If you’d like an iPad, you might have three primary decisions: the fundamental 10.2-inch iPad, the dearer iPad Air, or the much more costly iPad Professional. The usual 10.2-inch iPad is the funds possibility, with an growing old design (large bezels, dwelling button, Lightning port) and older processor, and the 12.9-inch iPad Professional begins at a whopping $1,099 and is geared towards solely probably the most demanding of customers.

So if you would like probably the most pill with out breaking the financial institution on a $1,099 12.9-inch iPad Professional, you might have simply two choices: the $599 iPad Air, which is obtainable for preorder now and obtainable March 18, and the $799 11-inch iPad Professional. The iPad Air was simply upgraded with an M1 processor, making it as highly effective because the iPad Professional. However a pill is greater than its processor, and the Professional mannequin does supply a couple of enhancements that could be value your cash. Right here’s how these two tablets stack up.

11-inch iPad Professional vs iPad Air: Tech specs

Earlier than we begin the matchup, let’s have a weigh-in and see how they match up on paper.

11-inch iPad Professional vs iPad Air: Design and shade

The iPad Air and 11-inch iPad Professional are basically the identical measurement and weight. In reality, the size are so related that they’ll each use many of the identical instances, covers, Magic Keyboards, and so forth. Solely instances which have particular digital camera cutouts for the one iPad Air digital camera gained’t match on the iPad Professional, which has a squarish digital camera space with a number of cameras, however iPad Professional instances will match superb on the Air (they simply look slightly bizarre).

With almost equivalent shapes, additionally they have almost equivalent designs with one essential exception: shade. The iPad Professional is available in silver and house grey solely, whereas the iPad Air has a extra whimsical array of colours to select from: house gray, starlight, pink, purple, and blue. You’re additionally getting ever-so-slightly smaller bezels on the iPad Professional, which is why Apple says it has room for an 11-inch show as an alternative of 10.9 inches. You’re not likely going to note that tenth of an inch, although.

Our choose: In terms of measurement and weight, it is a full tie. The designs are principally equivalent as effectively. So it comes down to paint. If you’d like starlight, blue, purple, or pink, you’ll have to get the Air.

Apple

11-inch iPad Professional vs iPad Air: Show

The 11-inch iPad Professional has a barely larger show than the iPad Air. We’re actually splitting hairs right here—it’s one-tenth of an inch. The decision is similar—264 pixels per inch—however the iPad Professional has simply barely slimmer bezels across the show, giving it room for a couple of extra pixels. Each shows even have True Tone and a large P3 shade gamut and observe Apple’s “liquid” retina design, that means the corners of the display are rounded to match the machine itself.

The iPad Professional’s show is unquestionably superior, although. It’s brighter, with a max brightness of 600 nits in comparison with the Air’s 500 nits. However the large profit is ProMotion, which lets the show run-up to 120Hz for smoother movement and decrease latency, particularly when utilizing the Apple Pencil. The distinction is palpable when switching between units, and when you’ve tried the Professional, it’s very onerous to return.

Our choose: The additional brightness isn’t an enormous deal, however ProMotion is actually good and helps justify the upper value of the iPad Professional.

11-inch iPad Professional vs iPad Air: Efficiency and reminiscence

With the newest replace (obtainable March 18, 2022), the iPad Air has the identical M1 processor because the iPad Professional. It’s obtained eight CPU cores, eight GPU cores, and in virtually all respects ought to supply precisely the identical efficiency.

There’s just one small distinction. Each tablets have 8GB of RAM, except for the 1TB and 2TB storage choices on the iPad Professional. In case you go for a type of configurations, the iPad Professional could have 16GB of RAM. These storage choices don’t come low cost, nevertheless, and the additional RAM in all probability isn’t going to make a lot of a distinction with iPadOS.

Our choose: It’s a tie. It’s the identical processor, and to get 16GB of RAM you’ll want to pay for an enormous chunk of storage on the iPad Professional. You’re not prone to discover the distinction between 8GB and 16GB anyway, even in very intensive functions.

Apple

11-inch iPad Professional vs iPad Air: Battery

The battery capability is sort of the identical in each iPads, round 29 watt-hours. Apple lists related battery life specs: As much as 10 hours of browsing the online on Wi‑Fi or watching movies, 9 hours when on mobile (iPads not often stray from these numbers). ProMotion could be a battery drain whereas in use, however can save battery when in some instances the place the iPad can swap to a a lot decrease refresh fee. However, the iPad Professional’s brighter show will possible drain the battery slightly quicker if you happen to crank up the brightness.

Our choose: Both pill will final you thru hours and use. For probably the most half, we count on battery life to be related.

11-inch iPad Professional vs iPad Air: Storage

The iPad Professional provides you double the beginning storage: 128GB as an alternative of 64GB within the iPad Air. Each supply a 256GB improve configuration ($100 extra on the iPad Professional and $150 extra on the iPad Air), however whereas the iPad Air stops there, the iPad Professional presents 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB choices.

Our choose: With all of the cloud storage and streaming nowadays, most customers don’t want greater than 256GB of storage in an iPad, however if you happen to do numerous work with 4K video or high-res images, the choice for increased storage is sweet. Extra essential is that the beginning storage is twice as large on the iPad Professional, and 64GB could be slightly small for all the apps and video games you’re going to obtain.

