Apple iPad Pro Vs. Apple iPad Air: Which Should You Choose?
iPad Air iPad Pro iPad Pro Apple
David Phelan
The Apple iPad Pro and Apple iPad Air stand atop Apple's tablet lineup. But which one works best for you? Read on as we dissect how these devices compare.
https://i.forbesimg.com/48X48-F.png
Forbes
You’ve decided you want an Apple tablet, but you’re not sure which. Of course, there’s the regular iPad (available in both ninth- and tenth-generation models) but maybe you want something more powerful, or with a bigger display. That leaves you with a choice among two core products: the Apple iPad Air, with its 10.9-inch display and the Apple iPad Pro, which comes with either an 11-inch or a 12.9-inch screen. The iPad Air and the iPad Pro lines each have unique benefits, which complicates the decision of which model to buy.

The most obvious difference among these models is price. All three tablets cost more than the regular iPad. The iPad Air’s regular price starts at $599, while the similarly sized iPad Pro costs $799 and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro costs $1,099. Every Apple tablet, unlike most rival manufacturers, comes in Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi and cellular options. The latter costs more but ensure you can connect to the internet wherever your SIM card (real or electronic) can find a suitable signal.

If you’ve narrowed your choice down to iPad Air and iPad Pro, which one is best for you? The iPad Air is less costly, but you miss out on some tangible benefits of the iPad Pro line, which include a processor bump to the latest Apple M2 processors and Face ID. Read on for full details, from design and display to processor power (and what that really means) on how the iPad Air compares to the iPad Pro.

Apple iPad Air Specifications

Price From $500 | Processor Apple M1 | Display 10.9-inch | Resolution: 1,640 x 2,360, 264 pixels per inch | Storage: 64GB | Rear camera: 12-megapixel | Front camera 12-megapixel ultra-wide | Battery: Up to 10 hours | Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.0 x 0.2 inches | Weight 1.0 pounds

Best for:

Balancing price and performance

Easy-to-use Touch ID security

A choice among colorful designs

Skip if:

The paltry on-board storage crimps your style

You won’t benefit from the boosted performance over the tenth-generation iPad

Apple iPad Pro 11-Inch Specifications

Price From $799 | Processor Apple M2 | Display 11-inch | Resolution: 1,668 x 2,388, 264 pixels per inch | Storage: 128GB | Rear cameras: 12-megapixel wide, 10-megapixel ultra-wide | Front camera 12-megapixel ultra-wide | Battery: Up to 10 hours | Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.0 x 0.2 inches | Weight 1.0 pounds

Best for:

Balance of power and size

Blazing fast

The thinnest iPad

Skip if:

Brightness is paramount (it lacks a Mini LED display)

You need to keep costs down

The extra storage and performance won’t matter

Apple iPad Pro 12.9-Inch Specifications

Price From $1,099 | Processor Apple M2 | Display 12.9-inch with Mini LED backlighting | Resolution: 2,048 x 2,732, 264 pixels per inch | Storage: 128GB | Rear cameras: 12-megapixel wide, 10-megapixel ultra-wide | Front camera 12-megapixel ultra-wide | Battery: Up to 10 hours | Dimensions: 11.0 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches | Weight 1.5 pounds

Best for:

Productivity and content creation on a large screen

Stunning display

Multitasking performance

Skip if:

It’s price tag outpaces your budget

You want to use as a tablet, with one hand

Apple iPad Pro Vs. Apple iPad Air Design: Svelte, But Different Footprints

Our focus here is on the iPads that sit at the premium end of Apple’s range. All the Apple tablets available now, apart from the ninth-generation entry-level iPad released in 2021, use the same industrial design—with cliff-edge sides and displays that cover the entire front of the tablet.

The Apple iPad Pro, which leapt to the new design first in 2018, has the narrowest bezels around the display. And while you might expect the Apple iPad Air to be the thinnest, it’s the 11-inch iPad Pro which claims that crown, measuring just 5.9 millimeters. Next thickest is the iPad Air (6.1 millimeters) and then the 12.9-inch iPad Pro at 6.4 millimeters. Bottom line: All three tablets are very thin, and it’s hard to eyeball a difference in thickness given it’s just a 0.5-millimeter variance, or less.

