Apple has just announced two powerful tab array for 2024 , the iPad Air and the iPad Pro . The question is , what ’s the difference between the two ?
It ’s arguable that with the innovation of the iPad Air 11 and iPad Air 13 , the iPad Air and iPad Pro ranges are closer together than ever – but there are still of the essence departure between the two that ’ll sway your opinion one elbow room or the other .
Before slapping down your hard - earned cash , here are a few crucial differences between the Modern iPad Air and the new iPad Pro .
The iPad Pro is more powerful
The iPad Pro range is Apple ’s all - talk - all - dancing pad , and to further cement its position , it ’s one of few Apple tablets to utilise the desktop - stratum M - series chipsets . It get down with the inclusion of theM1 in 2021 , before theM2 made its debut in 2022 , and that vogue continues with the utilisation of the blade - new M4 in this yr ’s iPad Pro range .
That top - end chipset is the most sinewy you ’ll find on any tablet at the second , boasting a 50 % hike to C.P.U. public presentation compared to the M2 , unadulterated with chemical element like shaft - tracing support , that make it the idealistic tablet for serious originative body of work like editing and exporting telecasting , working with bombastic files and even animation .
That does n’t mean the iPad Air should be sniffed at , however ; it ’s the only other tablet range to disport the M - series chipset , with the2022 iPad Airboasting the ( slightly older ) M1 chipset , and the 2024 range has assure a boost to the M2 , cement its place as a lawful ball of fire of tablet processing power – it ’s just notquiteas powerful as the iPad Pro .
The iPad Pro is more lightweight
One of the key differentiators between the iPad Air and iPad Pro has , traditionally , been heft . The air travel stigmatization of the iPad Air mean the focus on a lightweight pattern , an chemical element that ’s not quite as crucial with the pro - level pad of paper in Apple ’s appeal – until this year , that is .
While the iPad Air has traditionally been thin and light than the Pro models , the redesign iPad Pro range is impressively thin and lightweight ; in fact , it ’s the slight intersection in Apple ’s product collection ever .
More specifically , the iPad Air 11 measures in at just 5.3 mm and 444 universal gravitational constant , while the iPad Pro 12.9 measures in at 5.1 mm and 580 g – the latter is truly impressive conceive the size . We do n’t yet jazz on the dot how thick and heavy the unexampled iPad Air is in comparability , but Apple has put forward that the unexampled iPad Pro range is the thin and light yet , so expect some extra ponderosity from the ironically - name iPad Air .
The iPad Pro has a way better screen
The iPad Pro has always had a top - close screen , but the 2024 range takes that to the next horizontal surface by flip from LCD ( or miniLED in the pillowcase of the former 12.9 in model ) to OLED , a first in Apple ’s iPad stove .
It ’s not just your even OLED panel either , instead using two layers of OLED sheet to deliver top - end brightness of 1600nits , deeper black and more vibrant colours than the Liquid Retina LCD showing of the iPad Air .
The iPad Pro range also relish new pick like NanoTexture glass , a flatness - finish presentation that aid negate reflections , and like previous entry , it sports 120Hz ProMotion living for larder - smooth animations . That ’s just as straight of the new somewhat big 13 - column inch model as the 11 - inch manakin , with no difference between the two .
The iPad Air ’s Super Retina XDR display is still very much a expectant LCD display , also available in 11- and 13 - inches for the first meter , with a pixel - packed resolution and documentation for multiple HDR format to make viewing a enceinte experience , but it misses out not only on the OLED tech but the 120Hz refresh rate and matte - finis display option .
The iPad Pro has more advanced accessories
The iPad Air ( 2022 ) was a particularly alluring lozenge for Apple buff as it deal the same reenforcement for the same high - end Apple Pencil 2 and Apple Magic Keyboard as the top - end Pro collecting . That intend you could get much of the Pro functionality at a much cheap monetary value compass point .
However , the iPad Pro has novel accessories in the mannikin of a refreshed Magic Keyboard and the Apple Pencil Pro , and while iPad Air substance abuser can habituate the latter , they ca n’t use the former .
The new Magic Keyboard has an Al trackpad for better performance , conflate with the same haptic feedback from Macs for a more aligned trackpad experience , and there are new crosscut keys to better control elements of your pill like brightness with a press .
The Apple Pencil Pro , on the other helping hand , sports a young squeeze interaction ( similar to that of the AirPods Pro ) that ’ll bring up a new tool palette for quick copse / penitentiary selection , and the new haptic engine should add interesting feedback to the draftsmanship experience . There ’s also a new gyroscope to interchange predilection for shaped pen and brush , and Find My sustenance .
The iPad Air is much cheaper
It ’s clear to see that the young iPad Pro cooking stove is much more able than the raw iPad Air compass – even the turgid 12.9 - in model – but there ’s a reason for that ; the iPad Pro is Apple ’s top - end tablet with all the latest features , while the iPad Air likes to hit a middle ground between high - closing features and a more low-cost nature .
That said , it should n’t be much surprisal to learn that the iPad Air is way more low-cost than its Pro sibling , with the 11 - inch iPad Air come out at $ 599 , go up to $ 799 for the 13 - inch fashion model , while the 11 - inch iPad Pro starts at $ 1199 , going up to $ 1299 if you want the 13 - in iPad Pro experience .