The new iPad Air is the middle child in Apple's tablet family. It's far flashier than the standard iPad, but not as expensive as the Pro. It's a solid compromise between power and affordability, so it's not surprising the iPad Air the most searched tablet by WhistleOut users.
Apple iPad Air Quick Links
Apple iPad Air Plans
The iPad Air is available on a plan through Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone. The three all offer the iPad Air on a 24-month and 36-month term. In either case, you're dividing the retail price of the iPad Air across the length of the term.
If you go for a 24-month term, your bill will be more expensive but you'll pay it off faster. On a 36-month term, you'll be paying off your iPad Air over a longer period of time in exchange for a cheaper monthly bill.
Outright Pricing: Apple iPad Air
The iPad Air is available in two different storage sizes, in both WiFi only and 4G-ready models.
- iPad Air (64GB): $899
- iPad Air (256GB): $1,129
- iPad Air 4G (64GB): $1,099
- iPad Air 4G (256GB): $1,329
Apple iPad Air Design
The new iPad Air is a dead ringer for the iPad Pro, featuring the same kind of "edge-to-edge" display. It's a much more modern look compared to previous Air generations, which were heavier on bezel and had a fingerprint reader below the screen. Instead, the new iPad Air has a fingerprint embedded in the power button.
As with the iPad Pro, the iPad Air charges over USB-C rather than Lightning. This also makes the iPad Air easier to use with external displays.
The iPad Air is compatible with Apple's Magic Keyboard, which features a trackpad.
There are a few features missing from the iPad Air when compared to the iPad Pro however, such as the higher refresh rate ProMotion display and facial recognition.
Apple iPad Air Camera
The iPad Air has a single 12MP camera on the back. Unlike the iPad Pro, it doesn't have an ultra-wide lens or LiDAR sensor.
Apple iPad Air Battery Life
As with most iPads, Apple says the iPad Air should last about ten hours per charge. From our testing, this seems about right.
Apple iPad Air Processor
The iPad Air is powered by an A14 processor - the same zippy chip you'll find inside every iPhone 12.
Apple iPad Air Colours
The iPad Air is available in five colours: space grey, silver, rose gold, green, and sky blue.
If you're looking to buy your iPad Air on a plan, be aware that telcos may not have all colours available in every storage size.
iPad Air Review
How does the iPad Air stack up against other models? Check out our review.
Choosing an Apple iPad Air plan
With the WhistleOut search tool, you can compare iPad Air pricing and inclusions across every provider. But there's a lot more to plans than just cost and data. Here's a break-down of the major benefits you can expect each provider to offer.
While Telstra phone plans tend to be pricier than the competition, Telstra iPad plans tend to be in-line with the competition, and in some cases, better value. They also come with a couple of perks:
- Access to Telstra's super-fast 4GX network
- Data-free access to Apple Music
- Access to the Telstra Plus perks and rewards program
Telstra lets you pay your iPad off over 12, 24, or 36 months, and all plans are free from excess data charges. If you go over your cap, your data will simply be slowed to speeds of 1.5Mbps, which is still fast enough to stream video in SD.
Telstra also has one of the largest tablet plans around, offering allowances of up to 400GB.
Compare Telstra tablet plans
Optus iPad plans come with solid data inclusions and entertainment extras. These include:
- Free access to Optus Sport
- Discounted movie tickets for Hoyts cinemas through the Optus Perks program
All Optus plans are contract-free, devices can be paid off across 12, 24, or 36 months, and you won't pay excess data charges if you go over your monthly allowance. Instead you'll be capped to speeds of 1.5Mbps.
Compare Optus tablet plans
Vodafone iPad plans may not come with the kinds of freebies and perks you can get from Optus or Telstra, but you've still got the choice of paying off your device over 12, 24, or 36 months.
You'll also get access to Vodafone's famous $5 roaming, so you can use your iPad's data allowance if you're travelling overseas.
Vodafone plans all include unlimited data at capped 1.5Mbps speeds for after you go over your allowance.
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