iPad Pro Versus iPad Air: Read Before You Buy!

It is very hard to choose between Apple devices. With how expensive items are on the market today, it is so hard to commit to buying anything these days, especially electronics. It is also back to school time. The student discounts are coming out for students so this is the prime time to buy an Apple product.

This guide will compare:

1. Price
2. Design
3. Storage
4. Processors & Performance
5. Accessories & Compatibility

1. Price

Right off the bat, the price of the base model iPad Air is $200 cheaper than the base model iPad Pro. This also takes into consideration that the pro models start off with twice the amount of storage as the air.

2. Design

The screen size in the table shows that the iPad Air has a slightly smaller screen than the 11 inch iPad Pro, and this is because the bezels on the iPad Air are slightly thicker than those of the pro models. If you are worried about screen real estate, then the iPad Pro 12.9 inch should be the only way to go since there is little difference between the iPad Air and the iPad Pro 11 inch screens.

The camera on an iPad Pro is much better than the camera on an iPad Air, but this should not be the difference maker in what iPad you are going to buy unless your profession is photography or you really just want a device to take pictures and edit them. You will probably have your camera or phone on you.

The iPad Air and Pro models both use usb-c to charge. The speaker system is different with the pros compared to the air since the pros have 2 speakers on opposite sides of the device whereas the air only has 2 speakers, 1 on either side of the usb-c port at the bottom of the device.

Touch ID for the air on the power button is different from the face ID of the pro models. We are not wearing masks as much as we used to, but there are times when our faces are covered up and touch ID would be very helpful.

Color options are also more abundant with the iPad Air compared to the iPad Pro. The iPad Air 5 colors, space gray, pink, purple, blue, and starlight. The iPad Pro only has 2 colors, silver and space gray.

3. Storage

The iPad Air has 2 storage options, 64 gigs that is $549 with wifi and 256 gigs that is $699 with wifi as well.

The iPad Pro 11 inch and 12.9 inch both have the same storage options. The 11 inch iPad Pro costs $749 for 128 gigs, $849 for 256 gigs, $999 for 512 gigs, $1399 for 1 terabyte, and $1799 for 2 terabytes. The 12.9 inch iPad Pro costs $999 for 128 gigs, $1099 for 256 gigs, $1299 for 512 gigs, $1699 for 1 terabyte, and $2099 for 2 terabytes. These are all wifi models.

4. Processors & Performance

Both the iPad Pro and the iPad Air now use the M1 chip. The iPad Pro models still have faster refresh rates. The pros have a 120 hertz refresh rate whereas the air only has 60 hertz. This makes the iPad more smooth, but this can only be seen when constantly switching between the two iPads or watching the iPads work side by side in slow motion. The iPad Pros also have what is called Pro Motion Display, so the colors are slightly more rich and vibrant compared to the iPad Air.

5. Accessories & Compatibility

The iPad Air and the iPad Pro both use similar accessories. They both use the apple pencil second generation that magnetically charges and pairs on the side of the iPads. They also use the same magic keyboard that connects to the iPads magnetically. Since the iPad Air and iPad Pro 11 inch are the same size length and width wise, the iPad Pro 11 inch cases and other accessories most likely work with the iPad Air. They each have their own smart folios that magnetically attach to the iPads.

Conclusion

The choice of which iPad to get is ultimately up to what you are going to be using the iPad for. If you have all the money you could want, go splurge and it doesn’t matter what you need. But, this guide is for people who need to figure out how to save money for what they need. If you need an iPad for note taking or research, the pro is overkill. If you need a lot of power to edit photos and videos or want to do anything related to pushing the iPad to its limits, then an iPad Pro will be great for you. A macbook or any windows computer might be something that you are considering as well, but if you want a lot of power while being able to use the screen hands on as well, then the iPad Pro is great for you. Also, if you like drawing, you don’t always need the biggest of the best iPad. An iPad Air is not laggy by any means unless comparing it to an iPad Pro, so if you don’t draw a lot, then an air is a good choice. If you draw all of the time and you are a professional, the 12.9 inch iPad Pro is worth saving up for.