A few months later, the company introduced the sixth-generation iPad Pro, which stands as the most powerful and responsive tablet in Apple’s current lineup. On top of that, the iPad Pro includes Apple’s ProMotion high-refresh-rate display for a silky smooth experience when navigating and working on the tablet.
Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (2022) vs. iPad Air (2022)
While some may chide Apple for its adherence to visual tradition, most users give a thumbs up to a familiar design that works well. Each year, new iPads fresh off the assembly line get loaded with technical improvements invisible to the eye, but obvious in the hand.
iPad Pro 11-inch (2022) iPad Air (2022) Size 247.6 x 178.5 x 5.9mm (9.74 x 7.02 x 0.23 inches) 247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1mm (9.74 x 7.02 x 0.24 inches) Weight Wi-Fi: 466 grams (1.03 pounds) Wi-Fi + Cellular: 470 grams (1.04 pounds) Wi-Fi: 461 grams (1.02 pounds) Wi-Fi + Cellular: 462 grams (1.02 pounds) Screen size 11 inches 10.9 inches Screen resolution 2388 x 1668 pixels at 264 ppi 2360 x 1640 pixels at 264 ppi Operating system iPadOS 16 iPadOS 16 Storage space 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB 64GB, 256GB MicroSD card slot No No Tap-to-pay services No No Processor Apple M2 Apple M1 RAM 8GB/16GB RAM 8GB Camera Rear: 12-megapixel wide and 10MP ultrawide cameras Front: 12MP TrueDepth camera system with ultrawide Rear: 12MP wide camera Front: 12MP ultrawide front camera Video ProRes video recording up to 4K at 30 fps (1080p at 30 fps for 128GB capacity) 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps 1080p at 25/30/60 fps 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps 1080p at 25/30/60 fps Bluetooth version Bluetooth 5.3 Bluetooth 5.0 Ports USB-C supporting Thunderbolt/USB 4 port Smart Connector USB-C Smart Connector Fingerprint sensor No Yes Water resistance No No Battery TBC 28.6Wh App marketplace Apple App Store Apple App Store Network support All major carriers (cellular version only) All major carriers (cellular version only) Colors Silver, Space Gray Space Gray, Starlight, Pink, Purple, Blue Price $799 $599 Buy from Apple Apple Review score News 4.5 out of 5 stars It unlocks via Face ID and features 120Hz Pro Motion tech, which makes a huge difference between the two models. The iPad Air 5th Gen sports a thin aluminum body, one camera lens on the back, and Touch ID embedded in the power button. Its pleasing rounded corners are comfortable, while the 10.9-inch LED-backlit screen with 2360 x 1640 pixel resolution is controlled by Apple’s True Tone color management system.
Differing screen refresh rates separate the Pro model from the Air in terms of quality and user experience. The new iPad Pro 11 show stars Apple’s latest M2 chip, featuring an eight-core CPU and a 10-core GPU. The built-in Neural Engine is designed to be 40% faster than previous models to expedite machine learning and provide 50% more memory bandwidth. Pro-level users can depend on the M2 chip to facilitate creation of 3D designs, AR models, and accelerated gameplay. In terms of performance, both are admirable, but as we mentioned earlier, the ProMotion 120Hz screen refresh rate offers a better and more efficient overall tablet experience. Apple provides a 20-watt charging block and a USB Type-C cable in the iPad Air 5th Gen box, which works well but not quickly, taking 2 hours and 20 minutes to reach 100%.
The new iPad Pro 11-inch model features a stellar two-camera system with 12-megapixel wide and 10MP ultrawide cameras, the same as last year, except they have fresh upgrades. Apple traditionally offers great long-term software support so your tablet should stay current for at least four years, and probably much longer than that. Since both tablets arrived in the same year, you can expect both to get around the same number of updates in the future, so that shouldn’t be top of your list separating the two. When you hover your Apple Pencil above the iPad Pro, it will be detected, and show a preview of where your stylus is going to touch the screen, adding a new level of precision.
