Both the iPad Air and iPad Pro now come in two sizes - 11-inch and 13-inch - with a similar flat-edge design. However, after Apple’s latest updates, the gap between the two product lines has never been more significant.

While the iPad Air received only a modest upgrade - moving from the M2 to the M3 chip - the 2024 iPad Pro saw major enhancements, including the new M4 chip, a stunning OLED display, and a much thinner and lighter chassis. In fact, the iPad Pro M4 is the thinnest device Apple has ever made, about 1mm thinner than the iPad Air.

Although the iPad Pro sports a few standout features - such as a LiDAR scanner for AR applications, Adaptive True Tone flash, Face ID, and quad speakers - the camera performance between the two is relatively similar. Meanwhile, the iPad Air still relies on Touch ID integrated into the power button.

So, is it worth spending more than USD 400 extra for the iPad Pro’s high-end features, or does the iPad Air offer better value?

Below is a detailed comparison to help users decide which model suits their needs.

iPad Air: Best value for most users

For the majority of users, the iPad Air remains the more practical choice, offering great performance and design at a lower price point. Paying hundreds more for the Pro model’s extras - like Face ID, a 120Hz ProMotion OLED display, or audio zoom recording - is often unnecessary for general use.

Specialized features such as 16GB RAM, Thunderbolt connectivity, or the LiDAR scanner only benefit a niche group of professionals. Most users will never take full advantage of these advanced technologies.

However, users with professional needs - such as high RAM and storage requirements, anti-reflective displays, HDR content work, or 4K video editing - will certainly benefit from the iPad Pro’s superior specs.

For those who simply want the best iPad available, even if they don’t use all the pro features, the ProMotion 120Hz display, deep blacks from OLED, and smoother scrolling make the iPad Pro a premium experience. The Adaptive True Tone flash is also handy for scanning documents on the go.

That said, for most buyers, the iPad Air is the best all-around choice - delivering powerful performance, modern design, USB-C and 5G support, and compatibility with Apple’s top accessories, all at a significantly lower cost than the iPad Pro.

Hai Phong