Apple iPad Pro 12.9 vs iPad Pro 11 (M2, 2022) vs iPad Air (M1, 2022): Which should you choose? (2023)

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Apple has severaliPad modelsin your wallet, fromiPad Minifor the top-of-the-line 12.9-inch iPad Pro, with the standard iPad and iPad Air in between.

If you're looking for a top-of-the-line iPad, you'll likely be choosing between the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. EITHER12.9 inch iPad Pro modelIt is now in its sixth generation while the 11-inch model is in its fourth generation. EITHERiPad sectionHowever, it is the fifth generation.

All models were launched in 2022 and there are a few differences to be aware of. So let us help you figure out which one might be right for you.

Preis

Let's talk about the price first. The iPad Pro models are surprisingly more expensive than the iPad Air, with the 12.9-inch model naturally being the more expensive option.

the ipad airstarts at $599 in the US.mi£669 outside the UK. The 11 inch iPad Prostarts at $799 in the US.mi£899 outside the UK.

The 12.9-inch iPad Prostarts at $1099 in the US.mi£1249 outside the UK.

Project

• iPad Air: 247,6 x 178,5 x 6,1 mm. 461g
• iPad Pro 11 Zoll: 247,6 x 178,5 x 5,9 mm, 466 g
• iPad Pro 12,9 Zoll: 280,6 x 214,9 x 6,4 mm, 682 g

There are no major design differences between the iPad Pro and iPad Air models, although they differ from each other - more thaniPad Air and iPad (10th generation). All three models have flat aluminum bezels and smooth bezels around the screen.

The iPad Pro models have a square camera body with dual lenses in the upper-left corner of the back, while the iPad Air model has a single camera lens. iPad Pro models also haveface recognitionon board, while the iPad Air has oneTouch-ID-SensorIntegrated power button on top.

All three models have a Smart Connector and all have a magnetic strip on the side to charge the Apple Pencil (2nd generation). The iPad Pro models come in Space Gray and Silver color options, while the iPad Air is a bit more fun in its Space Gray, Starlight, Pink, Purple, and Blue color options.

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is the largest and heaviest of the three iPads being compared here, but the 11-inch iPad Pro and iPad Air are virtually identical in size. The iPad Pro is 0.2mm thinner if you count, while the iPad Air is 5g lighter than the iPad Pro.

show

• iPad Air: 10,9 Zoll, Liquid Retina, 2360 x 1640 Pixel, 264 ppi, 500 Nits
• iPad Pro 11 Zoll: 11 Zoll, Liquid Retina, 2388 x 1668 Pixel, 264 ppi, 600 Nits, ProMotion
• 12,9-Zoll-iPad Pro: 12,9 Zoll, Liquid Retina XDR, 2732 x 2048 Pixel, 1600 cd/m², ProMotion

The 12.9-inch Apple iPad Pro has the largest and best screen of the three iPads compared here. It offers a Liquid XDR screen, which is a mini LED screen and is absolutely stunning to use.

Both the 11-inch iPad Pro and iPad Air have Liquid Retina displays and are of course slightly smaller than the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. The iPad Air is also slightly smaller than the 11-inch iPad Pro with a 10.9-inch screen.

All three offer a pixel density of 264 ppi and also come with technologies such as P3 Wide Color Gamut,right soundand an anti-reflective coating. All three also have a fully laminated screen, something thatiPad (10. Generation)it loses its list of specs compared to the iPad Air.

The iPad Pro models are also brighter than the iPad Air, particularly the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which has a maximum brightness of 1600 nits compared to the 11-inch iPad Pro's maximum brightness of 600 nits /m² and the 500 cd/m² of the iPad Air. . In addition, the iPad Pro model hasPromotion Technology, which automatically adjusts your displays between 1Hz and 120Hz refresh rates depending on what you're doing.

