Why You Can Trust CNET Preorder the 2020 iPad and iPad Air: Here's how to get Apple's new tablets
The new 10.2-inch iPad begins shipping Friday, with the iPad Air following in October. Here's how to preorder them today.
- Coauthor of Uninvested (Random House, 2015)
At Tuesday's Apple event, Tim Cook introduced two new iPads: a new entry-level model, the eighth-generation 10.2-inch iPad, and a new, larger and more expensive iPad Air featuring a 10.9-inch display, A14 Bionic chip and an enhanced version of Touch ID. The new models are available now for preorder, and Apple said the 2020 iPad would begin shipping on Friday, Sept. 18, with the 2020 iPad Air following "in October."
2020 10.2-inch iPad (8th generation): $329 ($299 for education customers)
2020 iPad Air (4th generation): $599
Last October, Apple debuted the seventh-gen iPad, refining the low end of its tablet portfolio with a new 10.2-inch base model priced at $329 that included several features previously exclusive to the company's premium Pro models. Almost immediately after the announcement, the entry-level iPad was discounted by third-party retailers, and has routinely gone on sale for $250 -- not only on Black Friday, but throughout the year.
The 2019 iPad Air, announced in March 2019, is currently out of stock at Amazon, Target and B&H Photo. If third-party retailers "discover" additional stock, it's likely that the 2019 model will be discounted in the coming weeks. The 2019 iPad Air was essentially a refresh of the 2017 10.5-inch iPad Pro, sporting a nearly identical design and a few newer components. The new version represents a dramatic makeover with a significantly bigger display, upgraded components and a higher starting price of $599.
Compared to the often-discounted iPad, significant markdowns on the 2019 iPad Air have been relatively rare. The base model, which retailed for $499, dipped occasionally to $470 -- but it's been many months since it last touched its all-time low price of $400.