iPad Air vs iPad Pro: Which One is Better?

Meta Description: Whether you’re a student or a professional creative, discover the tablet that best suits your lifestyle in this article.

iPad Air vs iPad Pro: Which One is Better?

It’s not always a straightforward decision when it comes to choosing between the iPad Air and the iPad Pro. Both tablets have Apple’s design philosophy and smoothly integrate into their ecosystem, complemented by impressive features that make them top contenders in today’s tablet market.

Follow along as we break down both devices in terms of display, performance, and value to help you choose the best one for you. Not only that, a special device built for artists is waiting at the end.

iPad Air vs iPad Pro

With Apple consistently upgrading both models, figuring out which one fits you best can prove to be a challenge. They may look and feel similar: sleek design, extraordinary performance, and access to the same iPadOS ecosystem. However, if we take a closer look, the iPad Air and iPad Pro have specifications that are tailored for different users.

The iPad Air might seem like the option that’s “just right” as it offers an impressive battery life for buyers on a budget, making it the ideal choice for students or anyone looking for a tablet with balanced performance and value. It can handle everyday tasks like taking notes, streaming shows, and creative work with ease.

The iPad Pro, on the other hand, is recognized as Apple’s most advanced tablet. It’s designed for those who like to push their devices to their limits. Whether you’re a creative professional, a gamer, or a power-intensive user who relies on smooth multitasking, 4K video production, and digital art, the iPad Pro is your choice.

The iPad Air strikes a balance between power and affordability for users, while the iPad Pro is designed for professionals who can’t compromise on top-tier performance and results.

Let’s discuss their features further and explore what sets them apart from one another.

Display & Camera

Comparing the iPad Air and iPad Pro, the display and camera are two areas where the moniker “Pro” truly stands out. The iPad Air is fitted with a Liquid Retina display, an advanced LCD panel with LED backlighting. It has decent brightness, reaching up to 600 nits on the 13-inch model with a standard 60Hz refresh rate. It delivers a smooth experience with tasks like browsing and streaming.

The iPad Pro, on the other hand, leaps forward with its Ultra Retina XDR display, featuring a Tandem OLED panel. With this cutting-edge technology, the iPad Pro’s display delivers powerful contrast with sharper colors, and a display that peaks at 1600 nits for HDR content and 1000 nits for standard use.

More importantly, the iPad Pro has ProMotion technology, which allows the display to scale its refresh rate from 10Hz to 120Hz. This leads to a smoother scrolling, gaming, and drawing experience. Accessories like the Apple Pencil complete your artistic needs, making it easier for creatives and artists to sketch and design with precision.

For cameras, both iPads have a 12MP rear camera, which can capture sharp images and 4K videos. They both have a 12MP landscape-oriented front-facing camera with Center Stage for smooth video calls. However, the iPad Pro stands out with the inclusion of a LiDAR scanner on its rear camera module.

This deep technology uses light pulses to measure depth, which enhances its autofocus even in low light and enables advanced Augmented Reality (AR) applications. For instance, it can accurately map rooms or place virtual objects within your physical environment with precision.

The iPad Pro can also record videos in native ProRes capture, a high-quality format preferred by video and photography professionals, which is another standout feature that’s not available on the iPad Air. Essentially, the iPad Air’s display and camera are reasonable for general use, but the iPad Pro is specifically tailored for professionals.

Performance & Chipset

When it comes to the iPad Air vs. iPad Pro’s performance and chipset, the target users of each become quite clear. The iPad Air has Apple’s M3 chip, a powerful and capable processor that handles day-to-day tasks, including web browsing or streaming shows, to more demanding activities like photo editing and multitasking. It provides a smooth and responsive experience, which makes it ideal for students and even casual users.

The iPad Pro, however, has the latest M4 chip with a next-generation processor, tailored specifically for professionals and users who like to push boundaries of tablet computing. The M4 chip offers a highly significant performance gain over the M3, especially in graphics-intensive applications. You can perform tasks like 4K video editing, 3D rendering, and high-end gaming with ease.

Furthermore, the iPad Pro models (1TB and 2TB) come with an enhanced M4 chip that features an additional performance core and double the RAM, 16GB, which provides an extra boost for the most intense workflows. These features make the iPad Pro a solid choice for professionals who rely heavily on processing power and graphics for their work.

Storage & Memory

Both the iPad Air and iPad Pro offer a generous amount of storage, but their tiers and memory options are designed for different types of users. The iPad Air’s storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 1TB, which is a huge improvement compared to its previous models. For most people, 128 GB or 256GB is a good standard, including apps, photos, and streaming, while 512GB or 1TB is ideal for heavier users like downloading movies and storing larger files.

The iPad Pro is built for professionals, and it goes all the way up to 2TB. Professionals can use this storage for their massive projects like 4K video editing, 3D models, and complex graphics. When it comes to the iPad Air, it offers 8GB of RAM across all versions, ideal for multitasking and standard use.

The iPad Pro, however, comes with 8GB of RAM, while the high-end 1TB and 2TB models double that to 16GB. This extra memory is crucial for those who like pushing a device to its limits while juggling multiple apps, editing large video timelines, and performing other heavy tasks.

