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iPad Air 11" iPad Pro 2nd Generation vs. iPad Air 4th Generation

Yebubbleman

Yebubbleman

macrumors 603
Original poster
May 20, 2010
6,025
2,617
Los Angeles, CA
If you were to be getting a 256GB Wi-Fi only version of either model, which one would you get and why?

I am in that predicament currently and I keep going back and forth on it. My primary uses for it would be to watch movies and TV shows (probably with headphones more often than without, but being able to utilize the internal speakers wouldn't totally suck. I like the idea of FaceID and the TrueDepth camera system, but I don't know that it's necessarily a must for it, especially for the use cases for this particular iPad.

I'm hearing a lot of display ripple complaints (an issue that had me replacing and ultimately giving up on the iPad Air 2) as well as backlight bleeding issues on the 4th Gen iPad Air. Though, I'm also hearing that bend issues are a problem on both models even still.

Given feature and price differences between the two (also known issues on either), which would you lean towards at this point in time?
 
For your use case I would go with the Air. I have a 2020 iPad Pro and mine gets shoved in a backpack and tossed around a fair bit and its just as flat and straight as the day I bought it. I think the bending issues were way overblown IMO. I picked up an Air 4 for my grandmother a month ago and she loves it and hasn't had any complaints and when Im using it when around her I dont notice any display weirdness at all.
 
I just returned an iPad Air for an 11“ pro. I had 2 airs with obvious backlight bleed, the one that was a slightly better display was also dented out of the box. Not confident in the quality of these iPad airs coming out right now.
 
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There are quite lot of threads about this already, and it really does depend on what you want.

The incredibly smooth 120hz ProMotion Display (can run at as low as 24hz for movies to give the cinema effect to), FaceID, 6GB RAM, Quad Speakers, LiDAR and Dual Cameras of the iPad Pro do appeal to many, but are they what you want?

Not everyone needs a Pro and when they don’t the Air 4 is a perfect alternative for most people.

You cannot go wrong with either.
 
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This comes up rather often - I suggest you research the iPad boards more.

Personally I’ll take the Pro over the Air.
 
Yebubbleman said:
If you were to be getting a 256GB Wi-Fi only version of either model, which one would you get and why?

I am in that predicament currently and I keep going back and forth on it. My primary uses for it would be to watch movies and TV shows (probably with headphones more often than without, but being able to utilize the internal speakers wouldn't totally suck. I like the idea of FaceID and the TrueDepth camera system, but I don't know that it's necessarily a must for it, especially for the use cases for this particular iPad.

I'm hearing a lot of display ripple complaints (an issue that had me replacing and ultimately giving up on the iPad Air 2) as well as backlight bleeding issues on the 4th Gen iPad Air. Though, I'm also hearing that bend issues are a problem on both models even still.

Given feature and price differences between the two (also known issues on either), which would you lean towards at this point in time?
Click to expand...
Get the iPad Pro. The 120Hz screen makes a huge difference.
 
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I believe the general consensus is that if you can find the 2018 11" iPad Pro refurbished or at a discount, go with the pro, as it still has better specs than the 2020 iPad Air. Faster multicore performance, and just better all-round. Maybe start camping out at the apple store?
 
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Tsepz said:
There are quite lot of threads about this already, and it really does depend on what you want.

The incredibly smooth 120hz ProMotion Display (can run at as low as 24hz for movies to give the cinema effect to), FaceID, 6GB RAM, Quad Speakers, LiDAR and Dual Cameras of the iPad Pro do appeal to many, but are they what you want?

Not everyone needs a Pro and when they don’t the Air 4 is a perfect alternative for most people.

You cannot go wrong with either.
Click to expand...

ericwn said:
This comes up rather often - I suggest you research the iPad boards more.

Personally I’ll take the Pro over the Air.
Click to expand...
The main reason I pose this after there have been other threads is that we now know much more about the issues on both models. If all things are equal, I'm leaning Air only because I do see myself also getting a 12.9" iPad Pro at some point (and therefore don't need the bells and whistles of an 11" Pro). Though, I have gone back and forth, especially seeing as the difference between the two is only $150. Certainly, if more reliability issues exist on one versus the other, then that makes my choice all the clearer.
 
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Abazigal said:
I believe the general consensus is that if you can find the 2018 11" iPad Pro refurbished or at a discount, go with the pro, as it still has better specs than the 2020 iPad Air. Faster multicore performance, and just better all-round. Maybe start camping out at the apple store?
Click to expand...
This was what I originally wanted to do. However the Apple Certified Refurbished iPad section of the Apple Online Store has been totally dry for months now. I have Refurb.Me alerts for both a 2018 256GB 11" iPad Pro and a 2018 512GB 11" iPad Pro. Not a one has come up since the fourth generation Air has come out.
 
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I just picked up an iPad Air yesterday and I’m loving it. The only feature I feel I’m missing out on is Promotion. But not for an extra $200. I’ll put that money towards a Smart Keyboard folio or something. No bleeding issues either.
 