11-inch iPad Professional vs iPad Air: Face ID vs Contact ID

Just like the iPhone, the iPad Professional makes use of Face ID, which makes use of the TrueDepth sensors on the entrance to unlock the pill and authenticate purchases and passwords. The iPad Air doesn’t have a TrueDepth module; it has Contact ID constructed into the aspect button. Each are straightforward to arrange and use in their very own manner, however Apple says the chances of spoofing Face ID is roughly 1 in 1,000,000 vs 1 in 50,000 for Contact ID.

Our choose: Contact ID is a lot good, however there’s little doubt that Face ID is often the quicker and simpler technique to authenticate, enter passwords, and unlock your machine.

Jason Cross/IDG

11-inch iPad Professional vs iPad Air: Cameras

On the rear of the iPad Air, you’ll discover a 12MP customary wide-angle digital camera. On the iPad Professional you’ll discover the identical digital camera, plus a 10MP Extremely Large digital camera and a LiDAR sensor for higher AR positioning. We don’t suppose you’ll be taking too many photos with both of those considerably awkward cameras, however if you wish to, the iPad Professional has a clearly superior array.

Apple upgraded the iPad Air to a 12MP Extremely-Large digital camera on the entrance, with assist for Heart Stage, which pans and zooms to maintain you the topic (you) within the body. So the entrance digital camera is nearly equivalent between the 2 tablets. The iPad Professional has a TrueDepth sensor for Face ID, which suggests it additionally helps Apple’s Animoj/Memoji, however photograph and video-taking needs to be about the identical when utilizing the entrance digital camera.

Our choose: The entrance digital camera is the extra essential on a pill, and the 2 listed below are nearly equivalent, as is the rear-facing 12MP digital camera. The iPad Professional has an edge with its 10MP Extremely Large rear digital camera if that form of factor issues to you.

11-inch iPad Professional vs iPad Air: Audio and microphones

The iPad Air has respectable sound from its two-speaker stereo setup and a twin microphone array. It really works superb, nevertheless it’s nothing particular. The 11-inch iPad Professional, alternatively, has 4 audio system and 5 microphones that Apple calls “studio high quality.” We don’t know if we belief that moniker, nevertheless it’s virtually sure that the iPad Professional will produce higher recordings and higher-quality audio playback.

Our choose: The iPad Professional ought to carry superior sound playback and recording.

11-inch iPad Professional vs iPad Air: Connectivity and equipment

We love the iPad Air’s USB-C port, and it’s occasion quick with the fifth-generation mannequin, supporting information transfers as much as 10Gbps. However the 11-inch iPad Professional takes it a step additional. Its USB-C port helps USB4 and Thunderbolt, which suggests a quicker most throughput of 40Gbit/sec. Each assist a single exterior show as much as 6K, although. Each fashions assist the brand new Magic Keyboard—although the digital camera cutouts match slightly nicer on the 11-inch Professional—in addition to the 2nd-generation Apple Pencil.

Our choose: Thunderbolt won’t be one thing you want now, nevertheless it could be well worth the funding. Through the years, there’s a a lot better probability that the units you purchase will work to their full potential (or in any respect) with the iPad Professional’s Thunderbolt port over the iPad Air’s customary USB-C charging port. In case you’re primarily involved about hooking up shows, the expertise needs to be related with both one.

Jason Cross/IDG

11-inch iPad Professional vs iPad Air: Wi-Fi and mobile

Each iPads have Wi-Fi 6 with MIMO, simultaneous dual-band, and speeds as much as 1.6Gbps, in order that they’ll work nice at dwelling. You additionally get Bluetooth 5 for AirPods and different wi-fi units. However if you happen to go for the Wi-Fi + Mobile mannequin, there’s a small distinction. Each fashions even have 5G choices, however the iPad Air solely helps sub-6GHz bands whereas the iPad Professional helps the quicker short-range mmWave bands as effectively. The mobile possibility prices extra on the iPad Professional ($200) than on the iPad Air ($150).

Our choose: You need to think about rigorously whether or not you actually need mobile entry in your iPad—utilizing your iPhone as a wi-fi hotspot works extraordinarily effectively. The iPad Professional’s skill to connect with mmWave networks is of restricted use and also you pay $50 extra for mobile than you do on the iPad Air.

11-inch iPad Professional vs iPad Air: Conclusion

Final 12 months, we thought the 11-inch iPad Professional was the higher purchase. This 12 months, because of the processor improve and improved entrance digital camera within the iPad Air, our opinion has reversed. The iPad Professional is basically the identical measurement and efficiency and helps the identical peripherals, nevertheless it prices $200 extra ($250 extra if you would like a cellular-equipped mannequin). For that, you get:

• ProMotion show
• 5-microphone array and 4 audio system
• 10MP Extremely Large rear digital camera with LiDAR
• Thunderbolt
• Face ID
• Double the storage
• Assist for mmWave 5G bands

Our choose: Most of these enhancements aren’t the form of belongings you’ll really feel day-after-day. ProMotion is the most important profit, and the additional storage is sweet, however they don’t appear value an additional $200. We expect most customers could be happiest with the iPad Air, maybe with the 256GB possibility (which continues to be $50 lower than the beginning value of the 128GB 11-inch iPad Professional).