iPad Air 13-inch M4 vs iPad Pro 12.9-inch M2

iPad Air 13-inch M4 wins — The iPad Air 13-inch M4 wins with a higher verdict score due to its 2026 release, $799 price, and M4 chip versus the dis…

Scores: iPad Air 13-inch M4 8.5/10 · iPad Pro 12.9-inch M2 6.5/10

The iPad Air 13-inch M4 wins with a higher verdict score due to its 2026 release, $799 price, and M4 chip versus the discontinued 2022 M2 Pro at $1099. The Pro's Liquid Retina XDR display offers better contrast for editing per RTINGS tablet reviews, but the Air's 12GB memory and current status provide superior value. M4's efficiency leads to better battery longevity in mixed use compared to M2 ...

iPad Air 13-inch M4 lists at $799 while iPad Pro 12.9-inch M2 lists at $1,099 — iPad Air 13-inch M4 undercuts iPad Pro 12.9-inch M2 by $300 (38%).

Spec-by-spec comparison

	iPad Air 13-inch M4	iPad Pro 12.9-inch M2
display	13-inch Liquid Retina	12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR
chip	M4 (8-core CPU, 9-core GPU)	M2 (8-core CPU, 10-core GPU)
memory	12GB unified	—
front_camera	12MP Center Stage	12MP Ultra Wide

iPad Air 13-inch M4

What works

Current model with latest M4 chip released 2026-03-11
Lower MSRP of $799 versus $1099
12GB unified memory standard

What doesn't

Liquid Retina display lacks XDR brightness and contrast
Fewer GPU cores than M2 Pro model

iPad Pro 12.9-inch M2

What works

Superior Liquid Retina XDR display with higher contrast
10-core GPU for graphics tasks
Storage options up to 2TB

What doesn't

Discontinued since 2022-10-26 with older M2 chip
Higher original MSRP of $1099
No standard memory specification listed

Bottom line

Our pick: iPad Air 13-inch M4.

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