If you own the latest third-generation Apple iPad Air tablet, you might be eligible for Apple’s latest service programme that aims to fix a faulty screen on some units for free. More specifically, you have reason to concern yourself with this new service programme only if you own an iPad Air manufactured between March and October 2019. If you believe you’re an affected iPad Air customer, you can visit an Apple Authorised Service Provider for support. Find the nearest one by clicking here.
“Apple has determined that, under certain circumstances, the screen on a limited number of iPad Air (3rd generation) devices may go blank permanently. A brief flicker or flash may appear before the screen goes blank,” writes the Cupertino-based technology giant in its recently published support page following a number of recent user complaints regarding blank screens on some new iPad Air units. Apple promises to honour this new service claim free of charge for up to two years after the first retail sale of an affected iPad Air.
Determining the manufacturing date of your iPad Air can be tricky as Apple believes it has no reason to share that information with you. You can, however, attempt to retrieve it through the following steps: visit Settings > General > About on your iPad Air. Press and hold the list item ‘Serial Number’ and copy it. Paste it in the text box found on this external website, verify you’re not a robot by checking the reCAPTCHA checkbox, and then tap Check. The page that follows should tell you when your tablet was manufactured. If you're not comfortable with sharing your iPad Air's serial number on an external websute, you can always check its warranty status using Apple’s own web utility from here.
Apple launched the third-generation iPad Air globally nearly a year ago at a starting price of Rs 44,990. Sitting between the iPad and the 11-inch iPad Pro in terms of price, the iPad Air features a 10.5-inch True Tone Retina display that is compatible with the first-generation Apple Pencil. It is powered by an Apple A12 Bionic chip with up to 256GB of internal storage capacity. Like the more affordable iPad, it features Touch ID for added security. Like all other iPad models, it is available in Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi + cellular variants. You can read our review of the Apple iPad Air here.