In addition to the new M2 chipset, the new iPad Pro features a 120Hz ProMotion Liquid Retina screen, improved Apple Pencil support, Wi-Fi 6E support, Thunderbolt 4, a lidar camera, and multiple mics that put it into a more advanced category than the iPad Air — though both are only so-so performers in the battery department. It’s an enormously powerful tablet with a thin attractive design that will suit most professionals, students, and casual users and even act as a laptop substitute in most situations.
Apple iPad Pro vs iPad 10.2
The iPad Pro, on the other hand, gives you a lot more power and a bigger screen, which will come in handy for actual work, but it’s a bit expensive for the average buyer.
The best iPads for college students in 2023: Expert tested and reviewed
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iPad Pro (2022) vs. iPad Air (2022): Which Apple tablet is right for you?
A few months later, the company introduced the sixth-generation iPad Pro, which stands as the most powerful and responsive tablet in Apple’s current lineup. On top of that, the iPad Pro includes Apple’s ProMotion high-refresh-rate display for a silky smooth experience when navigating and working on the tablet.
iPad Air (5th generation) vs iPad Pro 11‑in. (3rd generation)
Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video, or listening to music Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video, or listening to music Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video, or listening to music Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video, or listening to music
Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video, or listening to music
11-inch iPad Pro vs iPad Air: Which M1 tablet is right for you?
The standard 10.2-inch iPad is the budget option, with an aging design (big bezels, home button, Lightning port) and older processor, and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at a whopping $1,099 and is geared toward only the most demanding of users. But a tablet is more than its processor, and the Pro model does offer a few improvements that might be worth your money. You’re also getting ever-so-slightly smaller bezels on the iPad Pro, which is why Apple says it has room for an 11-inch display instead of 10.9 inches. Both displays also have True Tone and a wide P3 color gamut and follow Apple’s “liquid” retina design, meaning the corners of the screen are rounded to match the device itself.
But the big benefit is ProMotion, which lets the display run-up to 120Hz for smoother motion and lower latency, especially when using the Apple Pencil. Our pick: The extra brightness isn’t a huge deal, but ProMotion is really nice and helps justify the higher price of the iPad Pro.
Those storage options don’t come cheap, however, and the extra RAM probably isn’t going to make much of a difference with iPadOS. On the other hand, the iPad Pro’s brighter display will likely drain the battery a little faster if you crank up the brightness.
More important is that the starting storage is twice as big on the iPad Pro, and 64GB might be a little small for all of the apps and games you’re going to download. Like the iPhone, the iPad Pro uses Face ID, which uses the TrueDepth sensors on the front to unlock the tablet and authenticate purchases and passwords. The iPad Air doesn’t have a TrueDepth module; it has Touch ID built into the side button. We don’t think you’ll be taking 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 Ultra-Wide camera on the front, with support for Center Stage, which pans and zooms to keep you the subject (you) in the frame. The iPad Pro has a TrueDepth sensor for Face ID, which means it also supports Apple’s Animoj/Memoji, but photo and video-taking should be about the same when using the front camera.
The iPad Pro has an edge with its 10MP Ultra Wide rear camera if that sort of thing matters to you. The iPad Air has decent sound from its two-speaker stereo setup and a dual microphone array.
We love the iPad Air’s USB-C port, and it’s event fast with the fifth-generation model, supporting data transfers up to 10Gbps. Its USB-C port supports USB4 and Thunderbolt, which means a faster maximum throughput of 40Gbit/sec.
Both models support the new Magic Keyboard—though the camera cutouts fit a little nicer on the 11-inch Pro—as well as the 2nd-generation Apple Pencil. Both iPads have Wi-Fi 6 with MIMO, simultaneous dual-band, and speeds up to 1.6Gbps, so they’ll work great at home.
