Apple’s iPad lineup becomes more cluttered and confusing than ever after the release of the 10th-generation iPad that looks exactly like the fifth-generation iPad Air, but uses some older hardware for an affordable price tag. more affordable. As for the latest iPad Air, it’s a very good tablet. It’s good, in fact, it gave me a hint of buyer’s remorse for paying $2,000 for my 2021 iPad Pro. More recently, Apple upgraded the iPad Pro, including a slightly faster M2 processor and a fancy new Apple Pencil feature. With the iPad Air and iPad Pro so much in common, it’s only natural to question which one is right for you.
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Even with the recent iPad Pro refresh, there are a lot of similarities between the two tablets. Both:
- Running iPadOS 16 with full Stage Manger support and an external monitor (in iPadOS 16.2)
- Has a USB-C port for charging and data transfer
- Same screen size as the smaller iPad Pro
- Come to the Center Stage feature of the FaceTime camera.
- Works with Apple’s 2nd Gen Apple Pencil
With so many common features, there must be differences to justify the price difference between iPad Air $599, 11-inch iPad Pro for $799 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro for $1,099, the right? Right! Let’s take a closer look.
iPad Pro vs. Air iPad
| specifications | iPadPro | Air iPad |
|---|---|---|
| microprocessor | Apple M2 | Apple M1 |
| Display | 11 inches/12.9 inches | 10.9 inches |
| Memory | Up to 16GB | 8GB |
| Warehouse | Up to 2TB | Up to 256GB |
| Front camera | 12MP Ultra-Wide Real Depth | 12MP super wide |
| Rear camera | 12MP Wide, 10MP Super Wide | 12MP . Wide |
| Battery | 10 o’clock | 10 o’clock |
| biometrics | Face ID | Touch ID |
| connection | Thunderbolt 4, 5G, Wi-Fi | USB-C, 5G, Wi-Fi |
| Color | Space Gray, Silver | Space gray, starlight, pink, purple, blue |
| starting price | $799/$1,099 | $599 |
Warehouse
The iPad Air has only two storage options. The base model is 64GB, with an upgrade option of 256GB. I think most users will find that 64GB is not enough space to store apps, games, videos and photos in 2022 when all of that just increases in size.
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Both iPad Pro models are available in the same memory allocation. You can choose between 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB storage capacities.
The amount of storage you need is based on how you use or plan to use your iPad. But with the iPad Air, you’re almost forced to buy the 256GB option for $749, which is very close to the $799 starting price of the 11-inch iPad Pro.
Memory
The amount of storage in iPad determines when apps are put to sleep in the background or how often you have to refresh a Safari tab after it hasn’t been used for an extended period of time.
In addition, with the advent of Stage manager and multi-window multitasking experience in iPadOS 16, memory matters even more. Additionally, both iPad models will also feature improved external display support — and indeed — after iPadOS 16.2 launches (probably in December), allowing you to get the most out of your iPad. eight applications at the same time and the importance of more memory becomes clearer.
Apple rarely talks about the amount of storage in its iPad lineup, except for the 2021 and 2022 iPad Pro. You can choose between an iPad Pro with 8GB or 16GB of memory, but that decision is also based on the amount of storage you purchase. . If you want 8GB of memory, choose storage below 512GB. Anything beyond that mark will come with 16GB of memory.
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For the iPad Air, you only have one option: 8GB of storage.
Personally, I see a marked difference between the iPad Pro with 16GB of memory and other iPads with less memory. For me, the most important thing is that apps will run in the background longer. However, I bet 8GB is usually more than enough for most users.
Just to be clear, I haven’t used an 8GB iPad Air (or iPad Pro) since iPadOS 16 and Stage Manager were released. There were other fundamental performance improvements Apple made to memory usage in the update that could have positively impacted the experience. Additionally, Apple has been very purposeful about which iPads will get Stage Manager features and which iPads won’t. iPad Air has always been on the list of iPad models to receive Stage Manager and external display support, so the team had to be confident in the overall experience, even at 8GB.
Display
The difference in display technology between the Air and the Pro is significant, but only if you’re interested in having a really good screen or a really, really good one. In other words — you probably won’t notice much of a difference between the two.
