Comparing the iPad Pro 2020 vs MacBook Air 2020 may seem odd but it actually makes a lot of sense. And if you don’t need all the bells and whistles added in the 2021 and 2022 models, the iPad Pro 2020 paired with a Magic Keyboard offers a decent laptop-like experience — complete with a trackpad. Disclaimer We’re in the process of updating this post with the latest iPad Pro and MacBook Air models. The iPad Pro also offers a Wi-Fi + Cellular option that adds built-in LTE connectivity, something the MacBook Air doesn’t have.
When it comes to resolution, the iPad Pro’s display is sharper at 2732 x 2048 pixels, compared to 2560 x 1600 for the MacBook Air. The iPad Pro also pulled ahead in terms of the sRGB color gamut (122% vs 114%), so you should expect more vivid hues from Apple’s tablet.
The iPad Pro’s optional Magic Keyboard uses the same scissor mechanism as the MacBook Air and offers the same 1mm of travel, and provides a similarly pleasant typing experience. The iPad Pro attaches magnetically to the Magic Keyboard’s floating cantilever design, allowing you to adjust the display’s angle up to 130 degrees.
The iPad Pro runs iPadOS, which is a touch-first operating system that now supports cursor input across the OS.
iPadOS continues to support multitasking features like Slide Over (running apps on top of others) and Split View (running two apps side by side), and the customizable Today Screen gives you helpful widgets to stay on top of your day. You also have a lot more choice in terms of software and what you can download on macOS, whether you choose to go through the Mac App Store or the web. The iPad Pro can also record 4K video up to 60 frames per second, something the MacBook Air can’t do.
The iPad Pro also has a front 7MP TrueDepth camera for selfies and quickly unlocking the devices with face recognition. And, unlike the MacBook Air, the iPad Pro features a LiDAR scanner that dramatically improves the performance in augmented reality apps.
Unfortunately, the MacBook Air only features a low-res 720p camera for video chats, though it uses some machine learning smarts to improve the quality of your stream. And you can’t use your face to log in; instead, there’s a Touch ID button on the keyboard deck.
Again, though, when talking special features, the ability to run iPhone and iPad apps on the MacBook mean the Air can’t be cast aside easily. On our battery test, which involves continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of screen brightness, the iPad Pro lasted a very good 10 hours and 16 minutes.
Swipe to scroll horizontally Row 0 – Cell 0 iPad Pro MacBook Air Price and Value (20) 13 18 Display (20) 19 15 Keyboard and touchpad (10) 8 9 Ports (10) 7 8 Performance (10) 10 8 Software (10) 6 10 Camera and Special Features (10) 9 7 Battery Life (20) 13 20 Total 85 95 But after comparing this tablet and laptop in multiple categories it’s clear where these devices excel — and where they don’t.
The iPad Pro is the better option for those who want to travel light and who want a touch-first experience with a superior display. But that being said, the MacBook Air has pulled ahead of the iPad Pro when it comes to sheer speed and battery life.
MacBook Air vs. iPad Pro: Which is right for you?
While iPadOS 14 and the Magic Keyboard make the iPad Pro more of a laptop than ever before (and its A12Z chip is pretty speedy too), Apple’s redefined the iconic MacBook Air in ways nobody expected. So, we’ve decided to do what we do best: pit these devices against each other in a MacBook Air vs iPad Pro showdown, to see which should be your next computer.
That hasn’t stopped plenty of people I know, including a friend who is a video producer and podcaster, from thinking the iPad Pro is their next main computer. Conversely, the iPad Pro’s 0.2-inch bezels (on all sides) give it a look that feels more modern, and one we hope the MacBook Airs of the future learn from.
The iPad Pro also has that flat-edge design that Apple’s brought back into its iPhone 12 lineup, which looks pretty nice. Similarly, the iPad Pro weighs 1.4 pounds — which is half of the 2.8-pound MacBook Air’s weight.
Until, that is, you add the Magic Keyboard, which brings it to 3 pounds — making it heavier than the MacBook Air. And that’s great for those who are able to make an Apple Pencil sing, but those of us who want a typing experience may prefer the Air, since you’re still gonna need something of a stand or base to use the iPad Pro.
The iPad Pro may have its drawbacks on design when you dock the Magic Keyboard, but its screen is the superior display in every way.
