Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M3) vs Apple iPad mini (A20 Pro)
Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M3) ($500) vs Apple iPad mini (A20 Pro) ($699) — side-by-side specs, weight, pros and cons to help you pick the right tablet.
Spec-by-spec
| Spec | Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M3) | Apple iPad mini (A20 Pro) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $500 | $699 |
| Weight | 460g | 255g |
| Chip | M3 | A20 Pro |
| Display | 11" Liquid Retina, 60Hz | 8.5" OLED Super Retina XDR, 2316 x 1512 |
| Ports | USB-C | — |
| Pencil | Apple Pencil Pro | — |
| Audio | Landscape stereo speakers | — |
| Weight | 460g (Wi-Fi, Apple published) | 255 g Wi-Fi, 263 g Cellular (Apple published) |
| Brightness | — | 600 nits, 1200 nits peak (HDR) |
| Accessories | — | Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil (USB-C) |
| Connectivity | — | Wi-Fi 7, USB-C 10Gb/s |
Pros & Cons
Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M3)
- M3 with hardware ray tracing
- Apple Pencil Pro support
- 460g, the sweet spot for holding
- Much cheaper than a Pro
- 60Hz display after years of 120Hz Pros
- No OLED
- Chip is overkill for what most Airs do
Apple iPad mini (A20 Pro)
- OLED in a 255 g tablet
- Apple Pencil Pro support with hover
- Wi-Fi 7 and 10Gb/s USB-C
- Nano-texture glass option for glare
- Starts at $699 for 128GB
- Nano-texture glass costs $100 and starts at 256GB
- Cellular adds $150
- 8.5 inches is cramped for split-screen work
Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M3) is the better value at $500. If weight matters most, Apple iPad mini (A20 Pro) carries lighter at 255g. Both are part of our curated tablet index — tap through to check current pricing.
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