Though the iPad Air and iPad Pro 11-inch have similar designs, one glance tells you which is which because of the slightly bigger display on the Pro, and the consequently slimmer bezels. The iPad Air and iPad Pro 11-inch both weigh 1 pound and have an identical footprint—which translates into each feeling about the same in-hand. Not surprisingly, the iPad Pro 12.9-inch feels very different in-hand, given it is larger than the iPad Air in every way, with a bigger footprint and heavier weight. The extra screen size is useful for productivity, since you see more on-screen at any given time. But 1.5 pounds gets heavy to hold in your hands, making the 12.9-inch iPad Pro less conducive to use as a handheld tablet.

Both the iPad Air and iPad Pro have camera panels protruding from the back, though neither sticks out so much that it lops the device to one side if you’re typing on the on-screen keyboard (more on cameras below). The iPad Air and iPad Pro are both compatible with the second-generation Apple Pencil, which handily snaps magnetically to the side of the device. The iPad Air and iPad Pro use a USB-C connector, but only the iPad Pro models support up to 40Gbps speeds (including support for Thunderbolt 3 and USB4). This point matters most if you plan to fill the tablet to the max and have lots of large files (such as videos) you’re transferring to and from the device over time. In practice, I found the Air’s transfer speeds were decent enough that this was rarely a problem, but your mileage may vary.

If colors matter to you, the iPad Air has more room for choice, with space gray, starlight, pink, purple and blue. The iPad Pro is available in only space gray and silver, more staid colors in line with the iPad Pro’s “professional” veneer.

Decision: From a design perspective, the big differences among these three models’ design lies with the weight and screen size of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and with the speed of the USB-C connector.

Apple iPad Pro Vs. Apple iPad Air Storage: Less Or More?

The $599 Apple iPad Air starts out at a surprisingly low 64GB of storage—the same baseline as the entry-level tenth-generation iPad. If you jump to the next level, 256GB, the iPad Air’s price skyrockets to $749.

By contrast, the $799 11-inch iPad Pro comes with 128GB of storage, a much more reasonable starting point. Plus, you get the other benefits of the Pro’s performance and features, which we delve into below. And the iPad Pro line comes in options up to 2TB, so if you are a high-volume creative with demanding storage needs, the iPad Pro lineup is the obvious choice here.

Decision: If you want more storage and to get additional features, go with the 11-inch iPad Pro, which strikes a balance between price and performance. Or you can choose the 256GB iPad Air as the least expensive path to that much storage on a powerful iPad.

Apple iPad Pro Vs Apple iPad Air Display: Dynamic Refresh Rate And High Brightness

The iPad Air has a 10.9-inch display, with an anti-reflective coating, a wider color range and a fully laminated display. That’s an upgrade over the 10.9-inch tenth-generation iPad, but a bigger difference still exists between the Air and the 11-inch Pro. And the gap widens further when you compare the iPad Air to the larger iPad Pro. The iPad Air and iPad Pro all have the same pixel density of 264 pixels per inch (ppi). But that’s where the display similarities end.

Both Pro displays offer ProMotion, Apple’s term for a dynamic refresh rate. It automatically adjusts the rate from 24Hz up to 120Hz according to what’s on screen, with the higher rates making for smooth scrolling and fast response to your touch, whether that’s from an Apple Pencil or your finger. When you’re looking at a static image, it slows the rate to save battery.

And then there’s the 12.9-inch model, which boasts Apple’s “Liquid Retina XDR”—Apple-speak for extreme dynamic range. The display has high-contrast and high brightness, with 10,000 Mini LEDs in 2,500 local dimming zones. This means dark areas stay black and bright areas shine. These Mini LEDs are the best thing about the bigger Pro display, which looks bright, with accurate colors. In my testing, I found movies and videos definitely benefit from this display’s qualities, but so did my still images. I saw realistic colors, deep blacks and a real vibrancy to the pictures. The danger with Mini LEDs is it can lead to a blooming effect of white light spilling over on to black areas, but I saw none of this—Apple has optimized the effect with granular detail.

Decision: For smoother animations and fast motion, the iPad Pro line has an edge over the iPad Air. And if you’re using the iPad in a bright environment, you can benefit from the high brightness of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Apple iPad Pro Vs Apple iPad Air Cameras: Pro Has More

Let’s be clear: a big, flat slab of glass and aluminum does not make for an ergonomic camera—and that remains true with the iPad Air and the two iPad Pros. But sometimes, your tablet is the best—and only—camera you have with you. Plus, a tablet has one benefit as a camera: Its large screen offers an exceptional surface on which to frame your shots or video.