Our pick: You should consider carefully whether you really need cellular access on your iPad—using your iPhone as a wireless hotspot works extremely well.
This year, thanks to the processor upgrade and improved front camera in the iPad Air, our opinion has reversed. The iPad Pro is essentially the same size and performance and supports the same peripherals, but it costs $200 more ($250 more if you want a cellular-equipped model).
M1 iPad Air vs. M2 iPad Pro Buyer’s Guide
Liquid Retina display with 264 ppi, full lamination, oleophobic and anti-reflective coating, P3 Wide Color, and True Tone Even so, there are an even larger number of meaningful differences between the iPad Air and iPad Pro that are worth highlighting, including their displays, authentication technologies, and rear camera setups. iPad Air iPad Pro Touch ID built into the top button Face ID enabled by TrueDepth camera 10.9-inch display 11-inch or 12.9-inch display, with 120Hz ProMotion technology Liquid Retina LED display Liquid Retina LED display (11-inch) or Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED display (12.9-inch) 500 nits max brightness (typical) 600 nits max brightness (11-inch) or 1,000 nits max brightness and 1,600 nits peak brightness (12.9-inch) – Apple Pencil hover M1 chip with 8-core, 3.2GHz CPU and 8-core GPU M2 chip with 8-core, 3.49GHz CPU and 10-core GPU Neural Engine 40 percent faster Neural Engine Media engine for hardware-accelerated H.264 and HEVC Media engine for hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW Video encode and decode engine Higher-bandwidth video decode engine – ProRes encode and decode engine Image signal processor (ISP) “New” image signal processor (ISP) 8GB of memory 8GB or 16GB of memory 68.25GB/s memory bandwidth 100GB/s memory bandwidth Bluetooth 5.0 Bluetooth 5.3 Wi‑Fi 6 Wi‑Fi 6E Sub-6GHz 5G connectivity Sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G connectivity ƒ/1.8 12MP Wide rear camera ƒ/1.8 12MP Wide and ƒ/2.4 10MP Ultra Wide rear cameras Smart HDR 3 Smart HDR 4 – True Tone flash – ProRes video recording up to 4K at 30 fps Digital zoom up to 5x Digital zoom up to 5x and 2x optical zoom out 3x video zoom Video zoom up to 3x and 2x optical zoom out – Audio zoom – LiDAR scanner ƒ/2.4 12MP Ultra Wide front-facing camera with 2x optical zoom out and Center Stage ƒ/2.4 12MP TrueDepth Ultra Wide front-facing camera with 2x optical zoom out, Center Stage, Portrait Mode, Portrait Lighting, Animoji, and Memoji – Stereo recording Two speaker audio landscape mode Four-speaker audio USB‑C connector USB‑C connector with support for Thunderbolt/USB 4 Up to 256GB storage Up to 2TB storage Available in Space Gray, Starlight, Pink, Purple, and Blue Available in Silver and Space Gray Price starting at $599 Price starting at $799
Unlocking is something that may be used dozens of times every day, so it is important to choose your preferred method of authentication if you feel particularly strongly about it. These models are around half a pound lighter than the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and will be best for users focused on portability and easy handheld use. Both the iPad Air and the 11-inch iPad Pro feature Liquid Retina LED displays with 264 ppi, full lamination, oleophobic and anti-reflective coatings, P3 Wide Color, and True Tone. The display can reflect what can be seen in the real world by capturing the brightest highlights and subtle details in even the darkest images, allowing users to view and edit true-to-life HDR and Dolby Vision content, which is especially important to creative professionals, including photographers, videographers, and filmmakers. The iPad Air’s Liquid Retina display will be sufficient for the vast majority of users, but some may prefer the responsiveness of ProMotion on the iPad Pro for tasks such as gaming. Both the iPad Pro and iPad Air offer a high level of performance, but the iPad Pro features the M2 chip – Apple’s latest custom silicon chip primarily designed for the Mac, enabling ProRes video recording and media acceleration for the first time on an iPad. Regardless, both of the chips are Mac-class and offer a high level of performance that should be able to meet most users’ needs, with more meaningful advancements being reserved for ProRes workflows. 8GB in the iPad Air will be adequate for casual users, but 16GB will be better at handling multiple windows of the same application and a range of intense background tasks. LiDAR allows the iPad Pro to measure the distance to surrounding objects up to five meters away, operating at the photon level at nano-second speed.
