iPad Air 13 Inch M3 vs iPad Pro 13 Inch M5
Verdict: iPad Pro 13-inch M5 leads with tandem OLED at 1600 nits and M5 chip scoring 4.1 million multi-core versus M3's 2.8 million. It beats the Air on display refresh rate and RAM but costs more. The Air M3 remains competitive for lighter use at a lower entry price.
iPad Air 13 Inch M3 lists at $799 while iPad Pro 13 Inch M5 lists at $1,299 — iPad Air 13 Inch M3 undercuts iPad Pro 13 Inch M5 by $500 (63%).
Winner: iPad Pro 13 Inch M5
iPad Air 13 Inch M3: 7/10
iPad Pro 13 Inch M5: 9/10
Spec-by-spec comparison
| iPad Air 13 Inch M3 | iPad Pro 13 Inch M5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | Apple M3 | Apple M5 |
| Display | 13-inch Liquid Retina LCD | 120Hz |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Weight | 1.35 lb | 1.28 lb |
| Storage | 128GB256GB512GB1TB2TB | — |
| Front Camera | — | 12MP |
iPad Air 13 Inch M3
What works
- M3 delivers 2.8 million Geekbench 6 multi-core (per Geekbench)
- Starts at lower price point than Pro models
- Supports Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard
What doesn't
- LCD panel reaches only 500 nits peak brightness (per RTINGS)
- No tandem OLED or 120Hz ProMotion
iPad Pro 13 Inch M5
What works
- M5 achieves 4.1 million Geekbench 6 multi-core (per Geekbench)
- Tandem OLED hits 1600 nits peak (per RTINGS)
- 120Hz ProMotion with thinner bezels
What doesn't
- Higher starting price than Air models
- Overkill for basic tasks like browsing and streaming
Bottom line
Our pick: iPad Pro 13 Inch M5.
View full comparison on GoodPickr
Related Comparisons
- Apple iPad Pro 11-inch M2 vs Microsoft Surface Pro 8
- iPad Pro 11-inch M2 vs Microsoft Surface Pro 8
- LG 48 Inch C4 OLED TV vs LG 65 Inch Class OLED Evo C5 Series Smart TV
- LG OLED48C4 vs Sony Bravia XR A80J 65 Inch
- Samsung QN90A 75 Inch TV vs Sony X950G 65 Inch TV
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 vs iPad Air 5TH Generation 10 9 Inch M1 Wi Fi Cellular 64GB Purple
- Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch M4 Max vs Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch M4 Max
- iPad (10th generation) vs Surface Pro 8
- iPad Air 13" M3 vs iPad Pro 12.9" M5
- Apple iPad (10th generation) vs Microsoft Surface Pro 8
- Fire HD 10 2025 vs iPad Air 11 Inch M2
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE vs iPad 9th Gen
People also compared
Affiliate disclosure: GoodPickr may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through partner links on this page. Verdicts are editorially independent and never influenced by affiliate relationships.
GoodPickr · Data-backed product comparisons