iPad Air vs. iPad Pro Buyer's Guide: 30 Differences Compared

The iPad Air is present disposable successful 2 size options, conscionable similar the iPad Pro. Yet aft a important update to the ‌iPad Pro‌ that introduced a thinner plan and OLED displays and a insignificant ‌iPad Air‌ refresh that added the M3 chip, however antithetic are the 2 merchandise lines and which should you buy?


Apple precocious refreshed the ‌iPad Air‌ with the M3 chip—a insignificant update implicit the erstwhile exemplary from 2024 which added the M2 spot and Apple Pencil hover. The latest ‌iPad Pro‌ models introduced a ample fig of important caller changes, specified arsenic the M4 chip, OLED displays, and a higher terms point, and it means that the high-end iPad models are present further differentiated from the ‌iPad Air‌ than before.

Should you see purchasing the ‌iPad Air‌ to prevention money, oregon bash you request the high-end features of the ‌iPad Pro‌? Our usher answers the question of however to determine which of these 2 iPads is champion for you.



‌iPad Air‌ (M3, 2025)
‌iPad Pro‌ (M4, 2024)

Liquid Retina show (LED backlit show with IPS technology)	Ultra Retina XDR show (Tandem OLED)
	ProMotion exertion for refresh rates up to 120Hz
11-inch exemplary SDR brightness: 500 nits max 13-inch exemplary SDR brightness: 600 nits max	SDR brightness: 1,000 nits max XDR brightness: 1,000 nits max afloat screen, 1,600 nits highest (HDR contented only)
	Nano-texture show solid enactment connected 1TB and 2TB models
‌M3‌ spot (3nm, N3B)	M4 spot (‌3nm‌ enhanced, N3E)
8-core CPU	Up to 10-core CPU
9-core GPU	10-core GPU
100GB/s representation bandwidth	120GB/s representation bandwidth
8GB of memory	8GB oregon 16GB of memory
	Improved thermal plan with graphite sheets and copper
Touch ID successful apical button	TrueDepth camera strategy for Face ID
	Portrait mode with precocious bokeh and Depth Control
	Portrait Lighting with six effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High-Key Mono)
	Animoji and Memoji
	LiDAR scanner
	Adaptive True Tone flash
	Rear ambient airy sensor
	ProRes video signaling up to 4K astatine 30 fps (1080p astatine 30 fps for 256GB capacity)
	ProRes video signaling up to 4K astatine 60 fps with outer recording
Two microphones	Four studio-quality microphones
	Audio zoom
	Stereo recording
Landscape stereo speakers	Four talker audio
Weight: 462 grams oregon 617 grams	Weight 444 grams oregon 579 grams
Depth: 6.1 mm	Depth: 5.3 mm oregon 5.1 mm
USB‑C connector	USB‑C connector with enactment for Thunderbolt/USB 4
Supports Magic Keyboard for ‌iPad Air‌	Supports Magic Keyboard for ‌iPad Pro‌ (M4)
128GB, 256GB, 512GB, oregon 1TB storage	256GB, 512GB, 1TB, oregon 2TB storage
Available successful Space Gray, Starlight, Purple, and Blue	Available successful Space Black and Silver
Price starting astatine $599	Price starting astatine $999

Overall, the ‌iPad Air‌ is the amended enactment for the bulk of users, simply connected the ground of worth for money. For astir people, the further $400+ needed to bargain the ‌iPad Pro‌ is not justified to get the likes of ‌Face ID‌, four-speaker audio, and a ProMotion OLED show with refresh rates up to 120Hz.

Some ‌iPad Pro‌ features, specified arsenic LiDAR, up to 16GB of memory, and Thunderbolt connectivity are lone practically utile to a tiny niche of users and astir volition ne'er usage immoderate of these high-end capabilities. Many features specified arsenic Audio zoom and stereo audio signaling whitethorn not beryllium meaningfully utilized by galore users.

Professionals who person a wide usage lawsuit for needing larger amounts of RAM and storage, a matte display, Thunderbolt connectivity, and OLED for HDR contented volition intelligibly payment from buying the ‌iPad Pro‌. That being said, "prosumer"-style customers who simply privation the champion ‌iPad‌ volition bask features specified arsenic 120Hz ProMotion for smoother scrolling and gaming, deeper blacks and much vivid colors with the OLED display, and the Adaptive True Tone flash for papers scanning, adjacent if they are not necessary.

Beyond these idiosyncratic circumstances, the ‌iPad Air‌ is the champion worth for wealth and volition beryllium much than ample for astir users' needs. With the ‌iPad Air‌, users tin get a modern all-screen design, the M3 chip, applicable features similar USB-C and 5G connectivity, and compatibility with the halfway Apple accessories for a terms good beneath that of the ‌iPad Pro‌.
This article, "iPad Air vs. iPad Pro Buyer's Guide: 30 Differences Compared" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com

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