How to order iPad Air 3 in the UK

If you want to guarantee yourself an iPad Air 3 then you need to get a preorder in directly with Apple or go through Amazon or Currys PCWorld right now.

Whether or not you use the website or the Apple Store app (opens in new tab) on your iPhone or iPad, you'll be able to reserve yourself a new iPad Air 3 in any of the colors, storage sizes, or cellular variants and pay with Apple Pay. Currys PCWorld and Amazon don't currently offer that as a payment method, though Amazon does offer its pre-order price guarantee which is always handy. If Amazon drops the price for any reason you'll pay that.

Initial shipping estimates were for March 28 - April 2, but those have already started to slip. Currys PCWorld, on the other hand, is showing availability for March 27, while Amazon is saying March 29. Carphone Warehouse will also likely be selling as part of the same group as Currys PCWorld, likewise we'd expect some or all of the carriers to get on board.

Other resellers such as John Lewis, Stormfront, and KRCS as yet aren't listing the iPad Air 3 for sale, so they may not be offering a preorder service, only sales from the end of March. Argos has now listed the iPad Air 3 (opens in new tab) in all its sizes and capacities, but as yet isn't taking orders.

One advantage to buying from Apple is that you have an easy way to cash in your old iPad for cash towards your new one. Apple GiveBack (opens in new tab) is the company's own trade-in scheme, allowing you to price up your device when you buy.

Apple will then send you out a kit to package up and send in your old hardware for appraisal, crediting you with its value once happy.

There are other places to trade-in or sell your old iPad, but Apple GiveBack is certainly one of the easiest. And you might be surprised at how much you're offered.

To really make the most of the iPad Air 3 you'll want to grab the Apple Pencil (opens in new tab) and the Smart Keyboard (opens in new tab). The new iPad Air is basically a replacement to the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, so it's quite the tablet.

Be sure to get the first generation Apple Pencil with it with the Lightning connector. The second generation Pencil for the new iPad Pro 11-inch and 12.9-inch won't work.