Both are great, but the iPad Air continues to leap ahead
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The differences between the tablets are substantial in both price and performance.
Evan Killham / Lifewire
The Air also comes in a new size.
In addition to the 11-inch model, there’s now a 13-inch alternative.
These benefits are worth the higher price.
Evan Killham / Lifewire
Overall Findings
Affordable price, great value.
Quick enough for most tasks.
Supports and Apple Pencil Pro USB-C and 1st-gen version.
Works with Magic Keyboard Folio.
Similar design to iPad Pro.
Supports Apple Pencil Pro and USB-C version.
The Apple iPad and iPad Air are similar in appearance.
Both tablets have attractive touch screens and are available in the same screen size.
Gamers and content creators will appreciate the iPad Airs quicker processor in applications like Adobe Photoshop andiPad games.
Design: More Similar Than Different
Touch ID in the top button.
12MP Ultra Wide front camera.
12MP back camera with 5x digital zoom.
Apple’s iPad Air has a slim-bezel, thin design like the iPad Pro.
Now that the iPad has adopted the slim bezel, they look almost identical.
Both use Touch ID login for security; the fingerprint sensor is on the top button.
Similarly, these tablets have a 12MP camera and can shoot video in 4K.
The 5th-gen Air’s front camera is centered in portrait mode and awkward to use in landscape.
Display: The Difference Is in the Details
10.9-inch Liquid Retina display.
11 or 13-inch Liquid Retina display.
Laminated display reduces glare.
Wide color display (P3).
The iPad and iPad Air’sLiquid Retina displaysare crisp and bright, but both iPad Air models have larger screens.
Thats enough to make the tablets usable outdoors.
The 13-inch Air can reach 600 nits.
This decreases the tiny gap between the display and the glass covering it, creating a premium touchscreen experience.
Performance: The iPad Air Is Faster
Apple A14 Bionic chip.
10 hours of battery life.
Supports Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6.
Supports Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E.
The iPad comes with Apples A14 chip.
The entry-level iPad can handle most applications, but the iPad Airs modern hardware will feel smooth for years.
The latest iPad Air is quite close to the iPad Pro in benchmarks.
Despite the performance gap, battery life is a tie.
Both iPads promise 10 hours of web surfing and video playback.
The iPad Air takes a slight edge in wireless connectivity.
The iPad supportsWi-Fi 6andBluetooth 5.2, while the Air supports the newer Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E.
Theres no significant difference in cellular wireless options for each tablet, and both support5GNR (New Radio).
The Extras: The iPad Air Supports the Latest Devices
4K video recording.
Works with Magic Keyboard and Smart Keyboard Folio.
If you want to shoot video in 4K, both tablets can.
They support 4K video recording at various frame rates, from 24 to 60 fps.
1080p HD recording is supported, too, at 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps.
Both of these iPads have a more modernUSB-Cconnection.
Previous iPads used theLightning connector.
Neither the iPad nor the iPad Air has a headphone jack.
Value: Both Deliver Bang for Your Buck
Starts at $499.
Comes in four colors.
Starts at $599.
The iPad Air (11-inch) starts at $599 for 128 GB of storage.
Thats a usable amount of storage, though youll run out if you work with high-resolution photos or video.
Choosing a Wi-Fi + Cellular model adds to the cost.
The price gap between the iPad and iPad Air is large, but both offer good value.
Apple offers the iPad in blue, pink, yellow, and silver.
The iPad Air is available in blue, purple, Starlight (off-whitish), and Space Gray.
Final Verdict
Choosing between the iPad and the iPad Air may come down to budget.
The iPad Air is clearly superior.
However, there’s a price gap between them.
The iPad is still an excellent tablet, and owners who don’t need super-powerful tablets will be happy.
