My favourite way to take movies on the go is on sale for Black Friday – save £200 on this Award-winning iPad

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This is a much better option than the in-flight entertainment

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2025) tablet
(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

I've spent a considerable amount of this year flying around the world to see the latest TVs, projectors and soundbars, so I'm confident in saying that my roster of on-the-go AV gadgets is pretty refined at this point.

While a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones does the trick for music, as an AV enthusiast, I simply need a screen that does my favourite movies and TV shows justice; that's right, the screen on the back of the seat in front of me simply no longer cuts it.

Curiously, the 256GB model is the same price as the 128GB, so you'd be best off securing the extra storage for no additional cost. The higher-capacity configuration usually retails for £899, so scoring it at this price is a no brainer – especially if you plan on filling it up with movies, TV shows and music.

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (M3)
Save £200
Apple iPad Air 13-inch (M3): was £899 now £699 at Amazon

Apple's mid-range tablet may not feature the contrast-rich Tandem OLED panel of its Pro sibling. Still, it crams a seriously impressive AV performance into a slender, portable chassis, all for a price that hugely undercuts the Pro. Bundle that with a high-performance processor that makes this a suitable tablet for productivity tasks, and Dolby Vision and Atmos support, which ensures it excels at displaying supported content, and the iPad Air becomes a seriously compelling tablet for frequent flyers.

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This iPad features the powerful M3 processor which is equally suited for AV and substantial productivity tasks alike, and at just 616g, you won't feel it weigh down your hand luggage. Despite its lightweight appeal, it boasts an expansive 13-inch display which is perfectly suited for binge watching a series on a long-haul flight.

In our full review, we determined that "this latest-generation iPad can deliver the goods when it comes to fulfilling its role as a portable movie machine", citing its "large screen with excellent all-round picture performance" as its biggest asset.

This display is bright yet balanced, and with support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+ on board, it makes light work of any streaming tasks you throw at it.

Furthermore, we found plenty to appreciate regarding its audio performance. The built-in speakers deliver crisp and clear dialogue (ideal for a spot of out-loud movie watching), and the sound performance via a pair of wired headphones is equally excellent, with a rich, detailed and textured audio.

Traditionally I'd be pointing you towards the best OLED TV deals, or savings on Dolby Atmos soundbars, but this portable AV machine deserves a shout out, as it's served me well in instances where a 65-inch OLED TV would be simply impractical.

Amazon's deal that knocks the price down to just £699 (from £899) is impressive indeed, making this a top-notch deal if you're going to be stuck on planes, trains or buses for extended periods of time soon and want to watch some movies or TV shows to pass the time.

Lewis Empson
Senior Staff Writer

Lewis Empson is a Senior Staff Writer on What Hi-Fi?. He was previously Gaming and Digital editor for Cardiff University's 'Quench Magazine', Lewis graduated in 2021 and has since worked on a selection of lifestyle magazines and regional newspapers. Outside of work, he enjoys gaming, gigs and regular cinema trips.

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