Both offer True Tone white balance, but only the iPad has the 120 Hz ProMotion display refresh rate, which enables everything on your screen to move more smoothly and look that much nicer. Hilariously, Apple’s given the same name for both the MacBook Air and iPad Pro’s typing interface: the Magic Keyboard. For starters, the iPad Pro Magic Keyboard doesn’t come included — it’s a $349 optional accessory.
And then there’s the Apple Pencil (also an optional accessory, which costs $129), which only works on the iPad Pro and not the MacBook Air. On that test, the iPad Pro posted a solid score of 4,635, which the MacBook Air leaps over with its 5,925.
A more drastic win shows up in the GFXBench Metal Aztec Ruins graphics test, which did not run on the iPad Pro. On the Tom’s Guide battery test (web surfing at 150 nits of brightness) the MacBook Air posted an epic time of 14 hours and 41 minutes, while the iPad Pro hit empty at 10:16.
And while the MacBook Air can run iPhone and iPad apps, they’re not all going to be written for the Mac. Also, some video streaming programs cannot run in full-screen, which feels like a mistake made by app makers, that should be corrected soon.
And there you have it, Apple Silicon and the M1 chip give the MacBook Air a lot of the performance, endurance and even versatility it needed to keep the iPad Pro at bay.
MacRumors Buyer’s Guide: Know When to Buy iPhone, Mac, iPad
This page provides a product summary for each Apple model. The intent is to provide our best recommendations regarding current product cycles, and to provide a summary of currently available rumors for each model.
This page is based on rumors and speculation and we provide no guarantee to its accuracy.
Use iPad as a second display
With Sidecar, you can use your iPad as a display that extends or mirrors your Mac desktop. Before continuing, make sure that your Mac and iPad meet the Sidecar system requirements, including that each is signed with the same Apple ID.
If you want your keyboard, mouse, or trackpad to control your Mac and iPad, with the iPad showing its own Home Screen and apps rather than the desktop and apps of your Mac, use Universal Control instead. If you want your iPad to mirror your Mac screen instead of extending its desktop:
The sidebar puts commonly used Mac controls on the side of your iPad screen. Tap to show or hide the menu bar when viewing a window in full screen on iPad.
To point, click, select, and perform tasks such as drawing, editing photos, and manipulating objects on your iPad while it’s extending or mirroring your Mac display, you can use your Apple Pencil instead of the mouse or trackpad connected to your Mac. You can also use it to write, sketch, and mark up documents while seeing the updates live on your Mac. Many apps on Mac have Touch Bar controls that make common actions even easier. macOS Ventura or later: Choose Apple menu > System Settings, click Desktop & Dock in the sidebar, then scroll down on the right and turn on “Displays have separate Spaces”. Earlier versions of macOS: Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Mission Control, then make sure that “Displays have separate Spaces” is selected. macOS Ventura or later: Choose Apple menu > System Settings, click Displays in the sidebar, then click your iPad at the top of the window.
macOS Monterey: Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Displays. Earlier versions of macOS: Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Sidecar. Enable double tap on Apple Pencil: Allow apps that support this feature to perform custom actions when you double-tap on the side of your Apple Pencil (2nd generation). In earlier macOS versions, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Dock & Menu Bar, then click Screen Mirroring in the sidebar.
Best iPad Deals: Up to $100 in Savings on Apple’s Tablets
The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is over, but you can still save on some of the best tablets money can buy: iPads. While these tablets are top-rated, they can also cost top dollar, which is why we’re tracking the best deals available right now. Walmart 10.9-inch, 10th-gen iPad (64GB): $349 Save $100 Apple’s newest iPad has a faster processor, a better landscape-centered camera for video chats, a larger screen, and USB-C charging.
You can grab the baseline 64GB model in blue, pink or silver at Best Buy for $349, saving you $100.
If you want a bit more space, the 256GB is also on sale in yellow, pink, silver or blue for $499, a $100 savings.
Why 2024 could be a huge year for the iPad
A new year has begun, and, inevitably, there’s speculation about what the major tech companies will deliver. These were also a little unusual in that there was no pre-launch event to announce the devices, Apple simply dropped them in its store. Since then, the only iPad-related release in past year has been the new, and initially confusing Apple Pencil with USB-C. The current range of iPads offers almost too much choice, and the Pros provide as much power as most people could need from a tablet.
That might all be a strategy intended to lead more people to ultimately opt for a Pro, but it makes it hard to know what to recommend for whom. The Apple analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, has suggested that new iPad Pro models will arrive early in the year and will boast a range of new features, including that long-awaited OLED display. Other rumoured specs include an upgrade to the M3 chip, and an improved Magic Keyboard accessory, with a more premium aluminium design. It’s also a device that Apple thinks could define the future of computing, but it hasn’t lost interest in tablets.
iPads remain in demand and continue to lead the market (see the best prices on the current lineup below – also see our guide to the best Apple deals).
