Apple’s new iPad Air is (almost) a cheaper iPad Pro for $599 and up
The lines between Apple’s iPad Pro and iPad Air are getting blurrier. The new 2022 iPad Air is a thin and light tablet that’s almost exactly the same size as the 11 inch iPad Pro and which has the same processor, the same 12MP front-facing camera, and the same support for a 2nd-gen Apple Pencil processor.
But with a $599 starting price, the iPad Air is $200 cheaper than the entry-level iPad Pro 11. So what’s the difference between the two tablets?
The new iPad Air is powered by Apple M1 processor, features a 10.9 inch Retina display, 8GB of RAM, and a number of other features that make it a significant upgrade over the previous-gen model.
Despite having a slightly smaller display than the 11 inch iPad Pro, the two tablets are almost exactly the same size and weight (the iPad pro weighs 5 grams more and measures 0.2mm thinner).
But the iPad Pro has quad speakers a 5 studio-quality mics, while the new iPad Air has just two mics and two speakers. The iPad Pro also has dual rear cameras (the iPad Air has just one). The iPad Pro has Face ID, while the iPad Air has Touch ID. And the iPad Pro has a 40 Gbps Thunderbolt 3 port, while the iPad Air has a 10 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port. The Pro also has a brighter display
But perhaps the biggest differences are the memory and storage options. The iPad Air comes with 64GB or 256GB of storage, while the iPad Pro starts at 128GB and supports up to 2TB. All models of the iPad Pro with 1TB of storage or more also have 16GB of RAM, twice as much as is available for the iPad Air.
There is one area where the iPad Air shines though: it comes in five color options. The iPad Pro supports just two.
Here’s a comparison of key specs for Apple’s current-gen iPad Air and iPad Pro tablets:
| iPad Air | iPad Pro (11″) | iPad Pro (12.4″) | |
| Display | 10.9 inches LED-backlit IPS LCD 2360 x 1640 pixels 264 ppi P3 wide color display True Tone 500 nits Apple Pencil (2nd-gen) support |
11 inches LED-backlit IPS LCD 2388 x 1668 pixels 264 ppi P3 wide color display True Tone 600 nits Apple Pencil (2nd-gen) support |
12.9 inches mini LED 2732 x 2048 pixels 264 ppi ProMotion technology P3 wide color display True Tone 600 nits SDR 1000 nits XDR Apple Pencil (2nd-gen) support |
| Processor | Apple M1 8-core CPU 8-core GPU Apple Neural Engine |
Apple M1 8-core CPU 8-core GPU 16-core Apple Neural Engine |
Apple M1 8-core CPU 8-core GPU 16-core Apple Neural Engine |
| RAM & Storage | 8GB RAM 64GB or 256GB storage |
8GB + 128GB 8GB + 256GB 8GB + 512GB 16GB + 1TB 16GB + 2TB |
8GB + 128GB 8GB + 256GB 8GB + 512GB 16GB + 1TB 16GB + 2TB |
| Camera (rear) | 12MP wide-angle | 12MP wide-angle 10MP ultra-wide 2 x optical zoom |
12MP wide-angle 10MP ultra-wide 2 x optical zoom |
| Facetime Camera (front) | 12MP ultra-wide (122 degrees) | 12MP ultra-wide (122 degrees) | 12MP ultra-wide (122 degrees) |
| Speakers | Stereo | Quad | Quad |
| Microphones | 2 | 5 studio-quality | 5 studio-quality |
| Wireless | WiFi 6 Bluetooth 5.0 5G optional |
WiFi 6 Bluetooth 5.0 5G optional |
WiFi 6 Bluetooth 5.0 5G optional |
| Sensors | Touch ID 3-axis gyro Accelerometer Barometer Ambient light sensor |
Face ID LiDAR 3-axis gyro Accelerometer Barometer Ambient Light sensor |
Face ID LiDAR 3-axis gyro Accelerometer Barometer Ambient Light sensor |
| Battery | 28.6 Wh | 28.65 Wh | 40.88 Wh |
| Charging | 20W USB-C power adapter | 20W USB-C power adapter | 20W USB-C power adapter |
| Ports | 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) | Thunderbolt 3 (40 Gbps) | Thunderbolt 3 (40 Gbps) |
| Dimensions | 247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1mm 9.74″ x 7.02″ x 0.24″ |
247.6 x 178.5 x 5.9mm 9.74″ x 7.02″ x 0.23″ |
280.6 x 214.9 x 6.4mm 11.04″ x 8.46″ x 0.25″ |
| Weight | 461 grams 1.02 pounds |
466 grams 1.03 pounds |
682 grams 1.5 pounds |
| Colors | Space Grey Pink Purple Blue Starlight |
Space Gray Silver |
Space Gray Silver |
| Starting price | $599 | $799 | $1099 |
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