Let's dive into an iPad Air vs. iPad Pro face-off. Apple showed off two new iPads on Tuesday at the May 7 "Let Loose" livestream, but you may be unsure which is best for you.
We're more than happy to give you the deets to help you make a decision. The new OLED iPad Pro and the new iPad Air are different products that serve different audiences. However, the differences aren't that self-explanatory. One is more expensive with advanced features, and the other is cheaper, but also has some of benefits of its own.
Here's how the two new iPads compare to each other.
iPad Air vs. iPad Pro 2024: Price and specs
As stated earlier, these two device serve slightly different audiences, so their specs are going to look a little different. Before we get to that, though, let's talk about price.
The iPad Air starts at $749 via T-Mobile for the 11-inch model and $949 for the 13-inch model. The iPad Pro comes in the same two sizes, but at price points of $1,199 and $1,499, respectively.
Here are the iPad Air's basic specs:
M2 processor
LED Liquid Retina display with 2360 x 1640 resolution
Storage options: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
WiFi 6E
Bluetooth 5.3
And here are the specs for the iPad Pro:
M4 processor
OLED Ultra Retina XDR display with 2420 x 1668 resolution
Up to 120Hz refresh rate via ProMotion technology
Storage options: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
WiFi 6E
Bluetooth 5.3
And interestingly, the iPad Pro has a slightly hidden difference under the hood depending on how much storage you get, per Apple's specs page. The 256GB and 512GB variants have one fewer CPU core than the 1TB and 2TB variants. It's hard to say what, precisely, that means in a practical sense, but hey, it's worth noting.
Anyway, the iPad Pro clearly wins on specs, but that's because it's more expensive. You get what you pay for.
Winner: iPad Pro
iPad Air vs. iPad Pro 2024: Design
There are incremental changes to the new iPad Air line, but the iPad Pro models have some big changes.
The M4 iPad Pro models are the thinnest iPads that Apple has ever produced. To take it one step further, they're the thinnest Apple product that the Cupertino-based tech giant has rolled out thus far. To put this into perspective, Apple claimed that the new M4 iPad Pro is even thinner than the iPod Nano.
If you want to get down into the nitty-gritty, though, there are a few things to comb through. For starters, the iPad Air has a more varied and frankly better selection of colors. Here's what's on offer for the Air:
Blue
Purple
Starlight
Space Grey
While iPad Pro customers only get the measly choice between silver and black.
One other thing worth pointing out here is that, despite the "Air" part of the iPad Air's name, both new versions of the Pro are, as we hinted earlier, actually thinner and lighter. Both new models of the Air are 6.1mm thick, while the 11-inch Pro is 5.3mm and the 13-inch Pro is even smaller at 5.1mm. The difference in weight is less than a tenth of a pound.
Oh, and both iPads got a repositioned front-facing camera. It now sits on top of the device when placed in landscape mode for more natural video calls.
Winner: iPad Pro for its thin-and-light form factor
iPad Air vs. iPad Pro 2024: Display
I've tested both the iPad Air and the iPad Pro, and the former performs better in difficult lighting situations.
Here's how the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air models performed in a brightly lit room at an Apple press event.
In the same lighting conditions, here's how the iPad Pro performed:
The reason that the displays on the iPad Pro models are more visible is because they emanate higher nits of brightness at up to 1,600 nits; compare this to the iPad Air line, which has a max brightness of 500 nits.
You'll also find that the iPad Pro has higher resolution, which means you'll find better clarity and detail on the screen compared to the iPad Air line.
The iPad Pro line, by the way, also comes with a nano-textured glass model, which are only available for the 1TB and 2TB configurations. This option is designed to significantly reduce glare. This option is designed for users who need to have a highly visible screen at all times. However, keep in mind that the nano-textured glass model appears to take a slight hit in vividness.
Finally, the iPad Pro has something called a "Tandem OLED" feature. This means Apple stacked two OLED displays together, creating an ultra high-contrast, immersive screen with exceptional brightness. Again, it can climb up to 1,600 nits at its peak.
iPad Air vs. iPad Pro 2024: Features
Obviously, the Pro has more features than the Air. It's more expensive and has better hardware inside of it. That doesn't mean the Air doesn't bring anything new or interesting to the table, though.
Apple's in-house M2 chip enables some AI features, like Live Text, which recognizes and even translates text in images.
The only problem is that the Pro can do all of that and more. A new version of the Final Cut Pro app for iPad Pro allows for seamless blending of multiple camera angles from different devices, for example. It can also use AI to more easily scan documents using the rear-facing camera. Neither of these devices blow the doors off the tech world with amazing new features, but the Pro can do a little bit more than the Air, so it wins.
Winner: iPad Pro
iPad Air vs. iPad Pro 2024: Battery life
Here are the battery sizes inside the iPad Air and iPad Pro models:
iPad Air: 28.93-watt-hour battery (11-inch model) or 36.59-watt-hour battery (13-inch model)
iPad Pro: 31.29-watt-hour battery (11-inch model) or 38.99-watt-hour battery (13-inch model)
For both lines, whether it's the 11-inch or 13-inch model, are rated for 10 hours of battery life, according to Apple.
Mashable Tech Editor Kimberly Gedeon reviewed the 13-inch iPad Air and iPad Pro models, and according to her in-house testing, they blow Apple's battery life claims out of the water. The iPad Air lasted 13 hours and 10 minutes on a single charge. The iPad Pro's battery life is even more impressive; it lasted 16 hours and 24 minutes on Mashable's test.
iPad Air vs. iPad Pro 2024: Which should you buy?
It all comes down to cash.
Do you have money to spend on a new iPad Pro? Then you should get the Pro. It has a better display, a better processor, a bigger battery, and more features. That was always going to be the case, so no surprises here.
That said, maybe you have the cash, but don't have the desire to do serious workflow stuff on an iPad. Maybe the iPad exists for doing crossword puzzles and watching YouTube videos in your life. If that's the case, go with the Air.
