iPad Air (5th generation, M1) vs iPad Pro 13-inch (M4)

iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) wins — The iPad Pro 13-inch M4 wins decisively with its 120Hz OLED screen and M4 chip that scores 40-60% higher in Geekbench 6 …

Scores: iPad Air (5th generation, M1) 6.5/10 · iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) 8.5/10

The iPad Pro 13-inch M4 wins decisively with its 120Hz OLED screen and M4 chip that scores 40-60% higher in Geekbench 6 multi-core tests than the M1 (per public benchmarks). The Air M1 remains viable for note-taking and streaming at lower cost but lacks the Pro's display smoothness and future-proofing. Notebookcheck and RTINGS data confirm the Pro's superior color accuracy and refresh rate adva...

Spec-by-spec comparison

iPad Air (5th generation, M1)iPad Pro 13-inch (M4)
chipApple M1Apple M4
display10.9-inch Liquid Retina LCD, 2360x1640, 60Hz13-inch Tandem OLED, 2752x2064, 120Hz ProMotion
ram8GB8GB or 16GB
weight461g579g

iPad Air (5th generation, M1)

What works

  • Lightweight at 461g for easy one-handed use
  • Solid 8GB RAM handles multitasking and apps well
  • Lower cost compared to newer Pro models

What doesn't

  • 60Hz display lacks smoothness of 120Hz panels
  • M1 chip trails M4 in GPU and AI tasks by significant margins

iPad Pro 13-inch (M4)

What works

  • M4 chip delivers up to 50% faster GPU performance than M1 (per Apple benchmarks)
  • 120Hz OLED display with 1000 nits typical brightness for superior visuals
  • Ultra-thin 5.1mm design with advanced AI features via Apple Intelligence

What doesn't

  • Heavier at 579g reduces portability versus 10.9-inch models
  • Higher starting price limits accessibility

Bottom line

Our pick: iPad Pro 13-inch (M4).

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