But tablets are neither easy to carry, nor easy to hold for taking pictures and videos. That’s one reason that cameras on the iPad have never been as advanced as on the iPhone, nor has Apple meant them to be. The iPad Air has a single camera, with 12-megapixel resolution and a reasonably wide, f/1.8 aperture. There’s no flash. It takes adequate images, and it is good for shooting video, but this is not a photography machine.

Ironically, the larger—and harder to hold—iPad Pro series (both sizes) is much better. These tablets have a primary 12-megapixel lens, and a second ultra-wide 10-megapixel lens. Since the ultra-wide has a focal length that’s half that of the wide, the screen reads 0.5x or 1x zoom according to which lens is in use.

The main reason the Pro cameras are better is because they also include a time-of-flight LiDAR sensor to analyze and assess depth in the image. This helps with the sharpness of the photos. The dual lenses also make for excellent bokeh effects in Portrait mode shots. And the LiDAR sensor also works for augmented reality (AR) applications.

Augmented reality is one use for tablet cameras that, in theory, will grow in the coming years. The large screen works well to display AR content—where you can view what the camera sees with a digital data overlay. AR apps have been around for a while; there still aren’t that many of them, but there will be more, eventually. One of the best AR apps today is Apple’s own: Measure, a virtual measuring tape that works on both the iPad Air and iPad Pro (but the Pro version is that bit more accurate thanks to LiDAR). The LiDAR sensor is also useful for 3D scans of a room, which is useful in apps such as ones where you place virtual furniture ahead of buying the real stuff.

The front-facing camera on the iPad Air and Pro is a 12-megapixel sensor, mostly there to make the most of Center Stage, Apple’s clever video conferencing feature which ensures you stay plumb in the center of the screen, even if you move. Center Stage worked well for me on all three tablets.

The Pro models have another benefit that taps the camera: Their Face ID security is powered by a TrueDepth camera, which is why there’s also a Portrait option on the iPad Pro’s front-facing camera, but not the Air.

Decision: If you want to use your tablet’s camera frequently for photos or videos, or want to use the cameras for augmented reality applications, the iPad Pro series has the edge.

Apple iPad Pro Vs Apple iPad Air Face ID or Touch ID: A Case Of Preference

The iPad Pro is the only iPad which unlocks using Face ID, with all others (apart from the older, ninth-generation iPad) using Touch ID mounted in the power button on the tablet’s top edge. The pricier Pro must have the best arrangement, right? I’m not so sure. While Face ID is a better technology with extremely high security, I find the convenience of the iPad Air’s Touch ID hard to overstate.

I find if my face is not exactly in the right place, Face ID struggles to recognize me and unlock the iPad. The execution of Touch ID on the iPad Air is sensational: I simply touch my finger on the home button, and it reacts instantly and unlocks the tablet. If I rest it there a little longer, my finger not only unlocks the tablet, but it opens to my last displayed screen. The iPad Air’s Touch ID works better than fingerprint sensors on all rival tablets and—for my money—is far more convenient than the iPad Pro’s Face ID system.

Decision: I preferred the simplicity of the Touch ID on iPad Air. But the iPad Pro’s Face ID system works, and I wouldn’t let my proclivity towards Touch ID keep me from an iPad Pro that model suits my needs in all other ways.

Apple iPad Pro Vs Apple iPad Air Features: Subtle Differences

The iPad Pro and iPad Air have a lot of features in common, such as the interface and apps. Almost all iPadOS apps are available across the board, though some work even better on the Pro than the Air (see below). But most of the million-plus apps in the App Store will work identically, adapting to match the screen resolution automatically. The latest Pro and Air models have processors powerful enough to make the most of Apple’s Stage Manager, which improves multi-tasking on the tablet to be as good as on a Mac. Not all iPads can do this.

Stage Manager gives you easy access to five programs, like multi-windows on a Mac. Well, almost. The active app is front-and-center, while the others float in miniature form, off to the left edge. It means you can flip from one app to the next with a tap, or you can go back to the full screen view at will. It’s great, but I just don’t find it as intuitive as switching among apps on a Mac, and there’s sometimes that sense of dread when I catch myself thinking, now, where did I put that app? One false tap and you’re left searching. That said, it’s way better than multi-tasking on a tablet has been before. I could easily resize the dominant app with a tug at the corner, for instance. But on a Mac, you can have over five windows open, so the iPadOS Stage Manager still feels more limited to me. It was easier to use on the larger iPad Pro, but still feels limited.

