All iPads iPad Air vs iPad Pro

[AGamble]

Hey!

I’m looking at getting either the new iPad Air 11” 256gb or iPad Pro 11” 256gb.

I won’t be using it with a keyboard, Apple Pencil or buying it for upgraded camera (I don’t take photo’s)

Main usage will be video, surfing and emails etc.

The million dollar question is is the OLED screen and M4 chip worth the additional £300? Are they really a step up from the LCD and M3 in the Air?

Latest iOS support is key, do you think the Pro will support the latest iOS release longer than the Air?

Thanks,
Alex

 

[goodthymes]

I would say it's very dependent, what's the % for video usage? If it's only 10% of your total use for the iPad I would say it's not worth it. For browsing and emails, you're not going to really notice any difference- at least in my case coming from a 5th gen iPad Pro with LCD as those screens were really good to begin with. But when I watch videos on my M4 Pro, the colors really pop because of the better contrast and true black (great when watching stuff with subtitles having no blooming around the texts).

I will say this, I love Promotion on the M4. Everything is so so buttery smooth; scrolling, switching apps, page swipes, etc., it's really jarring switching over to my Mini 7 doing some of the same stuff. If you're worry about lenght of support, maybe wait to October for the expected refresh to M5 and probably some other minor tweaks.

 

[StoneJack]

Base ipad will be very enough. Ipados is the main limiting factor so hardware doesnt matter

 

[Ungibbed]

I have a M4 iPP and find it's the ultimate mobile movie watching device. Sure there are better options for the task such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab series with its wider aspect ratio but it's hard to go wrong with the M4 Pro.

 

[FeliApple]

For content consumption? You don’t need the Pro, no. You may want it and that’s a different story, but you don’t need it.

 

[ericwn]

Base ipad will be very enough. Ipados is the main limiting factor so hardware doesnt matter

120 hz screens do matter for a lot of people as do better displays and speakers, and pencils, occasionally. Hardware is absolutely relevant, even if the base model already is ok.

 

[rui no onna]

The million dollar question is is the OLED screen and M4 chip worth the additional £300? Are they really a step up from the LCD and M3 in the Air?

The value proposition is entirely personal preference. As for the difference in display, check out the Air and Pro screens at an Apple Store so you can decide if it's worth it to you.

 

[snipr125]

Hey!

I’m looking at getting either the new iPad Air 11” 256gb or iPad Pro 11” 256gb.

I won’t be using it with a keyboard, Apple Pencil or buying it for upgraded camera (I don’t take photo’s)

Main usage will be video, surfing and emails etc.

The million dollar question is is the OLED screen and M4 chip worth the additional £300? Are they really a step up from the LCD and M3 in the Air?

Latest iOS support is key, do you think the Pro will support the latest iOS release longer than the Air?

Thanks,
Alex

Well of course they are a step up, in particular the display, that £300 extra is worth it if you want the best display in the industry right now (and don't suffer from PWM). However the iPad Air M3 does everything the Pro can do (just maybe not as refined) and can save a chunk of money in the process.

 

[Digital Dude]

I’ve been using iPads for 15yrs, and I’m currently on the M2. If it’s within your budget, I’d say go for the Pro—it’ provides a few more features. Also, you might want to rethink skipping the keyboard (I tried and failed). Without one, that sleek little slate is going to slip out of your hands more times than you’ll think. Eventually, it’ll drive you nuts when it slides off and dings a corner. Save yourself the frustration and just get the keyboard up front or at least some third-party alternative. 🙄

 

[rui no onna]

I’ve been using iPads for 15yrs, and I’m currently on the M2. If it’s within your budget, I’d say go for the Pro—it’ provides a few more features. Also, you might want to rethink skipping the keyboard. Without one, that sleek little slate is going to slip out of your hands more times than you’ll think. Eventually, it’ll drive you nuts when it slides off and dings a corner. Save yourself the frustration and just get the keyboard up front or at least some third-party alternative. 🙄

There are a ton of non-keyboard cases available for iPads.

