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Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) vs Apple iPad Air (5th generation)
Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) ($871) vs Apple iPad Air (5th generation) ($237) — 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 (5th generation) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $871 | $237 |
| Weight | 579g | 461g |
| Chip | M4 | M1 |
| Display | 13" Ultra Retina XDR, 120Hz | 10.9" Liquid Retina, 60Hz |
| Ports | Thunderbolt / USB 4 | USB-C |
| Camera | Landscape 12MP front | — |
| Pencil | Apple Pencil Pro | Apple Pencil (2nd generation) |
| Weight | 579g (Wi-Fi, Apple published) | 461g (Wi-Fi, Apple published) |
| Audio | — | Landscape stereo speakers |
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 (5th generation)
- M1 for around two hundred dollars
- 461g and a laminated display
- USB-C
- Still fully supported by iPadOS
- 60Hz
- Only 64GB on the base model, which is tight
- Second-generation Pencil, not Pencil Pro
- Single rear camera
Apple iPad Air (5th generation) is the better value at $237. Both are part of our curated pro tablet index — tap through to check current pricing.
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