Shoppers choosing between the iPad and iPad Air face a tough choice, as they appear to be similar at first glance. Unlike the iPad Pro, the iPad Air is harder to distinguish from the base iPad. The current iPad (10th generation) was released in October 2022, about a year and a half before the latest iPad Air (6th generation) was released in May 2024.
Price and performance vary widely between tablets. While the iPad is an excellent value for most tasks, the iPad Air is much faster and has a variety of convenient features. The Air also comes in new sizes. In addition to the 11-inch model, a 13-inch model is now available. The benefits are worth the higher price.
Affordable price and great value for money.
Fast enough for most tasks.
Liquid retina display.
Supports Apple Pencil Pro USB-C and first generation versions.
Suitable for Magic Keyboard Cover.
Similar design to iPad Pro.
Perfect performance.
Liquid retina display.
Supports Apple Pencil Pro and USB-C versions.
Supports Magic Keyboard.
The Apple iPad and iPad Air look similar. Both tablets feature eye-catching touchscreens and have the same screen size.
Under the hood, the iPad Air uses the Apple M2 chip, while the iPad uses the older A14 Bionic chip. Gamers and content creators will appreciate iPad Air's faster processor in applications like Adobe Photoshop and iPad Games. Additionally, while both tablets support the USB-C Apple Pencil, the iPad Air also supports the Apple Pencil Pro, while the iPad also only works with the original version.
iPad (10th generation)Touch ID in the top button.
12MP ultra-wide angle front camera.
12MP rear camera with 5x digital zoom.
Touch ID in the top button.
12MP ultra-wide angle front camera.
12MP rear camera with 5x digital zoom.
Apple's iPad Air uses the same narrow bezels and thin and light design as the iPad Pro. Now that the iPad has narrow bezels, they look almost identical. The 11-inch iPad Air is similar in size to the iPad, but overall, the iPad Air models offer a great display in a lighter, thinner frame.
For security, both use Touch ID to log in; the fingerprint sensor is on the top button. The iPad Air and iPad also don't have a home button, so they use the buttonless, gesture-based UI found on most iPhones and iPad Pros.
Likewise, these tablets feature a 12MP camera that can shoot 4K videos. The fifth-generation Air's front-facing camera is centered in portrait mode and awkward to use in landscape mode. In the sixth generation, Apple moved it to the same position as the iPad, centered in landscape mode.
iPad (10th generation)10.9-inch Liquid Retina display.
Lacks anti-reflective coating.
sRGB display.
11 or 13-inch Liquid Retina display.
Laminated display reduces glare.
Wide color display (P3).
The iPad and iPad Air's Liquid Retina displays are clear and bright, but both iPad Air models have larger screens.
The brightness of the iPad and the 11-inch Air are similar, both reaching an extremely bright brightness of 500 nits. This is enough for the tablet to be used outdoors. The 13-inch Air can hit 600 nits.
Additionally, the iPad Air's display is "fully laminated," meaning it's tightly bonded to the glass. This reduces the tiny gap between the display and the glass covering it, creating a premium touchscreen experience.
iPad Air's display has less glare and a wider color gamut, making it better for viewing photos, watching videos, or playing games.
iPad (10th generation)Apple A14 Bionic chip.
10 hours of battery life.
Supports Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6.
Apple M2 chip.
10 hours of battery life.
Supports Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E.
The iPad is equipped with Apple's A14 chip. Buying the iPad Air gets you the Apple M2 chip, which is the same SoC used in the iPad Pro (6th generation). Entry-level iPads can handle most apps, but the iPad Air's modern hardware will keep you feeling smooth for years to come. The latest iPad Air is very close to the iPad Pro in benchmark tests.
Despite the performance gap, battery life is a tie. Both iPads promise 10 hours of web surfing and video playback.
The iPad Air has a slight advantage when it comes to wireless connectivity. The iPad supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, while the Air supports the newer Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E. There are no significant differences in the cellular wireless options of each tablet, and both support 5G NR (New Radio).
iPad (10th generation)4K video recording.
Use USB-C connector.
Suitable for Magic Keyboard Cover.
There is no headphone jack.
4K video recording.
Use USB-C connector.
Compatible with Magic Keyboard and Smart Keyboard Folio.
There is no headphone jack.
If you want to shoot 4K video, both tablets will do. They support 4K video recording at various frame rates (24 to 60 fps). It also supports 1080p HD recording at 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps.
The iPad Air supports Apple's Magic Keyboard, the best keyboard you can buy for your iPad, while the iPad supports the Magic Keyboard Folio (one difference is that the Folio doesn't have a backlight).
Both iPads have a more modern USB-C connection. Previous iPads used a Lightning connector.
Neither the iPad nor the iPad Air have headphone jacks.
iPad (10th generation)Prices start at $499.
Available in four colors.
Prices start at $599.
Available in four colors.
Apple's 64GB storage version of the iPad is priced at $499, and the 256GB model starts at $599.
iPad Air (11-inch) starts at $599 (128 GB storage). This is available storage space, but will be used up if you're working with high-resolution photos or videos. You can also get 256GB ($699), 512GB ($899), or 1TB ($1,099).
The 13-inch iPad Air 128GB starts at $799 and is available in 256GB ($899), 512GB ($1,099), and 1TB ($1,299) configurations.
Opting for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model adds cost. There's a big price gap between the iPad and iPad Air, but both offer good value.
Apple offers the iPad in blue, pink, yellow and silver. iPad Air is available in blue, purple, starlight (off-white), and space gray.
Choosing between the iPad and iPad Air may come down to budget.
The iPad Air is clearly superior. It's faster and supports the latest Apple accessories, so you can buy with confidence.
However, there is a price gap between them. The iPad is still a great tablet, and users who don't need a super-powerful tablet will be happy.
In either case, we recommend choosing an iPad or iPad Air model with extra storage over the base version. Running out of space is a real pain, and as the size of your application increases over time, the base model will force you to rely on cloud storage.
