Comparison
iPad Air vs iPad Pro: Which One Do You Actually Need?
The iPad Air (M3) is the right iPad for most people. The iPad Pro (M4) is worth it if you want its 120Hz tandem OLED screen, Face ID, Thunderbolt and four speakers, or you do pro video and art work.
Buy the iPad Air (M3) if you want Apple Intelligence, Apple Pencil Pro support and laptop-class speed. Buy the iPad Pro (M4) if you want the best iPad screen, with tandem OLED and 120Hz ProMotion, plus Face ID, a Thunderbolt port, four speakers and the thinnest, lightest design.
You want the best iPad screen for movies, HDR and art
You want Face ID that works in landscape
You move big files and want Thunderbolt
You edit 4K video or work with large creative files
You want Apple Intelligence and the Apple Pencil Pro
A 60Hz screen is fine for you
You use it for school, notes, light editing and streaming
You want a 13-inch screen
Skip both if: you only stream, browse and take notes. The iPad (A16) is plenty.
The short version
Both come in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, both use Apple M-series chips, both support Apple Intelligence and both work with the Apple Pencil Pro. Apple rates both at up to 10 hours of web browsing or video on Wi-Fi.
The iPad Pro is better in almost every hardware detail. Its Ultra Retina XDR screen is tandem OLED with ProMotion up to 120Hz. The Air uses a 60Hz LCD. The Pro has Face ID, a Thunderbolt port, four speakers, LiDAR and a thinner, lighter body.
The question is whether you will notice those things every day. For many people, the Air is the sweet spot.
What's different
See every spec side by side
| iPad Air (M3) | iPad Pro (M4) | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025 | 2024 |
| Sizes | 11" and 13" | 11" and 13" |
| Display | Liquid Retina LCD | Ultra Retina XDR, tandem OLED |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz | ProMotion, 10 to 120Hz |
| Brightness | 500 nits (11"), 600 nits (13") | 1000 nits SDR, 1600 nits peak HDR |
| Nano-texture glass option | No | Yes, on 1TB and 2TB |
| Chip | M3 (8-core CPU, 9-core GPU) | M4 (9- or 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU) |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB (256GB, 512GB) or 16GB (1TB, 2TB) |
| Storage | 128GB to 1TB | 256GB to 2TB |
| Unlock | Touch ID (top button) | Face ID |
| Port | USB-C (USB 3, up to 10Gb/s) | Thunderbolt / USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s) |
| Speakers | Landscape stereo (2) | Four speakers |
| Rear camera | 12MP Wide | 12MP Wide + LiDAR |
| Front camera | 12MP Center Stage, landscape edge | 12MP Center Stage, landscape edge |
| Apple Pencil | Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil (USB-C) | Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil (USB-C) |
| Thickness | 6.1 mm | 5.3 mm (11"), 5.1 mm (13") |
| Weight (Wi-Fi) | 460 g (11"), 616 g (13") | 444 g (11"), 579 g (13") |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Battery | Up to 10 hours | Up to 10 hours |
| Refurbished price | From $779.99 | From $1,309.99 |
Prices in the table are for the 11-inch models. See the price section below for the 13-inch models.
Screen: the main reason to buy the Pro
The iPad Pro (M4) has a tandem OLED screen, two OLED layers stacked together.
Read more
Blacks are truly black, contrast is huge, and it reaches 1000 nits for everyday content and 1600 nits peak for HDR. ProMotion lets it refresh at up to 120Hz, so scrolling and Apple Pencil strokes look very smooth.
The iPad Air (M3) has a good Liquid Retina LCD that is fully laminated with an anti-reflective coating and P3 wide colour. It runs at 60Hz and reaches 500 nits on the 11-inch and 600 nits on the 13-inch. It is a great screen. It just is not in the same league as the Pro.
If you watch a lot of movies, edit HDR photos or video, or draw for hours, you will see the difference. The Pro also offers nano-texture glass on 1TB and 2TB models, which cuts glare.
Performance and memory
The M4 is a newer, faster chip than the M3, with a 10-core GPU against 9 cores.