This makes the iPad Pro capable of a “new class” of improved AR experiences with better motion capture, understanding of the environment, and people occlusion. If you use your iPad for consuming lots of music and videos with the built-in speakers, the iPad Pro will deliver a slightly better experience.
The iPad Pro betters the wireless connectivity specifications of the iPad Air with Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and mmWave 5G in the United States. Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5, and sub-6GHz 5G on the iPad Air will realistically be sufficient for most users, but if you have distinct needs for better specifications in this area, such as a high-speed 5G cellular connection in the United States, the iPad Pro could be a more worthwhile choice.
As well as being considerably faster, Thunderbolt opens up the potential for compatibility with a much broader range of Thunderbolt-only accessories such as external hard drives and monitors. Apple Pencil hover is a new, iPad Pro-exclusive feature that allows for cursor-like interaction when the Apple Pencil is brought close to the screen. This iPad has a 10.9-inch display, the A14 Bionic chip, 4GB of memory, Center Stage, and is compatible with accessories such as the Magic Keyboard Folio and the first-generation Apple Pencil. For most people, the additional $200+ needed to buy the iPad Pro will not be justified to get the likes of Face ID, a more versatile rear camera system, four-speaker audio, a ProMotion display with refresh rates up to 120Hz, and Apple Pencil hover.
Professionals who have a clear use case for needing larger amounts of RAM and storage, Thunderbolt connectivity, and mini-LED for HDR content will benefit from buying the iPad Pro. Prosumers will also enjoy features such as 120Hz ProMotion for smoother scrolling and gaming, deeper blacks and more vivid colors with the mini-LED display, and LiDAR for AR experiences, even if they are not necessary, and those who want a larger 12.9-inch display for content consumption or better multitasking will similarly need to go with the higher-end iPad Pro model.
Prosumers and professionals who want the iPad to replace their laptop or computer should likely choose the 12.9-inch iPad Pro if they are pairing it with the Magic Keyboard due to the added screen space for multiple applications. With the iPad Air, users can get an all-screen design, the M1 chip, practical features like USB-C and 5G connectivity, and compatibility with the core Apple accessories.
iPad Pro vs iPad Air: What do you get or give up?
But now you’ve got the option to get the latest with an M2 chip or save some money with the previous M1 iPad Pro. However, the vast majority of users will likely find the iPad Air with an M1 and 8GB RAM to be more than powerful enough for years to come. Thunderbolt and 16GB RAM with the iPad Pro will likely only be tempting for professionals or those who aren’t price-sensitive.
With the iPad Air screen, you’re getting a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone and P3 wide color. 11″ M2 iPad Pro 11″ M1 iPad Pro M1 iPad Air Display 11″ 11″ 10.9″ Resolution 2388 x 1668 2388 x 1668 2360 x 1640 PPI (pixels per inch) 264 264 264 Display brightness 600 nits 600 nits 500 nits True Tone ✅ ✅ ✅ P3 wide color ✅ ✅ ✅ ProMotion (120Hz) ✅ ✅ ❌ Anti-reflective coating ✅ ✅ ✅ Liquid Retina Display ✅ ✅ ✅ Apple Pencil Hover ✅ ❌ ❌ Two other small upgrades with the M2 iPad Pro are Bluetooth 5.3 and WiFi 6E support.
Like the iPhone SE 3, the iPad Air doesn’t get mmWave 5G support with its cellular models. However, with the iPad Pro, you’ve also got a 10MP ultra wide lens plus the LiDAR Scanner, and the True Tone flash.