One last thing to mention about the iPad Pro models is that they have a feature called Apple Pencil Hover, which causes the screen to recognize the Apple Pencil when it reaches 12mm, allowing for more precise marking and some additional functions enabled.

Hardware and Specifications

• iPad Air: M1 chip, 64/128 GB, 12 MP rear camera, 12 MP front camera
• 11-inch iPad Pro: M2 chip, 128GB to 2TB, 12MP + 10MP dual rear cameras, 12MP front camera
• 12.9-inch iPad Pro: M2 chip, 128GB to 2TB, 12MP + 10MP dual rear cameras, 12MP front camera

Apple iPad Pro models are powered by the M2 chip, which consists of an 8-core CPU with four performance cores and four efficiency cores. There's also a 10-core GPU, a 16-core Neural Engine, and either 8GB or 16GB of RAM depending on your choice.

Meanwhile, the Apple iPad Air runs on the M1 chip, which also features an 8-core CPU with four performance cores and four efficiency cores, while it features an 8-core GPU, a 16-core Neural Engine, and 8GB RAM features. It's a very powerful machine, and while the newer Pro models are faster and more powerful, the iPad Air is more than capable of most tasks.

For video content creators, it's worth noting that the iPad Pro models also have a media engine that supports H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW, while the iPad Air only offers H.264, HEVC.

When it comes to storage options, the iPad Pro models start at 128GB, with the top models offering 2TB, while the iPad Air only comes in 64GB and 256GB options.

Elsewhere on the hardware front there is support forWLAN 6Eon iPad Pro models with speeds up to 2.4Gbps with supported network, while iPad Air offers Wi-Fi 6 with speeds up to 1.2Gbps. 5G models are available for the iPad Air and iPad Pro models.

In addition to the Magic Keyboard, all three models also support the second generation Apple Pencil.

In terms of cameras, the iPad Pro models have a dual rear camera consisting of a 12-megapixel main camera with an f/1.8 aperture and a 10-megapixel ultra-wide camera with an f/2.4 aperture. It also offers a brighter True Tone flash and a LiDAR scanner. The iPad Air shares the same lens as the main camera, but it doesn't offer an ultra-wide lens, nor can it capture up to 4K ProRes video like the iPad Pro models, nor does it have audio zoom or stereo recording.

On the front, the iPad Pro and iPad Air models have a 12-megapixel sensor with an f/2.4 aperture. iPad Pro models have portrait modes, as well as portrait lighting andcheered upmiMemojithanks to facial recognition sensors.

sound and battery

• iPad Air: Stereo speakers, dual microphones, 10-hour battery life
• 11-inch iPad Pro: four speakers, five microphones, 10-hour battery life
• 12.9" iPad Pro: four speakers, five microphones, 10 hours of battery life

On iPad Pro models, you'll find a four-speaker audio array along with five microphones. Meanwhile, the iPad Air has stereo landscape speakers and dual microphones.

The Pro models sound better and are more capable when watching movies, although the Air is also powerful enough and you might find that you use your headphones a lot and are therefore not that important.

All three models offer up to 10 hours of battery life for surfing or watching videos. They also charge via USB-C.

Diploma

Deciding between these three iPads really comes down to your budget and what you want to do on your tablet. If you're looking for a big screen, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is an exceptional device with plenty of power and a fantastic display.

The 11-inch iPad Pro offers everything that the larger model offers apart from the mini-LED display, which means it's also a very powerful device with a lot to offer.

The iPad Air may have a slightly older chipset than the Pro models, but it does make some concessions like Touch ID over Face ID, no ProMotion, lower storage options and more, but it's still a brilliant tablet that will be more than enough many.

For the best value for money, the iPad Air is the right choice. For the sweet spot of cost and features, the 11-inch iPad Pro is the clear winner, while for the biggest and best iPad Apple has to offer, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is the one. If the 2022 iPad Pro models seem too expensive, consider the 2021 iPad Pro models.Read our separate feature on how they stack up against the iPad Air here.