The iPad Air and iPad Pro are both premium iPads. At first glance, it can be hard to know the differences.
The iPad Air is the best premium option with almost all the same noticeable benefits of the power of the iPad Pro and a significantly lower cost. Customers are getting the most for their money with the iPad Air.
Let’s look at the differences between the iPad Air and iPad Pro more in-depth.
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Comparing iPad Air vs. iPad Pro
The iPad Air and iPad Pros are great devices. They are excellent for note-taking and compatible with note-taking apps, allowing you to easily take notes and store them in one place. They are also both compatible with the Apple Pencil 2nd generation and the Magic Keyboard.
| iPad Air | iPad Pro (11 in) | iPad Pro (12.9 in) | |
| Price (Wifi) | $599 | $799 | $1099 |
| Size | 10.9″ | 11″ | 12.9″ |
| Battery | Up to 10 hours on Wifi | Up to 10 hours on Wifi | Up to 10 hours on Wifi |
| Chip | Apple M1 | Apple M2 | Apple M2 |
| Pencil compatibility | 2nd Apple Pencil | 2nd Apple Pencil | 2nd Apple Pencil |
There is a difference in storage options—the iPad Air offers 64 GB or 256 GB, and the iPad Pros offer 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, or 2 TB.
Don’t let the lower storage options dissuade you from getting the iPad Air—256 GB of more than enough. You can read more about how much storage you need on an iPad here.
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Power
People talk about the differences in power and performance between the iPad Air and the iPad Pro, but for most people, the difference will not be noticeable.
The iPad Air is great quality and can do everything that you would need it to do for school.
Cost
Price is a big difference.
The iPad Air is $599, the iPad Pro 11″ is $799, and the iPad Pro 12.9 in. is $1099 (from the Apple Education Store).
For the difference in price, you could justify getting the iPad Pro 11″, but the price of the iPad Pro 12.9″ is not worth it. It is almost double the cost of the iPad Air.
No matter which one your choose, go to Apple Education Store to get the student discount price online or show your student ID in-store. Find out more about the best deals with our guide on Apple Student Discounts.
Size
The only reason you should get the iPad Pro 12.9″ is if the bigger screen size is really important to you.
The 10.9″ and 11″ devices are a good size to take notes on and easier to hold, but the 12.9″ is about the size of a sheet of paper, so it may feel more natural writing on. The bigger size is also convenient if you frequently use the split screen feature or the on-screen keyboard.
Try a friend’s iPad or go to Apple or Best Buy to see which size you prefer.
Should you get an iPad Air or iPad Pro?
The iPad Air is almost as good as the iPad Pro and much less expensive. It is the better deal.
People who want the best value for both power/functionality and price should get the iPad Air, people who want the power of the M2 chip or larger storage options should get the iPad Pro 11″, and people who want the larger screen size should get the iPad Pro 12.9″.
Go to Amazon to check out the iPad Air, iPad Pro 11, and iPad Pro 12.9.
Now that you know the differences between the iPad Air and iPad Pro, check out the Best iPad for Note-Taking to compare all iPad models.