The main difference is the M2 iPad Pro’s ability to shoot ProRes 4K video at up to 30 fps. 11″ M2 iPad Pro 11″ M1 iPad Pro 2022 iPad Air 12MP wide lens ✅ ✅ ✅ 10MP ultra wide lens ✅ ✅ ❌ Smart HDR 3 – ✅ ✅ Smart HDR 4 ✅ ❌ ❌ LiDAR ✅ ✅ ❌ 4K video ✅ ✅ ✅ ProRes video up to 4K 30 fps ✅ ❌ ❌ Extended dynamic range ✅ ✅ ✅ Slo-mo video ✅ ✅ ✅ Rear camera flash ✅ ✅ ❌ TrueDepth camera with Face ID ✅ ✅ ❌ Ultra wide 12MP front camera ✅ ✅ ✅ 2x optical zoom out ✅ ✅ ✅ Center Stage auto-tracking ✅ ✅ ✅ Stereo recording ✅ ✅ ❌
A couple of smaller differences – the iPad Pro front camera features support for Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting, and Animoji/Memoji while the iPad Air front camera does not. If you know you’ll often be pushing your tablet to the limit, the iPad Pro delivers the top-performing package with up to 16GB RAM and 2TB storage, 120Hz ProMotion display, Thunderbolt support, and the ability to capture ProRes 4K video, all powered by the new M2 chip.
Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (2022) vs. iPad Air (2022)
While some may chide Apple for its adherence to visual tradition, most users give a thumbs up to a familiar design that works well. Each year, new iPads fresh off the assembly line get loaded with technical improvements invisible to the eye, but obvious in the hand.
iPad Pro 11-inch (2022) iPad Air (2022) Size 247.6 x 178.5 x 5.9mm (9.74 x 7.02 x 0.23 inches) 247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1mm (9.74 x 7.02 x 0.24 inches) Weight Wi-Fi: 466 grams (1.03 pounds) Wi-Fi + Cellular: 470 grams (1.04 pounds) Wi-Fi: 461 grams (1.02 pounds) Wi-Fi + Cellular: 462 grams (1.02 pounds) Screen size 11 inches 10.9 inches Screen resolution 2388 x 1668 pixels at 264 ppi 2360 x 1640 pixels at 264 ppi Operating system iPadOS 16 iPadOS 16 Storage space 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB 64GB, 256GB MicroSD card slot No No Tap-to-pay services No No Processor Apple M2 Apple M1 RAM 8GB/16GB RAM 8GB Camera Rear: 12-megapixel wide and 10MP ultrawide cameras Front: 12MP TrueDepth camera system with ultrawide Rear: 12MP wide camera Front: 12MP ultrawide front camera Video ProRes video recording up to 4K at 30 fps (1080p at 30 fps for 128GB capacity) 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps 1080p at 25/30/60 fps 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps 1080p at 25/30/60 fps Bluetooth version Bluetooth 5.3 Bluetooth 5.0 Ports USB-C supporting Thunderbolt/USB 4 port Smart Connector USB-C Smart Connector Fingerprint sensor No Yes Water resistance No No Battery TBC 28.6Wh App marketplace Apple App Store Apple App Store Network support All major carriers (cellular version only) All major carriers (cellular version only) Colors Silver, Space Gray Space Gray, Starlight, Pink, Purple, Blue Price $799 $599 Buy from Apple Apple Review score News 4.5 out of 5 stars It unlocks via Face ID and features 120Hz Pro Motion tech, which makes a huge difference between the two models.
The iPad Air 5th Gen sports a thin aluminum body, one camera lens on the back, and Touch ID embedded in the power button. Its pleasing rounded corners are comfortable, while the 10.9-inch LED-backlit screen with 2360 x 1640 pixel resolution is controlled by Apple’s True Tone color management system. Differing screen refresh rates separate the Pro model from the Air in terms of quality and user experience. The new iPad Pro 11 show stars Apple’s latest M2 chip, featuring an eight-core CPU and a 10-core GPU.
