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?

iPad Air (2022)

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).

iPad Air (2022)

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.

iPad Pro 12.4″ and 11″ tablets

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 AiriPad Pro (11″)iPad Pro (12.4″)
Display10.9 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
ProcessorApple 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 & Storage8GB 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-angle12MP 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)
SpeakersStereoQuadQuad
Microphones25 studio-quality5 studio-quality
WirelessWiFi 6
Bluetooth 5.0
5G optional
WiFi 6
Bluetooth 5.0
5G optional
WiFi 6
Bluetooth 5.0
5G optional
SensorsTouch 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 Wh28.65 Wh40.88 Wh
Charging20W USB-C power adapter20W USB-C power adapter20W USB-C power adapter
Ports1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps)Thunderbolt 3 (40 Gbps)Thunderbolt 3 (40 Gbps)
Dimensions247.6 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″
Weight461 grams
1.02 pounds
466 grams
1.03 pounds
682 grams
1.5 pounds
ColorsSpace Grey
Pink
Purple
Blue
Starlight
Space Gray
Silver
Space Gray
Silver
Starting price$599$799$1099

iPad Air press release

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3 replies on “Apple’s new iPad Air is (almost) a cheaper iPad Pro for $599 and up”

  1. Impressive. They gave us the M1 on this iPad, and the iPad Pro 11″ still looks like the better deal.

  2. iPad Pro with 1GB of storage or more also have 16GB of RAM

    1GB huh u mean 1TB?

Comments are closed.