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The 256GB and 512GB Pro models have a 9-core CPU and 8GB of RAM. The 1TB and 2TB models have a 10-core CPU and 16GB of RAM. The Air has an 8-core CPU and 8GB of RAM.
For browsing, notes, streaming and most apps, you will not feel a difference. The gap shows in heavy work: 4K video edits in LumaFusion or Final Cut Pro, large Procreate files, 3D work and demanding games. Both run Apple Intelligence.
Face ID, Thunderbolt and speakers
The Pro unlocks with Face ID from the camera on the long edge, so it works in landscape with a keyboard.
Read more
The Air uses Touch ID in the top button, which works fine but means reaching for the corner.
The Pro's Thunderbolt / USB 4 port moves files at up to 40Gb/s and connects to fast drives and displays. The Air's USB-C runs at up to 10Gb/s. If you move large camera files, the Pro is much faster.
The Pro has four speakers and sounds fuller. The Air has two landscape stereo speakers. Both are fine for video calls. The Pro is better for movies.
Design, cameras and accessories
The 11-inch Pro is 5.3 mm thick and weighs 444 g.
Read more
The 13-inch Pro is 5.1 mm and 579 g. The Air is 6.1 mm in both sizes, at 460 g and 616 g. You feel the difference most with the 13-inch models.
Both have a 12MP rear camera and a 12MP Center Stage front camera on the landscape edge. The Pro adds a LiDAR scanner for AR and room scanning, plus ProRes video recording.
Both support the Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C). Keyboards are model specific: the Air uses the Magic Keyboard for iPad Air, and the Pro uses the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro (M4). They are not interchangeable.
Older and newer models
If you want a 120Hz iPad, look at the iPad Pro 11-inch (M2) and iPad Pro 12.9-inch (M2).
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They have ProMotion, Face ID and Thunderbolt, but use the 2nd generation Apple Pencil instead of the Pencil Pro. The 12.9-inch has a mini-LED screen.
Apple has since released the iPad Pro with M5 and the iPad Air with M4. We don't carry those refurbished yet. The M3 Air and M4 Pro are still more than fast enough for nearly everyone.
Price range
Refurbished, the 11-inch iPad Air (M3) starts at $779.99 and the 11-inch iPad Pro (M4) starts at $1,309.99. In the 13-inch size, the iPad Air (M3) starts at $1,009.99 and the iPad Pro (M4) starts at $1,609.99. Prices on this page update live from our store.
See every model in our iPad collection or the iPad Air range. Have an older tablet? You can sell or trade it in.
Should you buy new or refurbished?
iPads are built to last, which makes refurbished a smart way to get a Pro screen or an M-series chip.
Read more
Every iPad we sell is inspected and tested and comes with up to a 1-year warranty and 14-day returns. Grades describe looks only. Read new vs used vs refurbished to see how they compare.
FAQ
Is the iPad Pro worth it over the iPad Air?
If you watch a lot of video, draw, edit photos or video, or move big files, yes. The 120Hz tandem OLED screen, Face ID, Thunderbolt and four speakers are real upgrades. For school, notes and streaming, the Air is the better fit.
Does the iPad Air have a 120Hz screen?
No. The iPad Air (M3) runs at 60Hz. The iPad Pro (M4) has ProMotion with refresh rates from 10Hz to 120Hz.
Do the iPad Air and iPad Pro use the same Apple Pencil?
Yes. Both the iPad Air (M3) and iPad Pro (M4) support the Apple Pencil Pro and the Apple Pencil (USB-C).
Can I use an iPad Pro keyboard on an iPad Air?
No. The Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro (M4) and the Magic Keyboard for iPad Air are made for their own models and are not interchangeable.
Which is lighter, iPad Air or iPad Pro?
The iPad Pro (M4). The 11-inch Pro weighs 444 g against 460 g for the Air, and the 13-inch Pro weighs 579 g against 616 g.
Still choosing? Read our guide to which iPad to buy.
Skip the new-phone price
Get the iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) pre-owned from $1,309.99, tested by real technicians with up to a 1-year warranty and 14-day returns.
