Apple M2 iPad Air 13-inch vs M2 iPad Pro 12.9: Do you really need a Pro?

While these iPads have the same chip, they are built for different purposes.

Both tablets are powered by the M2 chip (Express Photo)

Apple, at its recently held ‘Let Loose’ event, unveiled the new iPad Air lineup with two models. For the first time, the company has introduced a 13-inch iPad Air, powered by the Apple Silicon M2, which makes it as powerful as the M2 iPad Pro.

If you are looking for a large-screen iPad but not as expensive as the M4 iPad Pro, the previous generation M2 iPad Pro and the latest M2 iPad Air make for compelling choices.

Here is a detailed guide on how to choose the right model for your specific requirements.

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Also read | Today the Apple iPad Pro became irrelevant to me… and I’m happy about it

Massive price difference

The new 13-inch iPad Air with 128 GB of internal storage starts at Rs 79,900. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro with M2 costs an additional Rs 35,000, at Rs 1,09,502. However, do note Apple has officially discontinued the M2 iPad Pro post-M4 iPad Pro launch, and it can be bought only from third-party platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart.

iPad Pro has a more capable display

The most recent updates to the iPad arrived back in October 2022. (Image: Apple)

Despite both being 13-inch iPads, the iPad Pro M2 is a lot different from the 13-inch iPad Air. The iPad Pro comes with a far superior Mini LED screen, which offers excellent contrast, higher peak brightness, and up to 120Hz refresh rate. The iPad Air, on the other hand, has a regular LCD screen. It is not as smooth or colour-accurate as the one on the iPad Pro.

Also read | Apple’s M2 iPad Air lineup now includes a bigger 13-inch model

The difference in the display might matter to professionals who use iPads to edit photos and videos. They would appreciate the more advanced display on the iPad Pro. Even gamers will enjoy the faster refresh rate on the iPad Pro compared to the new iPad Air.

Same hardware and software performance

As both the iPads are based on the same M2 chip, they will deliver identical performance. Both iPads offer 8 GB of RAM, and they also get USB-C ports. However, only the iPad Pro supports Thunderbolt 4 (30Gbps) USB data transfer. The iPad Air offers up to USB 3 (10Gbps) data transfer speeds along with Display output.

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iPad Pro has more cameras and LiDAR

Apple iPad Air is now available in a 13-inch variant. (Image Source: Apple)

There is a reason why the iPad Pro has the moniker Pro. It has a dedicated ultra-wide angle lens, more secure Face ID, and it even gets a LiDAR scanner, which has a lot of industrial use.

The 13-inch iPad Air comes with a Touch ID and a single 12 MP camera. If you are someone who makes a lot of video calls, the iPad Air with its landscape-positioned selfie camera might appeal more..

iPad Air supports Apple Pencil Pro

If you are an artist, the new iPad Air with its Apple Pencil Pro support could help you improve productivity. The previous generation iPad Pro misses out on this.
However, both iPads support Pencil 2. Both models support the Magic Keyboard too. The new iPad Air is compatible with the latest Magic Keyboard, which makes it feel more like a laptop with its metal construction and a large trackpad.

iPad Pro for extreme users, iPad Air for regular users

The iPad Air 5th Gen is powered by Apple’s M1 chipset. (Express Photo)

Just like the massive price difference between the two, there are plenty of differences between the M2 iPad Air and the M2 iPad Pro. The iPad Pro is designed for professionals who need the best performance along with cutting-edge features. The M2 iPad Air is meant for those who need a large-screen iPad, mostly for web browsing, video streaming, and gaming.

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If you are willing to spend over a lakh on an iPad in 2024, you could also consider the latest M4 iPad Pro model, which now costs only a few thousand rupees more than the M2 iPad Pro.