iPad Pro (M5) vs iPad Air (M3): Mega Comparison

Apple’s iPad Air with M3 comes in multiple colors (shown above) and even offers a larger 13-inch variant, aiming to deliver pro-level features at a lower price point.

Both the iPad Pro 11-inch (M5) and iPad Air 11-inch (M3) share Apple’s modern all-screen design and support many of the same accessories, but they target different users and budgets. The iPad Pro is Apple’s premium tablet, packing top-of-the-line features and performance, whereas the iPad Air is a mid-range “Pro alternative” that offers high performance at a more accessible price

Display & Design

One of the most noticeable differences is the display technology. The iPad Pro uses a Tandem OLED “Ultra Retina XDR” display with ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate and extreme brightness (up to 1000 nits full-screen, 1600 nits peak for HDR).

This means the Pro’s screen delivers deeper blacks, higher contrast, and much smoother visuals (especially for animations and scrolling) compared to the Air’s display. The iPad Air, on the other hand, has a still-excellent Liquid Retina LCD display (60Hz) that is vibrant and sharp, but not as bright (max ~500 nits SDR) and without the adaptive 120Hz refresh rate

Both screens are 11″ with the same sharp 264 ppi resolution, and both support True Tone color adjustment. However, the Air’s screen is simply not as “XDR” as the Pro’s – in practical use the Air’s LCD looks great, but the Pro’s OLED offers more precise contrast and better visibility in harsh lighting (it even has an optional nano-texture coating on high-end models to reduce glare)

Notably, both the Pro and Air displays are fully laminated and have an anti-reflective coating, so reflections are minimized – a big improvement over older non-laminated iPads. Physically, the two iPads are very similar in design: both are slim (the Pro is slightly thinner at 5.3 mm vs the Air’s 6.1 mm), with flat sides, USB-C ports, and all-screen fronts with uniform bezels.

The Air distinguishes itself with multiple color options (Space Gray, Blue, Purple, Starlight, etc.), whereas the Pro comes in more subdued Silver or Space Black. Overall, the Pro looks virtually identical to the Air at a glance, but its display is a real differentiator in quality and fluidity.

Performance (M5 vs M3 Chips)

Under the hood, the iPad Pro 11″ features Apple’s M5 chip, while the iPad Air runs on the M3 chip. Both are part of Apple’s M-series (desktop-class SoC) line, so they deliver powerful performance well beyond typical mobile chips. The M5 is newer and more powerful – Apple touts major gains in AI and graphics performance over previous gens (e.g. 3.5× the AI performance of M4 and over 5× faster than M1 in certain tasks).

It has up to a 10‑core CPU and 10‑core GPU, and in the 11″ Pro it comes with 12 GB RAM (or 16 GB in 1TB/2TB models). The M3 in the Air is no slouch either – it’s roughly on par with the previous M4 chip in many respects. The Air’s M3 has an 8‑core CPU, 9‑core GPU, and 8 GB RAM (with up to 16 GB on the 1TB model). In real-world use, both devices feel extremely fast for tasks like editing video, drawing, or multitasking.

The Pro’s M5 will excel more at heavy professional workloads, 3D rendering, or AI-driven tasks, and it offers some future-proofing for upcoming iPadOS features. For example, the M5’s Neural Engine and GPU have special Neural Accelerators and ray-tracing hardware, giving the Pro an edge in AI, graphics rendering, and high-end games.

That said, the M3 Air is highly capable – as one reviewer noted, the M3 provides “a lot of power for a tablet,” essentially “as good as” the M4 iPad Pro it succeeds. Unless you are pushing the iPad to its limits (like pro video editing with 8K ProRes, complex 3D design, or machine learning apps), the performance difference may not be very noticeable day-to-day. Both can run desktop-grade apps and multitask well, but the iPad Pro’s extra horsepower (and higher memory bandwidth) makes it better suited for the most demanding professional use cases.

Camera and Face ID vs Touch ID

Both iPads feature a 12MP rear Wide camera that can record 4K video up to 60fps. However, the iPad Pro adds a couple of extras: it has a LiDAR Scanner for AR applications and low-light focusing, and it supports advanced video features like ProRes video recording (up to 4K/30fps internally, or 4K/60 via external recording) – features that the Air lacks.

The Pro is also equipped with a rear True Tone flash, whereas the Air has no flash. On the front, both have the new Landscape 12MP Center Stage camera (located on the longer side for better video calls) with Center Stage auto-framing. But the iPad Pro’s front camera is part of a TrueDepth system that enables Face ID authentication (and things like Animoji and Portrait mode selfies).

The iPad Air does not have Face ID – instead, it uses Touch ID built into the top power button for unlocking and Apple Pay. Touch ID on the Air works well and quickly, but the Pro’s Face ID allows hands-free unlocking by just looking at the screen.

This is a convenient perk of the Pro (especially if you’re used to Face ID on iPhone), though some users are perfectly fine with Touch ID. Aside from authentication, the front camera capabilities differ: the Pro can do Portrait Mode and Portrait Lighting effects on selfies thanks to the TrueDepth camera, which the Air cannot. In everyday use, both front cameras are great for video conferencing with Center Stage, but if you want the biometric convenience of Face ID or plan to use your iPad for AR and pro video capture, the Pro has the advantage.