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dannyyankou said:
I just picked up an iPad Air yesterday and I’m loving it. The only feature I feel I’m missing out on is Promotion. But not for an extra $200. I’ll put that money towards a Smart Keyboard folio or something. No bleeding issues either.
Click to expand...
The 2018 Pro is actually cheaper than the Air.
 
I made the same decisions and ended up picking a 2018 Pro for about the same price as an Air 4. Very happy indeed - and I do enjoy Promotion and the quad speakers a lot.
 
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I have a 2017 10.5 Pro, just ordered a 256 SG 11 Pro 256 W cell. Once u get a pro its hard to go back! Pro Motion, 4 speakers, and I tried the New Air and Hated the Fingerprint reader on the TOP Button! Wow that sucked! Plus all the light bleeding issues on the air... Cant wait for my 11 Pro to arrive... Keeping the 10.5 Pro too! Lots of talk about apple getting rid of the 11 Pro .. SO I decided to pull the trigger now...
 
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harleymhs said:
I have a 2017 10.5 Pro, just ordered a 256 SG 11 Pro 256 W cell. Once u get a pro its hard to go back! Pro Motion, 4 speakers, and I tried the New Air and Hated the Fingerprint reader on the TOP Button! Wow that sucked! Plus all the light bleeding issues on the air... Cant wait for my 11 Pro to arrive... Keeping the 10.5 Pro too! Lots of talk about apple getting rid of the 11 Pro .. SO I decided to pull the trigger now...
Click to expand...
Cannot imagine going back to TouchID on an iPad lol unless Apple gave us BOTH FaceID and TouchID on one device, even then I would probably use FaceID 99% of the time.
 
Yebubbleman said:
If you were to be getting a 256GB Wi-Fi only version of either model, which one would you get and why?

I am in that predicament currently and I keep going back and forth on it. My primary uses for it would be to watch movies and TV shows (probably with headphones more often than without, but being able to utilize the internal speakers wouldn't totally suck. I like the idea of FaceID and the TrueDepth camera system, but I don't know that it's necessarily a must for it, especially for the use cases for this particular iPad.

I'm hearing a lot of display ripple complaints (an issue that had me replacing and ultimately giving up on the iPad Air 2) as well as backlight bleeding issues on the 4th Gen iPad Air. Though, I'm also hearing that bend issues are a problem on both models even still.

Given feature and price differences between the two (also known issues on either), which would you lean towards at this point in time?
Click to expand...
If both are the same capacity, I'd go for the Pro, and actually I did. When I researched them going from the 10.5 to the Air seemed like a small downgrade so I went 11 pro.
 
I’m tempted to upgrade my iPad soon as the battery life is noticeably worse. I have a 2017 iPad 5th gen 32GB model currently and have been looking at the air. I see people here are recommending the 2018 Pro but if I had that it would have to be with a new battery. They seem pretty rare too and slightly cheaper in price to the Air when found. Not sure whether it’s just better to get a new iPad Air and know the history. Decisions lol.

There does seem to be supply issues with the Air at the moment too but probably due to Christmas etc.
 
Yebubbleman said:
Though, I have gone back and forth, especially seeing as the difference between the two is only $150. Certainly, if more reliability issues exist on one versus the other, then that makes my choice all the clearer.
Click to expand...
And of course there’s that “Pro Tax” for AppleCare+

AppleCare+
Pro - $129
Air - $69

I just bought got a Pro11 and Air4 and this is actually the expense that upsets me most. Nearly identical devices but I have to pay $60 more because the older model pretends to be a “Pro” device.
 
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I get everybody is different but I couldn't go away from pro motion on my iPad....no doubt I would feel the same when the iPhone gets pro motion in 2021
 
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The Game 161 said:
I get everybody is different but I couldn't go away from pro motion on my iPad....no doubt I would feel the same when the iPhone gets pro motion in 2021
Click to expand...
The more I read about it from users here the more I’m glad I’ve never had it. It means I’m not worrying about not having it and I don’t know what I am missing. Never had any concerns about refresh rate on my iPad or noticed it truthfully.
 
The-Real-Deal82 said:
I’m tempted to upgrade my iPad soon as the battery life is noticeably worse. I have a 2017 iPad 5th gen 32GB model currently and have been looking at the air. I see people here are recommending the 2018 Pro but if I had that it would have to be with a new battery. They seem pretty rare too and slightly cheaper in price to the Air when found. Not sure whether it’s just better to get a new iPad Air and know the history. Decisions lol.

There does seem to be supply issues with the Air at the moment too but probably due to Christmas etc.
Click to expand...
When I got my iPad Air 3 around March/April for £455 on Amazon last year (when COVID lockdown started), literally about a week later the iPad Pro 11 2020 was released, and Immediately the iPad Pro 2018 was available on Apple refurb section for only £519!!. God I was so annoyed with myself as I had seriously considered the 2018 Pro before pulling the trigger on the Air, but I thought to to myself I would rather have a brand new device so just stuck with the Air 3. I loved it though, it really helped me during the long lockdown period. I since upgraded to the Air 4 in October, so got what I wanted in the end (it’s basically a 2018 Pro 11 without promotion, but with the more efficient A14 SoC).
 
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