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Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (Intel) review: this is the one to buy
For those who don’t obsessively keep track of Microsoft’s internal component choices (first of all, shame on you), the new Surface Pro 9 has two distinct models, which make for two very different devices. That doesn’t mean there’s no case to be made for the Qualcomm Pro 9, which has 5G, a smart webcam, and a few fancy features that you won’t find on the Core i7 model. 7 Verge Score Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (Intel) $ 999.99 The Good Neat colors and top-notch hardware If you go for the Intel Core i7 model, you can also choose graphite (black), forest (green), or sapphire (blue). Technically, the cheapest Core i7 model of the Pro 9 is priced identically to an equivalently specced SQ3 ($1,599 for 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage). My test configuration with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage is $1,599.99, but it’s going to cost you $1,879.98 unless you really just want the tablet, which, unless you already have a keyboard from a prior Surface Pro, you don’t.)
You get the same detachable keyboard (quite sturdy to type on, touchpad is a bit small) and the same 2880 x 1920 120Hz display (quite smooth, no complaints). The Intel Pro’s camera is still perfectly fine, delivering an accurate and detailed picture, but it doesn’t have quite the same video conferencing experience.
The NPU gives the Arm device some microphone features as well, including one that filters out background noise while you’re on video calls. Speaking of video conferencing, both Pro 9 units have surprisingly capable speakers, with audible bass and strong percussion.
Oh, and the Qualcomm model has 5G — which appears, from my testing, to be low-bandwidth 5G that gets closer to LTE speeds, at least in The Verge’s Manhattan office. All of my work, including Google Docs, photo editing, drawing, document markup, entertainment, research in Chrome, and Zoom calling was completely fine.
During my testing process, even while on video calls, I never felt any significant heat or heard the fan (which the Intel Pro 9 does have). While the Windows on Arm experience has certainly improved since the days of the glitch-ridden Surface Pro X, I still had a frustrating time working on apps that were running through Microsoft’s emulation layer (which included Chrome and Slack). You can check out our SQ3 review for the full rundown of my experience, but the difference between SQ3 and Intel in software like Slack, Chrome, and other programs that don’t run natively on Arm is night and day. Agree to Continue: Microsoft Surface Pro 9 The mandatory policies, for which agreement is required to use the laptop, are: Microsoft Software License terms (Windows Operating System) and Manufacturer’s Limited Hardware Warranty and Agreement In addition, there are a bunch of optional things to agree to: Privacy settings including location, Find My Device, diagnostic data, inking and typing, tailored experiences, advertising ID
Sign up for an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate free trial That’s two mandatory agreements and eight optional ones. (The Intel model also charged faster with the included 65W Surface Connector, reaching 60 percent in just over 51 minutes.
There’s a lot to make the people around you “ooh” and “aah.” The latter is, to throw around a phrase other reviewers love to critically use, and that I really hate, an “incremental upgrade.” It’s not the machine anyone was particularly excited about. The legitimately cool conferencing features, the uniquely portable form factor, the standout battery life, and the cellular support could make an excellent travel companion for a working professional.
To compare the Surface Pro’s price to those of competing laptops is to venture into somewhat dangerous territory.
While the detachable form factor is becoming more common across the laptop space, there are still few convertible models as tried and true as the Surface — and fewer still with an accessory ecosystem as excellent as the one Microsoft provides.
If the Microsoft hardware and branding are largely what draw you to the Pro (and those are legitimate things to be after, to be sure), the Surface Laptop 5 will provide this same processor, same RAM, a decent color selection, and twice the storage for $179.99 less than our test model (and the base Surface Laptop 5 is $279.99 less than the cheapest Pro 9 model, also for twice the storage).
Apple Vision Pro will launch in February — $3,499 for 256GB storage
The company announced that the headset will launch on February 2 in the U.S., with pre-orders opening on January 19 at 5 a.m. PST / 8 a.m. EST. That suggests the other band goes both over and behind the head, which some early preview users had discussed but hasn’t been pictured. The package also features a protective cover for the front of the headset, a light seal with two cushions, a polishing cloth, an external battery, a USB Type-C charging cable, and a power adapter. The Vision Pro has a Digital Crown, similar to the Apple Watch, that will let users move between AR and VR environments.
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