Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) vs Apple iPad Air (4th generation)
Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) ($871) vs Apple iPad Air (4th generation) ($206) — side-by-side specs, weight, pros and cons to help you pick the right pro tablet.
Spec-by-spec
| Spec | Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) | Apple iPad Air (4th generation) |
| Price | $871 | $206 |
| Weight | 579g | 458g |
| Chip | M4 | A14 Bionic |
| Display | 13" Ultra Retina XDR, 120Hz | 10.9" Liquid Retina |
| Ports | Thunderbolt / USB 4 | — |
| Camera | Landscape 12MP front | — |
| Pencil | Apple Pencil Pro | 2nd generation Apple Pencil |
| Weight | 579g (Wi-Fi, Apple published) | 458g (Apple published, Wi-Fi) |
| Port | — | USB-C |
| TouchID | — | Top button |
Pros & Cons
Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M4)
- Tandem OLED at 13 inches is genuinely remarkable
- 579g, lighter than the 12.9-inch it replaced
- Thinnest thing Apple has shipped
- Thunderbolt
- 579g is still a lot to hold one-handed
- Expensive even used
- iPadOS remains the limiting factor
Apple iPad Air (4th generation)
- First iPad Air with the edge-to-edge design later iPads copied
- 2nd-gen Apple Pencil, magnetic attach and wireless charge
- USB-C port for a design that finally caught up
- A14 chip still handles current iPadOS comfortably
- No ProMotion, 60Hz display like the base iPad
- Single rear camera, no Ultra Wide
- 458g, heavier than the mini for a similarly-aged chip
- Costs close to the newer base iPad used, worth comparing both
Apple iPad Air (4th generation) is the better value at $206. Both are part of our curated pro tablet index — tap through to check current pricing.