iPad Air 11 Inch M4 vs iPad Pro 13 Inch M5
Verdict: The iPad Pro 13 Inch M5 wins for users needing the OLED display and M5 power, beating the Air on brightness by 600 nits and refresh rate per DisplayMate-style tests. The iPad Air 11 Inch M4 is the smarter pick due to lower cost and sufficient M4 performance for media and notes. Notebookcheck and RTINGS data show the Pro's advantages mainly benefit video editors while the Air closes the gap for general use.
Winner: iPad Pro 13 Inch M5
iPad Air 11 Inch M4: 7.5/10
iPad Pro 13 Inch M5: 8.5/10
Spec-by-spec comparison
| iPad Air 11 Inch M4 | iPad Pro 13 Inch M5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Display Size | 11-inch Liquid Retina | 13-inch Ultra Retina XDR OLED |
| Chip | Apple M4 | Apple M5 |
| RAM | 8GB | 16GB |
| Storage Options | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB |
iPad Air 11 Inch M4
What works
- Lighter at 1.02 lbs for extended handheld use
- Lower starting price point than Pro models
- M4 chip delivers strong performance for productivity and media
What doesn't
- No ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate
iPad Pro 13 Inch M5
What works
- Tandem OLED display reaches 1600 nits peak brightness
- M5 chip with higher GPU cores for demanding creative work
- 120Hz ProMotion and thinner 5.1mm body
What doesn't
- Higher price and heavier at 1.23 lbs
Bottom line
Our pick: iPad Pro 13 Inch M5.
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