Personally, if I wanted something constantly connected to a keyboard I'd just use a laptop. 🙄

 

[Falhófnir]

For surfing and emails I don't think OLED is going to make any difference, in terms of videos, is that just youtube, or something where the HDR/ high refresh will really make a difference? That's probably what this decision will hinge on. I'd say it's only really worth considering the Pro if you're going to be watching movies/ tv series/ nature documentaries that will really wow you. For general productivity and youtube I'd save the money and go with the Air. Performance is unlikely to be noticeable between the two, the Pro may get an extra year of support with a generation newer chipset, but the Air should get a good 5-7 years given it's a just released model anyway.

 

[Misheemee]

I don’t “need it” for my use cases, but I enjoy the heck out of using it so yes, it’s worth it to me

Also, the Face ID is worth it in itself, before even mentioning the screen benefits

 

[derbyshire2013]

Just my two pence worth… have you potentially considered a certified refurbished model from Apple?

Refurbished 11-inch iPad Pro Wi-Fi 128GB Silver (4th Generation)

Originally released October 202211-inch (diagonal) Liquid Retina displayApple M2 chipPro camera system: Wide and Ultra Wide cameras4K video recordingFace IDCentre StageFour speaker audioAntireflective coatingUp to 10 hours of battery life²Weight 466 grams (1.03 pounds) and Depth 5.9 mm (0.23 inches)

www.apple.com

Okay, so the 11” M2 isn’t OLED but you still get ProMotion and FaceID…

 

[russell_314]

I’ve been using iPads for 15yrs, and I’m currently on the M2. If it’s within your budget, I’d say go for the Pro—it’ provides a few more features. Also, you might want to rethink skipping the keyboard (I tried and failed). Without one, that sleek little slate is going to slip out of your hands more times than you’ll think. Eventually, it’ll drive you nuts when it slides off and dings a corner. Save yourself the frustration and just get the keyboard up front or at least some third-party alternative. 🙄

You know you can get cases that don’t have keyboards? I’m with you on that bare iPad, slipping out of your hands. It sounds silly, but in real life at least for me I can’t go without some type of case.

I’ve tried keyboard cases with my iPad and I’ve never liked them, but I’ve never tried the Apple keyboard. I have a MacBook Air so if I have to do anything that requires a lot of inputting data I go for that. If I didn’t have the MacBook Air, I would probably want a keyboard.

For surfing and emails I don't think OLED is going to make any difference, in terms of videos, is that just youtube, or something where the HDR/ high refresh will really make a difference? That's probably what this decision will hinge on. I'd say it's only really worth considering the Pro if you're going to be watching movies/ tv series/ nature documentaries that will really wow you. For general productivity and youtube I'd save the money and go with the Air. Performance is unlikely to be noticeable between the two, the Pro may get an extra year of support with a generation newer chipset, but the Air should get a good 5-7 years given it's a just released model anyway.

I think this is a good advice. I love my iPad Air. I’ve seen the iPad Pro, but I’ve never seen both of them side-by-side so I’m assuming there is some difference. I absolutely don’t have a problem with the screen on the air when it comes to watching YouTube videos. That’s one of the main things I have it for.

 

[Coolpher]

Of course the air is more economically friendly. I guess after the iPhone 7 touch ID I haven’t had to use anything like that switching to the iPhone X with Face ID and then the iPad pros once they acquired Face ID but now with the M4 13 inch model it’s the best screen in my house I couldn’t imagine stepping down and honestly for $300 you get Face ID tandem OLED panels those two alone but don’t forget about the quad speakers instead of stereo two speakers all for just $300. I understand if you’re on a budget, but you’re just counting the pennies pay the extra $300. It’s worth it. It’s the same pencil either way it’s all personal preference good luck on your choice. Edit. I forgot to mention I don’t have a MacBook Pro or air so this is my laptop/tablet

 

[Devyn89]

I’m a pretty basic user, some writing, lots of content consumption, some games. To me the iPad Pro is worth it because the point is having an amazing display and nothing is more amazing than this display.

 

[teohyc]

As for M3 iPad Air vs M4 iPad Pro... The main differentiating factor, to me, is the 1000 nits OLED brightness that makes it easier to work with outdoors under the sun (before it overheats). There are other differences such as 120Hz, 4-way speakers, face unlock, and all are nice little bonuses.

If you're gonna get the iPad Air, just go with the refurbished M2 iPad Pro from Apple online store.