 |  |
|---|---|
| iPad Air 4 | iPad Pro 11-inch |
| BUY NOW | BUY NOW |
| PROS | PROS |
| Five color choices. Less expensive. A14 Bionic processor, a first for iPad. | 11-inch and 12.9-inch displays. More available storage. Better camera, other extras. Speedier A12Z processor. |
| CONS | CONS |
| A slighter smaller display vs. 11-inch iPad Pro. No Face ID. No ProMotion technology. Weaker camera system. | Pricey. Only two color choices. Overkill for many users. |
DESIGN
| iPad Air 4 | iPad Pro 11-inch | |
| Dimensions | 9.75 x 7.03 x 0.24 inches (247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1 mm) | 9.75 x 7.03 x 0.23 inches (247.6 x 178.5 x 5.9 mm) |
| Weight | 16.23 oz (460.0 g) | 16.61 oz (471.0 g) |
| Materials | Back: Aluminum | Back: Aluminum |
| Biometrics | Fingerprint (touch) | 3D Face unlock |
| Colors | Rose gold, Space gray, Silver, Green, Sky blue | Silver, Space gray |
When you look at the iPad Air and iPad pro, except for the camera bump, it’s almost difficult to tell them apart. They are both made of aluminum with flat edges on all sides. I believe the iPad air looks more like the 2018 iPad pro. Both the iPad’s are sleek, modern, and premium. The advantage of iPad air is that it comes in sky blue, green, and rose gold, apart from silver and space grey.
DISPLAY
| iPad Air 4 | iPad Pro 11-inch | |
| Size | 10.9 inches | 11.0 inches |
| Resolution | 2360 x 1640 pixels, 264 PPI | 2388 x 1668 pixels, 265 PPI |
| Technology | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
| Screen-to-body | 81.23 % | 82.87 % |
| Features | Oleophobic coating, Ambient light sensor | Oleophobic coating, Ambient light sensor |
With the iPad Pro, you have 11 or 12.9-inch options to choose from, but with the iPad Air, there is just one screen size to choose from 10.9; that is all you’re going to get. Otherwise, it’s the same display tech, apple’s liquid retina technology with true-tone, which adjusts the display’s colors based on ambient lighting conditions. It’s got roughly the exact resolution, but the display is a bit brighter in pro models. One downside to iPad Air is that it comes with a 60Hz panel when compared to the 120Hz panel of iPad Pro.
CAMERAS & SPEAKERS
| iPad Air 4 | iPad Pro 11-inch | |
| Rear | Single camera | Dual camera |
| Main camera | 12 MP (PDAF, BSI sensor) | 12 MP (PDAF) |
| Second camera | 10 MP (Ultra-wide) | |
| Video recording | 3840×2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps), 1920×1080 (Full HD) (240 fps) | 3840×2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps), 1920×1080 (Full HD) (240 fps), 1280×720 (HD) (240 fps) |
| Front | 7 MP (EIS, HDR) | 7 MP (EIS, HDR) |
| Speakers | Multiple speakers | Multiple speakers |
The iPad Air has the same 12-megapixel wide camera as on the iPad pro. However, it does not have the second ultra-wide-angle camera. The true-tone flash is not there either, so no flash photography on the iPad Air. For selfies and facetime, there is a 7-megapixel camera on both iPad’s.
There are two speakers on the iPad Air at the bottom. The iPad Pro has four speakers located on each corner of the device. IPad Pro does have a benefit here, but based on speaker differences, I will not make my purchase decision.
PERFORMANCE: A14 Vs A12z Bionic Chip
| iPad Air 4 | iPad Pro 11-inch | |
| System chip | Apple A14 Bionic | Apple A12Z Bionic |
| Processor | Octa-core, 64-bit, 5 nm | Octa-core, 64-bit, 7 nm |
| GPU | Apple 4-core GPU | Apple 7-core GPU |
| RAM | 6GB LPDDR4 | |
| Internal storage | 64GB, not expandable | 128GB, not expandable |
| Device type | Tablet | Tablet |
| OS | iPadOS (14.x) | iPadOS (13.x) |
A14 Bionic chip debuts on iPad Air, and on the other hand, iPad Pro runs a modified version of A12 called A12z; that’s an 8 core processor instead of a 6 core processor like the A12 and A14. A12z provides more performance cores and GPU bandwidth for some complex tasks. So basically, iPad Pro is more powerful than iPad Air.
BATTERY & CHARGING
| iPad Air 4 | iPad Pro 11-inch | |
| Capacity | 28.65 Wh | 28.65 Wh |
| Type | Type Li – Ion, Not user replaceable | Li – Polymer, Not user replaceable |
iPad Air comes with a 20-watt charger in the box versus 18-watt on the iPad Pro. Both iPad’s have 28.65Wh battery, and Apple promises 10 hours of watching videos or browsing the web on Wi-Fi.
WHICH 2020 iPAD IS BETTER FOR YOU?
If you’re a gamer, who wants to take advantage of its 120 hertz refresh rate and don’t mind the extra cost then go for the iPad Pro. If you are a student or you want to do photo or video editing then iPad Air is a must buy.