As on the iPhone, the variety of apps provides the greatest capabilities for the tablet, making it a great entertainment device with video apps such as Netflix and Apple TV, podcasts and audio content. Both the Pro and Air have four speaker grilles for superior sound quality when not using headphones. However, this doesn’t mean they are the same. Where the Pro has four separate speakers, the Air has the same number of grilles but only stereo speakers. On the Pro, the effect is especially impressive because the audio changes according to whether your tablet is in portrait or landscape mode. The Air still sounds fine but lacks this extra subtlety. In use, since I routinely played games and movies in landscape orientation, I didn’t hear much of a difference but, yes, I’d say the Pro is a little better.

Then there are creativity apps, designed as all the apps are for intuitive touch operation, but some of which benefit from a stylus like the Apple Pencil (like the brilliant Procreate drawing and painting app). Because the Pro uses the M2 Processor, it supports the second-generation Apple Pencil’s hover feature—which means the iPad Pro recognizes the Pencil before it makes contact with the glass. This is already an intimate-feeling gesture, but it also adds more capability. For instance, I could adjust brush stroke size in some apps, without putting Pencil to screen. This feature needs more broad support to really fly, but Procreate has plans to offer more functions, such as showing a preview of the brush you’re using before you make contact. Since I often touched the screen, decided I had the wrong brush and needed to delete and start again, extras like this saved me time.

Both the iPad Air and the iPad Pro work with a companion physical keyboard, such as the excellent, if expensive, Apple Magic Keyboard, available for both Pro and Air.

Decision: If you plan to use Apple Pencil a lot, you may appreciate the conveniences of the hover feature supported by the M2-based iPad Pros.

Apple iPad Pro Vs Apple iPad Air Performance: Better And Best

Every single iPad you can buy today has reliably speedy performance, enough for everyday tasks and entertainment. Things just get much faster with the more advanced tablets.

The iPad Air uses the Apple M1 chip, the game-changing, high-performing Apple processor first seen on the iMac, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. The M1 chip is amazingly fast, and the 8-core GPU that goes along with the 8-core CPU ensures graphics look great, too. I found games graphics that were amazingly detailed and stutter-free, making for highly satisfying playability with no distractions.

But the iPad Pro series—which is newer than the iPad Air—goes one better. The iPad Pros use the latest M2 processor inside, with a 10-core GPU and extra system memory (RAM) on the 1TB and 2TB storage configurations. Who needs that, you may ask, when the M1 is so speedy, powerful and efficient?

It’s a good question. The word Pro is the clue: The M2 chip targets the most demanding users. Processor and graphics content creation tasks like video editing and photo editing can take advantage of that extra processing power. For example, in movie editing apps, you can open multiple high-resolution video streams at the same time, with no slowdown or anything more than a brief wait as you move content around—even on some high-end laptops, this can take significant time to process, but not here.

Decision: If you’re a demanding user, choose an iPad Pro. The iPad Pro’s M2 processor will make a noticeable difference in how you can get things done. For editing and productivity, you may prefer the 12.9-inch version so you can make the most of the stellar screen, too.

Apple iPad Pro Vs. Apple iPad Air Verdict: Which Should You Choose?

How much power do you want, exactly? If you’re a reasonably demanding user, who enjoys watching videos and playing advanced, graphics-heavy games, then the iPad Air will be enough. It has plenty of power and its M1 chip is extremely fast.

Other benefits of the Air include a lower price, colorful finishes and a Touch ID fingerprint sensor which unlocks the tablet reliably and rapidly. I found the Touch ID security option was the one I enjoyed using the most, by a long way.

But if your demands are the highest because you need powerful programs and you want them to run full-bore, with no hiccups or slowdowns, then the iPad Pro is calling your name. Besides the superior processor, the iPad Pro series has superior cameras and includes a LiDAR sensor to make AR apps perform better. The iPad Pro has a dynamic refresh rate to make even scrolling through menus a smooth experience. And the 12.9-inch iPad Pro has Mini LED backlighting, so that everything looks better on-screen, from HDR video to your own photos.

In short, you’ll get a great experience from the iPad Air, better than all other tablets around—except one. For better than best performance, it’s iPad Pro all the way.