If you desire an iPad , you have three introductory choices : the basic 10.2 - in iPad , the more expensiveiPadAir , or the even more expensiveiPad Pro . The standard10.2 - inch iPadis the budget option , with an aging design ( big bezels , home push button , Lightning interface ) and older central processing unit , and the 12.9 - inch iPad Pro starts at a whopping $ 1,099 and is gear toward only the most demanding of drug user .
So if you desire the most tablet without break the cant on a $ 1,099 12.9 - inch iPad Pro , you have just two options : the$599 iPad Air , which isavailable for preorder nowand useable March 18 , and the$799 11 - inch iPad Pro . The iPad Air was just upgraded with an M1 C.P.U. , get it as muscular as the iPad Pro . But a tablet is more than its processor , and the Pro model does offer a few improvements that might be worth your money . Here ’s how these two tablets heap up .
11-inch iPad Pro vs iPad Air: Tech specs
Before we start the matchup , permit ’s have a weigh - in and see how they match up on paper .
11-inch iPad Pro vs iPad Air: Design and color
The iPad Air and 11 - in iPad Pro are fundamentally the same size and weight unit . In fact , the dimensions are so like that they can both use most of the same case , cover , Magic Keyboards , and so on . Only cases that have specific camera cutout for the single iPad Air camera wo n’t fit out on the iPad Pro , which has a squarish camera expanse with multiple cameras , but iPad Pro case will accommodate fine on the Air ( they just appear a piddling uncanny ) .
With nearly identical chassis , they also have nearly identical design with one chief exception : color . The iPad Pro comes in silver and space grey only , while the iPad Air has a more whimsical array of colors to prefer from : space grey , starlight , pink , regal , and downcast . You ’re also getting ever - so - slightly little bezels on the iPad Pro , which is why Apple says it has room for an 11 - inch display instead of 10.9 inch . You ’re not really going to notice that one-tenth of an column inch , though .
Our pick : When it come to sizing and weight , this is a ended tie-in . The designs are basically identical as well . So it comes down to color . If you want starlight , gloomy , purplish , or pink , you ’ll need to get the melody .
Apple
11-inch iPad Pro vs iPad Air: Display
The 11 - column inch iPad Pro has aslightlybigger display than the iPad Air . We ’re really splitting hairs here — it ’s one - tenth of an inch . The resolution is the same—264 pel per in — but the iPad Pro has just slimly slimmer bezels around the exhibit , give it room for a few more pixel . Both displays also have straight Tone and a broad P3 people of color gamut and follow Apple ’s “ liquid ” retina design , mean the quoin of the screen are rounded to fit the equipment itself .
The iPad Pro ’s display is definitely superior , though . It ’s brighter , with a max light of 600 nit liken to the Air ’s 500 nits . But the big benefit is ProMotion , which lets the display break away - up to 120Hz for smoother movement and lower latent period , specially when using the Apple Pencil . The difference is palpable when switching between devices , and once you ’ve tried the Pro , it ’s very difficult to go back .
Our pick : The extra luminosity is n’t a huge stack , but ProMotion isreallynice and avail excuse the high price of the iPad Pro .
iPad Air (2022)
11-inch iPad Pro vs iPad Air: Performance and memory
With the latest update ( available March 18 , 2022 ) , the iPad Air has the same M1 C.P.U. as the iPad Pro . It ’s get eight central processor cores , eight GPU cores , and in almost all respects should offer exactly the same functioning .
There ’s only one small difference . Both tablets have 8 GB of RAM , with the elision of the 1 TB and 2 TB storage option on the iPad Pro . If you prefer for one of those configurations , the iPad Pro will have 16 GB of RAM . Those storage options do n’t come cheap , however , and the surplus RAM probably is n’t going to make much of a difference with iPadOS .
Our filling : It ’s a draw . It ’s the same processor , and to get 16 GB of RAM you necessitate to pay for a huge chunk of storage on the iPad Pro . You ’re not likely to notice the dispute between 8 GB and 16 GB anyway , even in very intensive software .
11-inch iPad Pro vs iPad Air: Battery
The battery capacity is nearly the same in both iPads , around 29 watt - minute . Apple lists exchangeable battery life specs : Up to 10 hours of surf the web on Wi‑Fi or watching video , nine hr when on cellular ( iPads seldom stray from these numbers ) . ProMotion can be a battery drain while in use , but cansavebattery when in some face where the iPad can interchange to a much lower refresh rate . On the other hand , the iPad Pro ’s brighter presentation will likely drain the shelling a piddling quicker if you crank up up the brightness .
Our pick : Either tablet will last you through hour and usance . For the most part , we expect battery life to be similar .
11-inch iPad Pro vs iPad Air: Storage
The iPad Pro gives you double the start memory board : 128 GB instead of 64 GB in the iPad Air . Both offer a 256 GB upgrade configuration ( $ 100 more on the iPad Pro and $ 150 more on the iPad Air ) , but while the iPad Air stops there , the iPad Pro offers 512 Gi , 1 TB , and 2 TB selection .