The built-in Neural Engine is designed to be 40% faster than previous models to expedite machine learning and provide 50% more memory bandwidth.
Pro-level users can depend on the M2 chip to facilitate creation of 3D designs, AR models, and accelerated gameplay. In terms of performance, both are admirable, but as we mentioned earlier, the ProMotion 120Hz screen refresh rate offers a better and more efficient overall tablet experience. Apple provides a 20-watt charging block and a USB Type-C cable in the iPad Air 5th Gen box, which works well but not quickly, taking 2 hours and 20 minutes to reach 100%.
The new iPad Pro 11-inch model features a stellar two-camera system with 12-megapixel wide and 10MP ultrawide cameras, the same as last year, except they have fresh upgrades. Apple traditionally offers great long-term software support so your tablet should stay current for at least four years, and probably much longer than that.
Since both tablets arrived in the same year, you can expect both to get around the same number of updates in the future, so that shouldn’t be top of your list separating the two.
When you hover your Apple Pencil above the iPad Pro, it will be detected, and show a preview of where your stylus is going to touch the screen, adding a new level of precision.
In addition to the new M2 chipset, the new iPad Pro features a 120Hz ProMotion Liquid Retina screen, improved Apple Pencil support, Wi-Fi 6E support, Thunderbolt 4, a lidar camera, and multiple mics that put it into a more advanced category than the iPad Air — though both are only so-so performers in the battery department. It’s an enormously powerful tablet with a thin attractive design that will suit most professionals, students, and casual users and even act as a laptop substitute in most situations.
Apple iPad Pro vs MacBook Air: Which should you buy?
Both the iPad Pro and MacBook Air are excellent productivity companions, but if you need a new device for more than checking emails, one will suit your needs better than the other. If you want the iPad Pro to double as a laptop, you’ll need to buy a keyboard. The 11-inch iPad Pro’s base model comes with 8GB RAM, 128GB of storage, and no cellular connectivity for $799. If you add Apple’s Magic Keyboard ($299), the total comes to $1,098, or the same cost of a 13-inch MacBook Air.
Doubling the SSD storage from 128GB to 256GB adds another $100 regardless of whether you opt for the 11-inch or 12.9-inch model—and the starting price ensures you will spend the same amount on this iPad Pro as a MacBook Air 13 M2 without a keyboard. There are a lot of ways to configure both devices, but the MacBook Air removes the headache of finding a reasonably-priced keyboard, and you get more for your money when it comes to storage.
After the form factor, the major difference between the iPad Pro and MacBook Air is the operating system. This means you can charge your laptop and plug in another device, like a flash drive, at the same time. Both devices have Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0, but the iPad Pro is the only one you can take with you to the park and play Doom in the cloud over a 4G or 5G connection. But if you want the cheapest option possible, then you’re stuck with an 11-inch display with a less powerful OS for the same price as a 13-inch MacBook Air M2. The Retina LED-backlit display supports up to a 2560 x 1664 resolution with a max 500 nits brightness. Like both iPad Pro models, its display has a wide color gamut (P3) and True Tone technology, but that’s where the similarities end.
Both iPad Pro models have True Tone displays with a wide color gamut (P3) and 600 nits max brightness (non-HDR content). The 12.9-inch iPad Pro also has a 2D backlighting system with 2596 full-array local dimming zones, so contrast and colors really pop. If you were considering getting the iPad Pro as a laptop replacement but were concerned about the battery life, you get more for your money with the MacBook Air.
Along with better battery life, more ports, and a more robust OS, the MacBook Air boasts a better value than the iPad Pro; it already has everything you could possibly need.
But if you absolutely must have a touch-screen device, the iPad Pro is still a great, reliable machine.
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