Battery Life & Accessory Support

When it comes to the iPad Air vs. iPad Pro’s support, both offer an excellent battery life, which lasts up to 10 hours of web browsing and video playback over the internet. While Apple rates them the same, some real-time tests show that the iPad Pro’s battery lasts slightly longer than the iPad Air's. For both, charging is handled through USB Type-C, but the Pro has the edge with Thunderbolt 3 and USB 4 support. This allows super-fast data transfer speeds up to 40Gbps, compared to the Air’s 10Gbps, making the Pro more capable for professional setups with external monitors and storage drives.

Regarding accessories, the iPad Air and iPad Pro can be bought with an Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C) that attach magnetically and charge magnetically. They also support their respective versions of Magic Keyboard that transform them into laptop-like setups with a trackpad. However, the iPad Pro’s Magic Keyboard feels more premium due to its aluminium build, a bigger trackpad, and haptic feedback for a more realistic typing experience.

Price & Value

Choosing between the iPad Air and iPad Pro often comes down to budget and whether the high cost justifies your purchase or not. The iPad Air comes in different models. It starts at a more affordable price point of $599 for the 11-inch model and $799 for the 13-inch model with 128GB of storage.

It has incredible benefits and adds value by providing a powerful M3 chip, a decent Liquid Retina display, and pairs perfectly with accessories like the Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard. Most users, including students, use the iPad for casual tasks, creative hobbies, or occasional professional tasks. It’s a great starting point if you’re looking to enter creative fields like video editing, photo rendering, and even content creation.

The iPad Pro, while boasting higher capabilities, demands a higher budget of $999 for the 11-inch model and $1,299 for the 13-inch model with 256 GB of storage. The cost is backed up with a premium experience, featuring the superior Ultra Retina XDR display with ProMotion, the powerful M4 chip, and options with a 2 TB of storage.

It’s perfect for professionals in creative fields, like video editors and graphic designers, who require more storage, the best features, and high-quality performance for their workflows. For those who can leverage these advanced capabilities, the iPad Pro’s higher price is easily justified as an investment in tools that can enhance your productivity and lead to incredible results.

Comparison Table

Front: 12 MP, Ultra Wide with Center Stage | Ultra Retina XDR (Tandem OLED), 10-120 Hz up to 1600 nits Rear: 12MP Wide, LiDAR Scanner, HDR 4, 4K video, video recording up to 4K at 30fps Front: 12 MP, Ultra Wide, Portrait Mode | | Performance & Chipset | M3 chip, 8-core CPU, 9-core GPU, 8GB RAM | M4 chip, 10-core CPU/GPU (1TB/2TB models), 8GB or 16GB RAM, ray tracing, strong Neural Engine | | Storage & Memory | 128GB–1TB, 8GB RAM on all models | 256GB–2TB, 8GB (256/512GB) or 16GB(1TB/2TB) | | Battery Life & Accessory Support | 10 hrs Wi-Fi use, USB-C (10Gbps) Pencil Pro/USB-C, Magic Keyboard | 10 hrs Wi-Fi use, Thunderbolt/USB-4 (40Gbps), Pencil Pro/USB-C, Magic Keyboard | | Price & Value | $599-$799 | $999-$1,299 |

Buying Guide for iPad Air and iPad Pro

The decision between the iPad Air vs. iPad Pro ultimately comes down to a careful consideration of what you need, your field of work, and your budget. With these factors in mind, landing on a decision will become easier.

The iPad Air gives you the best bang for your buck. It has balanced features that make it the most reliable and wallet-friendly tablet out there. If you’re a student or a casual user, the M3 chip inside the iPad Air is perfect for your research, writing, streaming, and gaming. The Air is also highly portable and easy to use, making it perfect to keep with you at all times.

Choose the iPad Pro if you’re a creative person who needs powerful performance. The Ultra Retina XDR screen with 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate delivers superior colors, accuracy, and experiences that are a must-have for creatives.

Below you can find a comprehensive table to see which one is for you.

The iPad Air and iPad Pro Alternative - XPPen Magic Drawing Pad

If you’re someone who’s overwhelmed by Apple’s pricey ecosystem or want to have an even more versatile device, the XPPen Magic Drawing Pad is the best choice when it comes to creative and general tasks.

It’s a standalone Android tablet that frees artists from needing a computer and features a drawing-optimized X-Paper display. The screen is textured, which makes you feel like you’re drawing and writing on actual paper, providing you with a more natural tactile experience. It also includes the X3 Pro Stylus with 16K pressure sensitivity.

Why Choose the XPPen Magic Drawing Pad

The XPPen Magic Drawing Pad is a solid choice for creatives as it offers great value compared to iPads. It’s much more affordable and comes with the essentials: a stylus, extra nibs, and drawing gloves, unlike the iPad, where the Apple Pencil is sold separately. It’s designed especially for drawing, and it has an X-Paper screen that feels like paper, which makes you feel like you’re drawing in real-time.

The X3 Pro Stylus also delivers 16,384 pressure levels for detailed line work, and it never requires charging. Plus, since it runs on Android, it works as a standalone device with apps like ibis Paint X, Krita, and Clip Studio Paint. With EMR Technology, not only is it the best from a value standpoint, but it also backs up its reputation with exceptional performance.

Conclusion

In the end, the best decision comes down to your needs. If you want a lightweight and affordable tablet that packs plenty of power, the iPad Air is for you. However, if you need more power, more storage, and a professional tablet to carry, the iPad Pro is your choice.

And if you need versatility and a device that puts artists first, you can simply opt for the XPPen Magic Drawing Pad, which comes with all the essential features you need to carry your creative work with good performance, accessories, and features.