The iPad Pro series features faster refresh rates of up to 120Hz (known as ProMotion), higher peak brightness levels, and the larger iPad Pro uses mini LED technology for a better picture that Apple calls the display. Liquid Retina XDR image.
The smaller iPad Pro has an 11-inch Liquid Retina Display with 2388×1668 resolution, with True Tone, ProMotion, and 600 nits of peak brightness.
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The larger iPad Pro has a 12.9-inch mini LED display with 2,596 full-array local dimming zones, 2732×2048 resolution, ProMotion, True Tone, maximum SDR brightness of 600 nits, maximum XDR brightness of 1,000 nits for full screen or 1,600 nits peak for HDR content.
The iPad Air’s Liquid Retina display measures 10.9 inches and is an LED panel. It has a 2360×1640 resolution, True Tone support, and a total brightness of 500nit.
USB-C port
If you know anything about USB-C ports, you know as a general rule that not all USB-C ports are created equal. There are so many different standards for a connection that I have a hard time keeping up with them all — and it’s my job to do just that.
For the iPad Air, Apple added USB 3.1 Gen 2 to the USB-C port. That means you’ll see speeds of up to 10Gbps when transferring files, or you can connect your iPad Air to an external display that supports resolutions up to 6K.
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The iPad Pro deal also has a USB-C port but supports Thunderbolt and USB 4. That means you get speeds of up to 40Gbps while transferring files (thanks to USB 4) and support for the same 6K resolution when connected to an external display.
If you make a lot of file transfers between your iPad Pro and external storage or the camera, you’ll benefit from newer USB connection technology. Honestly, though, the iPad Air’s speed isn’t a problem-solver.
5G . connection
Another area where the iPad Air line differs from the iPad Pro is when it comes to the type of 5G connectivity it supports. Both iPad Pro tablets support 5G’s Sub6 and mmWave technology, while the iPad Air only supports Sub6.
For the average person, the lack of mmWave on the iPad Air shouldn’t be a problem.
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The Sub6 5G network is only slightly faster than current LTE networks, with lower latency and more bandwidth for more users, while mmWave 5G technology will give you the network speeds you see in advertising. reports up to 2Gbps. However, those speeds are only achieved under very specific conditions.
Don’t base your iPad purchase decision on the flavor of 5G the iPad supports.
Finally, the price
Price is one of the biggest differences between the three models. The iPad Air is priced somewhere between the basic iPad and iPad Pro, so it makes sense for it to become the iPad of choice for people who want a tablet for more than just watching Netflix and browsing the web.
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Here’s a breakdown of prices for the iPad Air and both sizes of the iPad Pro. However, keep in mind that all three iPads work with Apple Pencil Second Generation $129and have keyboard options Prices range from $299 for the iPad Air and 11-inch iPad Pro, to $329 for the larger iPad Pro. Those accessories increase the overall price of your investment in Apple tablets, should you ever need them.
Price comparing
| Air iPad | iPad Pro 11 inch | iPad Pro 12.9 inch | |
| Only wifi | |||
| 64GB | $599 | do not apply | do not apply |
| 128GB | do not apply | $799 | $1,099 |
| 256GB | $749 | $899 | $1,199 |
| 512GB | do not apply | $1,099 | $1,399 |
| 1TB | do not apply | $1,499 | $1,799 |
| 2TB | do not apply | $1,899 | $2,199 |
| Mobile | |||
| 64GB | $749 | do not apply | do not apply |
| 128GB | do not apply | $999 | $1,299 |
| 256GB | $899 | $1,099 | $1,399 |
| 512GB | do not apply | $1,299 | $1,599 |
| 1TB | do not apply | $1,699 | $1,999 |
| 2TB | do not apply | $2,099 | $2,399 |
If you max out an iPad Air with all the accessories, the total cost will be roughly the same as the base 11-inch iPad Pro model, without any accessories.
So then you’ll wonder if you want an iPad with a better display and faster USB-C connectivity, with more basic storage. For me, though Air iPad does everything I need from an Apple tablet, I don’t regret buying iPadPro. A year later, it’s still the best iPad I’ve ever owned.
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But for most people, the difference in screen and USB-C is something that won’t make or break the experience, and so the iPad Air is the best choice.