Audio and Ports:

The iPad Pro has a more advanced media setup, featuring a quad-speaker system (four speakers total) that provides fuller stereo sound in any orientation, as well as studio-quality microphones (ideal for recording). The iPad Air has a dual-speaker system – it places two speakers to produce stereo audio when the tablet is in landscape mode, which sounds good but not as rich as the Pro’s four-speaker output. For most casual music or video, the Air’s speakers are fine; the Pro’s speakers are simply louder and more immersive, which matters if you frequently use the iPad for high-quality media or presentations.

In terms of ports, the iPad Pro’s USB-C port is a Thunderbolt / USB4 port, meaning it supports very high data transfer speeds and more powerful peripherals (up to 40 Gbps throughput). You can connect fast external drives, 4K/5K monitors, docks, etc., and the Pro can even drive external displays at up to 120Hz with Adaptive Sync support.

The iPad Air’s USB-C port is a standard USB-C 3.1 (Gen1/Gen2) interface – still supports accessories and external displays, but with lower bandwidth (around 10 Gbps) and without Thunderbolt’s versatility. Both models support charging via USB-C and both have a Smart Connector on the back for keyboards (more on that below). For wireless connectivity, the iPad Pro (M5) is ahead with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, versus the Air (M3) which has Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.

In practice, Wi-Fi 6E on the Air already provides very fast networking (if you have a 6E router), but the Pro’s Wi-Fi 7 support is more future-proof. Both offer 5G cellular options (sub‑6 GHz) if you buy the Wi‑Fi + Cellular models, so on the go connectivity is similar aside from the Wi-Fi standard difference.

Accessories (Apple Pencil and Keyboard):

Both the iPad Pro M5 and iPad Air M3 are compatible with Apple’s latest and greatest accessories – but there are a few key differences. Notably, both support the new Apple Pencil Pro (3rd generation), which brings advanced features like magnetic wireless charging, a squeeze gesture, barrel roll gesture, haptic feedback, and even Find My tracking.

With the Pencil Pro, artists and note-takers get a more intuitive experience (e.g. squeezing the stylus could change tools). The Air and Pro also both support the older Apple Pencil (USB-C model) if you prefer that or need a cheaper stylus option. In short, the Apple Pencil experience is equally capable on both – the Air isn’t restricted to an older Pencil, which is great for creators on a budget.

When it comes to keyboards, the iPad Pro uses the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro, while the Air uses a new Magic Keyboard for iPad Air. These are very similar floating cantilever keyboard cases that magnetically attach to the back and suspend the iPad above the keys.

They both provide a laptop-like experience with a built-in trackpad and a 14-key function row of shortcuts. However, the Pro’s Magic Keyboard is a bit more premium: it has backlit keys (the Air’s keyboard is not backlit) and an aluminum top case/palm rest design for durability.

It also features a larger glass trackpad with haptic feedback for clicks, whereas the Air’s trackpad, while precise, does not have the haptic click mechanism.

Both keyboards have the USB-C pass-through charging port on the hinge (so you can charge the iPad through the keyboard), and both use the Smart Connector so they don’t require Bluetooth pairing or charging. Essentially, typing feel and core functionality are the same, but the Pro’s keyboard feels a tad more luxurious (and expensive) with the backlighting and haptics. It’s worth noting the price difference: the Magic Keyboard for Pro is quite costly, whereas the Magic Keyboard for Air, according to Apple, “delivers more capabilities at a lower price”. So, iPad Air users can save some money on that accessory. Finally, both iPads can also use the simple Smart Folio covers if you just need a stand/cover without a keyboard.

Price Difference

For many shoppers, this is the decisive factor. The iPad Air 11″ (M3) starts at $599 (with 128 GB storage), whereas the iPad Pro 11″ (M5) starts at $999 (with 256 GB storage as the base). That’s a significant gap – the Pro is roughly $400 more for the entry model. If you spec them with similar storage (say 256 GB each), the Air is still around $600 vs the Pro’s $1099 (approx).

Essentially, the Air offers many of the Pro’s strengths at about 60% of the price. For users who don’t absolutely need the Pro’s extras (OLED 120Hz display, Face ID, Thunderbolt, quad speakers, LiDAR, etc.), the Air represents a better value. On the other hand, professionals who rely on those high-end features or who need the maximum performance and screen quality will find the Pro worth the premium.

Bottom Line (M5 Pro vs Air):

The iPad Air (M3) has been called the “budget iPad Pro” because it truly bridges much of the performance and capability gap. It’s incredibly powerful (nearly on par with last year’s Pro), has the same convenient size options (11″ or even 13″), and supports the best Apple accessories – all at a lower cost.

The iPad Pro (M5) still stakes its claim as the no-compromise option: it gives you the absolute best display, slightly faster chip, more storage/RAM at the high end, and extra Pro features like Face ID, top-tier audio, and Thunderbolt connectivity. If you’re a digital artist, video producer, or power user who will benefit from those upgrades, the iPad Pro is the ultimate iPad. For most others, the Air delivers 95% of the experience for much less money.