Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) vs Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4)

By Billy G. · Founder & Lead EditorVerified May 27 by Billy G.

Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M4)
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4)
Verified Confidence: 85%

Verdict: The MacBook Air 13-inch M4 wins for users needing a full desktop OS and keyboard productivity, beating the iPad on sustained performance and software flexibility per Notebookcheck and Geekbench data. The iPad Pro 13-inch M4 excels in drawing and media with its tandem OLED and Pencil support, outpacing the MacBook on display quality per RTINGS measurements. Choose the MacBook if you need windowed apps and file management; pick the iPad for portable sketching and consumption.

Winner: Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4)

Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M4): 8/10

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4): 8.5/10

Spec-by-spec comparison

Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M4)Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4)
chipApple M4Apple M4
display13-inch Tandem OLED, 120Hz13.6-inch Liquid Retina, 60Hz
ram8GB or 16GB unified16GB unified minimum
weight579 g1.24 kg

Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M4)

What works

  • Ultra-thin 5.1 mm aluminum body with tandem OLED for perfect blacks and 1000 nits SDR
  • Supports Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard for laptop-like use
  • Up to 10 hours video playback on 38.99 Wh battery

What doesn't

  • iPadOS limits true multitasking and windowed apps compared to macOS
  • No native mouse/trackpad support without external keyboard

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4)

What works

  • Full macOS with native window management and pro apps like Final Cut
  • Fanless design with up to 18 hours battery life on 52.6 Wh cell
  • MagSafe charging and multiple Thunderbolt 4 ports

What doesn't

  • 60 Hz display lacks the smoothness of 120 Hz OLED
  • Thicker 11.5 mm chassis than the iPad Pro

Bottom line

Our pick: Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4).

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