I tested the all-new £6 Sky Glass Air and it's a no-brainer for the price

Sky Glass has been a major revelation since its launch four years ago, offering a portal to Sky TV, streaming services and all wrapped up in a decent 4K set with a full Dolby Atmos surround system built into the frame. You don't even need a satellite dish as it's entirely internet dependent.

A second iteration also followed earlier this year, with Sky Glass Gen 2 improving the experience with better picture and sound quality.

Perhaps its biggest selling point though has also been the payment model – you can opt to buy a Sky Glass in 42-, 55- and 65-inch models on a monthly plan. Then you add your Sky package(s) on top, making for a cost effective way to get a new TV and world of entertainment, sport and cinema in affordable chunks.

But what if that was still a bit too much for you? Or you don't really need a 7.1 sound system inside your telly? Well, Sky now has another option too... Sky Glass Air.

Originally teased during the launch of Sky Glass Gen 2, the Sky Glass Air is a new TV from the brand that dispenses with the sound solution and makes another couple of cutbacks to offer an even cheaper alternative.

Starting at just £6 per month (on a 48-month contract), you can get the full Sky Glass experience on a 4K HDR LED TV for less. There's no interest and at the end of the contracted period it's yours. You just need to have a Sky package to access the content, but considering that also starts at just £15 per month, it's actually phenomenal value.

Sky Glass Air: what do you get?

I've spent a large part of my career looking at and reviewing new TVs, and was invited to Sky's HQ on the outskirts of London to check out the new set. I'd seen a demo version during the Sky Glass Gen 2 launch but it wasn't representative of the final model. This one was.

In fact, I got to see the three different sizes up close, in the three different colourways – Cotton White, Sea Green, and Carbon Grey. The main demo was on the green 65-incher, with varying types of content on display, but all three were switched on and seemingly ran final software.

In terms of the Sky Glass experience, it's identical across all models, Gen 1, Gen 2, Air and Sky Stream, so there's not much to report there. I'm already a big fan of the platform and find it amongst the very best user interfaces to discover and playback live TV, catch-up content, and on demand services.

The remotes are the same across the family (albeit matched in colour to the TV, much like on Gen 2).

However, the Air has some key differences to keep the cost down, so I was keen to see the end results.

For starters, the Sky Glass Air sports a different panel to the Gen 2. It uses global illumination with its backlight, rather than local. That means the light source cannot dim different zones, so you get a uniform brightness stemming from the LEDs.

It can dim a darker scene and make a brighter one pop, but if both elements are on screen at once, you'll likely experience some light bleed between pixels.

One thing that helps prevent that is a Quantum Dot layer, which can be found on the AIr. This helps mitigate bleed, enhance colour replication and increase brightness in the areas the need it the most.

And, from my demo, this seems to work well – especially at this price category.

Sky Glass Air: picture and sound test

I was treated to clips of the second season of The Last of Us, Secret World of Sound with David Attenborough, plus footage of this season's Saudi Grand Prix and a Premier League match.

Details were crisp, while colour representation was accurate and involving, even when using the Vivid picture mode Sky includes. Perhaps more impressive was the sound presentation, with two down-firing speakers making a decent job of filling a reasonably sized room without muddiness.

It's not the same as the more capable Sky Glass, of course, either in picture or surround audio terms, but right up there with the best entry to mid-level TVs I've encountered over the years. That includes equivalently-priced Amazon Fire TV sets.

What's more, the Sky Glass Air supports "Hello Glass" voice functionality, with built-in far-field microphones. You don't get that with many TVs at this price point – most require you to use a mic on the remote, and while you can still do that here, at least you get the option to have the TV itself listen for commands.

Sky Glass Air: other specifications

It's worth noting that, if you're a hardcore gamer who wants the highest frame rates from a PS5, PS5 Pro, Xbox Series X or PC, you'll not find them on the Air. Nor will you get many game-centric features. It's a 60Hz panel, so that's the maximum it can offer.

However, you do get three HDMI ports with one of them supporting eARC, so you can hook it up to an external soundbar or system for better sync and communication between the two.

The TV is also Wi-Fi 6 compatible, so should provide a stable experience over a wireless internet connection. I always suggest hardwiring TVs over Ethernet if you want the best experience, but it should still work well with 4K HDR content wirelessly.

It supports Dolby Vision, HDR 10 and HLG picture formats, as well as Dolby Audio for the 2.0 speakers included.

Sky Glass Air: cost and conclusion

Of course, any Sky Glass is entirely dependent on the content delivered over the internet, and that will add to the price. But considering Sky's Essential TV package is just £15 per month for 90 free to air channels, Sky Atlantic, Netflix and Discovery+, that really doesn't equate to much for a paid TV service.

The 55- and 65-inch models are just £10 and £13 per month respectively, on a 48-month contract). Add Sky Essential and that's just £25 and £28 per month. You can then add on extras, such as Sky Ultimate with additional paid channels and services for £7 more, and Sports and Cinema.

There will be a £20 upfront payment for all the sizes.

Alternatively, you can opt to buy a Sky Glass Air TV outright for an upfront fee of £309 for the 32-inch model, £509 for the 55-, and £649 for the 65-inch version. That includes the £20 additional payment.

Sky Glass Air will be available to UK Sky customers new and old from 10 June. It'll be available from Sky directly or from Currys from 18 June 2025.

I can certainly see it being very attractive as a cheaper all-in-one for those looking to get Sky for the first time, or as a second screen for another room if you already have a Sky Glass. In that respect, it'll work with an existing account from the off, with the experience synchronising with an existing Glass and any Sky Stream pucks you might own.

We'll also test the new TV fully when it arrives in T3's testing lab. We can give our final opinion then.