub-£200 price tag, but unless you're picking up a Chromebook you're unlikely to get your money's worth with these particular models. Chromebooks largely run on Chrome OS, which means they rely less on more expensive components and more on cloud-based services provided by Google Chrome. That means you'll regularly find cheap laptops under £200 that are well worth your cash - provided they were built with this functioning in mind. 

    These kinds of budget laptops are regularly found on sale, but every now and then we do spot savings that offer mid-range specs for entry level prices.

    It's worth looking out for cheap laptop deals that offer a Windows 10 operating system, but only 16 or 32GB of storage space. You'll likely speed through those gigabites faster than you'd think, and storing those hefty Windows 10 updates often presents a new challenge in its own right. That means the smallest we would recommend on this page is a 64GB hard drive if you're running a Windows 10 or 10s operating system. 

    Cheap laptops can also come with the caveat that they don't offer an operating system at all. These FreeDOS laptops can sometimes be appealing (and if you're up for installing your own copy of Windows or Linux, they often deserve to be), but it's important to check that spec and low price before you buy. We do feature the odd freeDOS budget laptop on this roundup, as they can prove cost effective, but we'll make sure you know when we do. 

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  • Apple could launch two new Macs at WWDC 2022 – including a MacBook Air

    Apple is set to launch a pair of new Macs at WWDC, or that’s the theory put forward by a well-known Apple leaker.

    WWDC is happening early in June (as a virtual online event), and in the latest instalment of his regular newsletter, Mark Gurman informed us he’s heard that two new Macs are likely to be revealed at the conference.

    As 9to5 Mac reports, Gurman wrote: “Apple is gearing up to launch some new Macs in the next few months. What better place to do so than WWDC? That’s the same venue where Mac’s transition from Intel to Apple’s own chips was announced two years ago.

    “I’m told there are two new Macs coming around the middle of the year or early in the second half. One of those is likely to be the new MacBook Air.”

    Regarding the mention of the redesigned MacBook Air (2022), the use of the term ‘likely’ obviously indicates a degree of unsurety around whether this will actually happen.

    If Apple does reveal this new Mac hardware at WWDC, it won’t actually go on sale until a little later in the year, as is usually the case with there being a short gap between an announcement and actual shipping of new Macs.

    Gurman further reaffirms that Apple has a low-end MacBook Pro 13-inch coming to refresh the current offering, plus a revamped Mac mini, and iMac 24-inch – with Mac Pro and iMac Pro models being developed by Apple, too.


    Analysis: new MacBook Air at WWDC 2022? We're not convinced

    Does WWDC really seem like a sound prospect to see the MacBook Air launch?

    Debuting a MacBook Air here would seem like an odd choice, really, even if it does potentially line up with what we’ve heard elsewhere from another heavyweight Apple rumor peddler, Ming-Chi Kuo. Namely that the MacBook Air will most likely go into mass production late in Q2 or in Q3, though if it’s the latter, the notebook might not be on shelves until quite a while after June.

    We’re thinking a fall launch for the MacBook Air (which will supposedly come with Apple’s new M2 chip inside) seems a better bet, especially as Apple’s conference is, of course, targeted at developers – so you’d expect a Pro product (Mac Pro, MacBook Pro) to be more likely to make an appearance. If any Mac devices at all, really, seeing as WWDC has become less about hardware launches in recent times.

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