We compare the iPad Pro (M4) with the iPad Air (M2) to see if it is worth the extra expense, who is each model recommended for?
The arrival of the M series chips The iPad Air becomes a kind of “cheap iPad Pro”, with plenty of power, although cutting back on some specifications. That’s why we are going to buy the 2024 iPad Pro with the M4 chip with the 2024 iPad Air with the M2 chip and see if it’s worth spending almost double the money or not.
The new generations of iPad from 2024 have arrived with important improvements Compared to its predecessors, don’t miss the comparison between the 2024 iPad Pro and the 2022 iPad Pro to discover all the changes, or the comparison between the 2024 iPad Air and the 2022 iPad Air with 9 important differences. It is good to have everything clear before choosing a new iPad.
Main differences between the iPad Pro 2024 and the iPad Air 2024
The differences between the Air range and the Pro range They are considerable, although perhaps some of these functions are not interesting for many users.
- M4 chip vs M2 chip: The iPad Air inherits the chip from the previous generation of iPad Pro, which now features the powerful M4 chip that is much more powerful than expected.
- OLED screen vs LCD screen: a very important change that will make the iPad Pro screen look much superior to that of the iPad Air.
- ProMotion: The variable refresh rate of up to 120 Hz is still exclusive to the iPad Pro, and it’s something that’s hard to say no to.
- Design and weight: The iPad Pro is more compact and lighter than the iPad Air, even though they have the same screen size.
- Face ID vs Touch ID: Facial recognition is only available on the Pro range, while Touch ID is present on the rest of the iPads.
- Base storage: The base storage of each model has doubled but there are still differences, the iPad Pro starts at 256 GB and the iPad Air at 128 GB.
- Thunderbolt/USB 4: Although both iPads use the USB-C port, the one on the iPad Pro offers much higher transfer speeds.
- LiDAR Scanner: an addition to the camera only present on the iPad Pro that can be interesting for certain hallucinations and augmented reality.
- Adaptive True Tone Flash: A novelty for the 2024 iPad Pro, a new flash that is capable of offering better results, even when scanning documents.
iPad Pro 2024 vs iPad Air 2024: specifications table
iPad Pro 2024 | iPad Air 2024 | |
---|---|---|
Screen sizes | 11-inch OLED display 13-inch OLED display |
11-inch Liquid Retina 13-inch Liquid Retina |
Dimensions | eleven”: 24.97 x 17.75 x 0.53cm 13″: 28.16 x 21.55 x 0.51cm |
eleven”: 24.76 x 17.85 x 0.61cm 13″: 28.06 x 21.49 x 0.61cm |
Weight | eleven”: 444g 13″: 579g |
eleven”: 461g 13″: 617g |
Colors | Space Black and Silver | Space Grey, Star White, Purple and Blue |
Screen technologies | Promotion, True Tone, Wide color gamut (P3), Full lamination, Anti-reflective film | True Tone, Wide color gamut (P3), Full lamination, Anti-reflective film |
maximum brightness | 1,000 nits (1,600 nits in HDR) | 500 nits |
Resolution | eleven”: 2,420 x 1,668 at 264 p/p 13″: 2,752 x 2,064 at 264 p/p |
eleven”: 2,360 by 1,640 pixels at 264 p/p 13″: 2,732 by 2,048 pixels at 264 p/p |
Processor | M4 chip | M2 |
RAM | 8GB and 16GB | 8GB |
OS | iPadOS 17 | iPadOS 17 |
Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB | 128, 256, 512 GB and 1 TB |
Rear camera | 12 Mpx wide angle | 12 Mpx wide angle |
Front camera | 12 Mpx ultra wide angle | 12 Mpx ultra wide angle |
Audio | 4 horizontal stereo speakers | 2 horizontal stereo speakers |
Battery | Up to 10 hours | Up to 10 hours |
Main sensors | Face ID | Touch ID |
Apple Pencil | Apple Pencil USB-C and Apple Pencil Pro | Apple Pencil USB-C and Apple Pencil Pro |
Smart Connector | Yeah | Yeah |
Keyboards | Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro | Magic Keyboard |
Base price | eleven”: 1,199 euros 13″: 1,549 euros |
eleven”: 699 euros 13″: 949 euros |
Design differences between iPad Pro 2024 and iPad Air 2024
For several generations the iPad Pro and iPad Air have shared the same design, but this has ended with the 2024 generation. Although the design follows the same general lines, The iPad Pro is a clear evolution with a smaller size, narrower frames and incredibly thin thickness. Without a doubt a much more modern design.
We must also take into account other design changes such as colors where the iPad Air allows twice as many options, or the rear camera. On the iPad Pro we have a quite noticeable square modulewhile on the iPad Air we have a simple camera.
iPad Pro 2024 OLED screen vs iPad Air 2024 LDC screen
This is a difference that may not be appreciated too much on paper but compared to one another it is noticeable in a matter of seconds. The display iPad Pro’s Ultra Retina XDR display with a tandem OLED delivers far superior image quality to that of the iPad Air, for many reasons.
The differences are important, despite having practically the same resolution the iPad Pro screen is much superior to that of the iPad Air. It is undoubtedly one of the reasons why people opt for the iPad Pro:
- OLED screen against an LCD screen.
- 1,000 nits of brightness versus 50 nits of brightness.
- ProMotion technology with 120 Hz refresh rate.
- Nanotextured glass option.
Power differences between the iPad Pro M4 and the iPad Air M2
Between the M4 chip used by the iPad Pro and the M2 chip used by the iPad Air we find a great advance, there is no doubt about that. According to Apple data, the M4 chip is up to 50% faster and more powerful than the M2 chip.
This is important, but it is not very relevant if you are going to use the iPad for everyday tasks. He General performance with the device will be very similar most of the time, and only in specific actions such as editing a video or using artificial intelligence functions will you notice big changes.
Why buy the iPad Pro 2024 before the iPad Air 2024?
Now that we are clear about the differences, it is time to analyze which iPad is best for each user. If these reasons are important to you, you should opt for the 2024 iPad Pro with M4 chip rather than the 2024 iPad Air with M2 chip:
- You want the best possible screen on an iPad.
- You are going to use the iPad to work and transfer data, photos or videos quickly.
- You need the extra power of the M4 chip for certain tasks.
- There are functions that you see as essential with the nanotextured glass, Face ID or the LiDAR scanner.
Why buy the iPad Air 2024 before the iPad Pro 2024?
On the contrary, although the iPad Pro is superior to the iPad Air, for most users this is the most interesting model, especially since it has a much more reasonable price. These are the reasons to choose the 2024 iPad Air over the 2024 iPad Pro:
- Price: the price difference is 500 and 600 euros between the 11 and 13-inch models.
- You are going to make more normal use of the iPad and with the M2 chip you have more than enough.
- You already have a Magic Keyboard that is not compatible with the 2024 iPad Pro.
Is about two of the best tablets in the world and, as usual, there are many differences between them. The iPad Pro is intended for professional users and the iPad Air is for more normal users, who may need extra power from time to time.