Our pick : With all the cloud storehouse and stream these days , most drug user do n’t need more than 256 GB of warehousing in an iPad , but if you do lots of work with 4 K video or high - res exposure , the option for higher repositing is nice . More authoritative is that the starting storehouse is double as big on the iPad Pro , and 64 GB might be a little small for all of the apps and games you ’re going to download .
11-inch iPad Pro vs iPad Air: Face ID vs Touch ID
Like the iPhone , the iPad Pro use Face ID , which uses the TrueDepth sensors on the front to unlock the tablet and authenticate leverage and passwords . The iPad Air does n’t have a TrueDepth faculty ; it has Touch ID work up into the side button . Both are easy to localize up and apply in their own way , but Apple says the betting odds of spoofing Face ID is approximately 1 in 1,000,000 vs 1 in 50,000 for Touch ID .
Our pick : Touch ID is enough good , but there ’s no doubt that Face ID is unremarkably the faster and well-heeled path to authenticate , recruit passwords , and unlock your machine .
Jason Cross / IDG
11-inch iPad Pro vs iPad Air: Cameras
On the rear of the iPad Air , you ’ll find a 12MP standard wide - angle camera . On the iPad Pro you ’ll find the same camera , plus a 10MP Ultra blanket television camera and a LiDAR sensor for good AR placement . We do n’t think you ’ll be have too many pictures with either of these somewhat awkward cameras , but if you want to , the iPad Pro has a clearly superior array .
Apple upgraded the iPad Air to a 12MP extremist - spacious tv camera on the front , with keep for Center Stage , which pans and zoom to keep you the subject ( you ) in the frame . So the front camera is virtually identical between the two tablets . The iPad Pro has a TrueDepth detector for Face ID , which means it also supports Apple ’s Animoj / Memoji , but picture and picture - taking should be about the same when using the front tv camera .
Our plectrum : The front television camera is the more important on a tablet , and the two here are near monovular , as is the hindquarters - facing 12MP photographic camera . The iPad Pro has an bound with its 10MP Ultra Wide rear camera if that form of thing matters to you .
11-inch iPad Pro (2021)
11-inch iPad Pro vs iPad Air: Audio and microphones
The iPad Air has decent sound from its two - talker stereoscopic picture setup and a dual mike regalia . It works fine , but it ’s nothing particular . The 11 - in iPad Pro , on the other hand , has four speaker unit and five microphones that Apple calls “ studio timbre . ” We do n’t know if we trust that byname , but it ’s almost certain that the iPad Pro will produce better recordings and higher - timbre audio playback .
Our pick : The iPad Pro should bring superior sound playback and transcription .
11-inch iPad Pro vs iPad Air: Connectivity and accessories
We have it off the iPad Air ’s USB - C port , and it ’s event fast with the 5th - generation model , underpin data transfers up to 10Gbps . But the 11 - inch iPad Pro takes it a step further . Its USB - blow interface supports USB4 and Thunderbolt , which means a quicker maximum throughput of 40Gbit / sec . Both support a unmarried outside display up to 6 K , though . Both models hold the new Magic Keyboard — though the camera cutouts fit a little overnice on the 11 - in Pro — as well as the 2nd - generation Apple Pencil .
Our pick : Thunderbolt might not be something you ask now , but it might be worth the investment . Over the years , there ’s a much better chance that the gimmick you grease one’s palms will work to their full potency ( or at all ) with the iPad Pro ’s Thunderbolt port wine over the iPad Air ’s stock USB - C charging port wine . If you ’re primarily concerned about solicit up displays , the experience should be alike with either one .
11-inch iPad Pro vs iPad Air: Wi-Fi and cellular
Both iPads have Wi - Fi 6 with MIMO , simultaneous dual - isthmus , and speeds up to 1.6Gbps , so they ’ll sour great at home . You also get Bluetooth 5 for AirPods and other wireless equipment . But if you opt for the Wi - Fi + Cellular modeling , there ’s a little difference . Both model also have 5 deoxyguanosine monophosphate options , but the iPad Air only support sub-6GHz bands while the iPad Pro endorse the faster poor - range mmWave bands as well . The cellular option be more on the iPad Pro ( $ 200 ) than on the iPad Air ( $ 150 ) .
Our selection : You should deliberate carefully whether you really need cellular access code on your iPad — using your iPhone as a wireless hotspot bring extremely well . The iPad Pro ’s power to connect to mmWave networks is of circumscribed use and you make up $ 50 more for cellular than you do on the iPad Air .
11-inch iPad Pro vs iPad Air: Conclusion
Last year , we thought the 11 - inch iPad Pro was the better buy . This year , thanks to the processor upgrade and improved front photographic camera in the iPad Air , our view has reversed . The iPad Pro is essentially the same sizing and carrying into action and supports the same peripherals , but it cost $ 200 more ( $ 250 more if you want a cellular - equipped good example ) . For that , you get :
Our pick : Most of those advance are not the sort of things you ’ll feel every day . ProMotion is the biggest welfare , and the extra storage is nice , but they do n’t seem worth an extra $ 200 . We think most users would be happiest with the iPad Air , perhaps with the 256 GB choice ( which is still $ 50 less than the starting Leontyne Price of the 128 GB 11 - inch iPad Pro ) .
