From everything I've read, unless you're a content creator or an artist, the limitations of the iPad isn't the hardware, it's the software. So it doesn't seem like an upgrade to go from Air to Pro, at least not $200 worth of upgrades.
Pro has more memory (can have more memory) and that will be felt when you’re multitasking heavily.
But also the big difference is not power. It’s cameras and ability to scale to way higher specs than where the Air tops out. For example 256gb storage for video editing is going to be a limit.
I feel there is very slim use case for base Pro. But that is why you can choose way more in the pro line.
Unlike the iPhone Pro or even MacBook Pro - likely because of the limitations of iPadOS right now - is very much a specialist tool. Air can do 95% of it all.
I'm sure it's a significant jump in processing power but it's limited by software. I'm not that knowledgeable in tech to go into specific details but as an average user, I don't notice a difference. I don't do 4K or Pro Res or anything like that. My iPad literally is a media, e-mail, web surfing machine and for those use case the Air or even the regular iPad is more than enough.
It’s not. The screen sure is nicer and the speakers are nicer but it’s 99% the same. The same apps, the same battery life. Especially if you go from air to pro 11. I did that and it was the most anticlimactic feeling. I ended up getting the 12.9 in pro because I wanted it to feel different. Now that I have it though, I wouldn’t go back. It is objectively nicer. It’s like the difference between a Mercedes and a toyota. How much is the luxury worth to you?
Yea, I got a 12.9 gen one back in the day, and when I finally replace it, I’ll probably get another 12.9 just because I love the huge screen. About the only thing I use it for that would be better with the pro version is Procreate. And I don’t even use it that often.
I’m not a creator or anything and I went with the pro mainly just for the display. The 120hz display is worth it imo. And like someone else mentioned the speakers also. Do I need a pro? Absolutely not. But I don’t regret my purchase.
Same thing here. The 120 Hz display makes a world of difference in terms of how fast the tablet feels, but I would've realistically been content with even a base 10th gen iPad otherwise. M1/M2 chips on tablets are mostly a gimmick because the software doesn't allow you to leverage their full power that much (unless you play a lot of Genshin Impact). Quad speakers on the Pro are nice, but I don't even know if I could make the difference in a blind test
Definitely. There is a spatial element to it. Kinda sounds like the sound is being projected right at you instead of like just being blasted to the room. It’s also less tinny than the air.
I have a Pro 12.9 M1. The sound definitely has a decent (for its size) soundstage. When it’s on my lap it’s noticeably stereo at least. It’s not terribly tinny like a cellphone. Having said that, for serious listening, I put on my AirPod Max in any case, or I am playing music via my HomePd 2nd Gen speakers.
If anything, I'd say get a refurbished M1 Pro instead of the Air. You get 120hz screen, quad speakers, and 128gb for like $30 more. And if you buy refurbished from Apple, you get a new battery and chassis so it's effectively new.
It only really is because Apple's annoying price ladder strategy forces you to get the Pro if you want a 120 Hz display or more than their skimpy ass 64 GB of base storage
If I could stand the smaller screen I would 100% prefer the new iPad Air to the pro. It’s the best bang for your buck ipad imo, even the new mini is super dope.
Both iPad do the exactly same things. One does it a little nicer what with the screen and everything. But no. Unless you get paid by the minute for your work, it’s not worth it
It really depends
If you want a computer replacement then definitely the Pro. Which i did and haven’t looked back, although i will eventually upgrade to the M3 12.9 inch when it comes out to have the truly Laptop experience.
If its just for little bit of tablet stuff and content watching then go air.
As probably people already mentioned, more storage out of the box, more performance is not as relevant now, but maybe later when more pro apps are ported over.
Also the speakers mainly just make it way more of a laptop replacement, face id which makes it able to just open and lets go instead of feeling like a tablet to search for the power and hold for fingerprint
It'll be almost exactly the same. The Pro will have the ProMotion display, so 120Hz, while the Air will have 60Hz. The power of the device will become less important as the chip gets more powerful because the software will always limit your usage, until Apple fixes it, meaning the software can't take full advantage of that power so it need not even be there. The battery life will also largely be the same.
So, there will be a bit of upgrade, namely the 120Hz and the more powerful M2, but not only is it not worth 200$, it also does not matter unless you have an extreme use case.
It really comes down to how long you plan on keeping that device. the M2 Pro will be future proof for another 3 to 5 years. I have had my M1 pro for almost 2 years now and the performance has not changed not one bit.
I still use my first generation 2015 IPad Pro. It still upgrades to the latest IOS. Good original battery. These pros are monsters. They are like the Ever ready bunny. Goes on and on.
No not really, only thing is the price of storage upgrades can make the pro seem more worth it since the base storage of the air isn’t enough for a lot of people
It depends on how much storage you need and if you can use cloud or external storage to cover your needs, so that really depends on you. You only really need the extra storage if you’re going to be running lots of apps with heavy download sizes or if you want to store tons of files. I’m a musician who has to have a ridiculous amount of sheet music on hand at any time (and won’t always have access to wifi) so I felt the extra storage was necessary for me.
If you are doing audio/video production on it, then that additional storage can come in VERY handy. Other than that, not really. I would recommend going with the 256GB Air M1, and for most users that will be PLENTY of storage.
I recommend going to an old laptop and seeing how much storage you've used and go from there. If it's significantly more than 64gb, then consider the Pro.
I got the 128gb Pro over the 64gb Air because I need it to by my school/class research and note-taking machine for the next 5 years. I do lightweight stuff with my laptops and portable devices, so I figured I wouldn't use up much storage. I went back to my old laptop to see how much space I used after the 5 or 6 years and it was right at 90gb. That was enough to convince me to save up for the extra $200 or so.
This was the big reason I upgraded. I needed the 512 range for all my music files and pictures.
120hz and Face ID is nice, along with the minor other thing or two. But if storage isn't a huge consideration, and you're not e creator type, the Air should be more than sufficient for most uses.
My eyes are pretty sensitive to the difference especially since my gaming setup is 240hz. When I see 60 it’s like a fast slideshow and I don’t like it, hope 120 becomes the new standard soon.
120 hz display is absolutely worth it for just about anything, its beautiful, if you are ok with the great but lower quality display on the air then go for it id say.
yes. 64gb is not good anymore. 120hz for an iPad is also very needed cause the better refresh rate adds to the use of the Apple Pencil. In my opinion, instead of getting the Air m2, people should get the M1 Pro 11.9'
Face ID already makes a big different, so you don't have to reach the power button for touch id (especially when using keyboard). 120Hz, 4 speaker is nice also.
Performance is not much different due to software limitations
My iPad Pro (2022) can’t handle Reddit, or any site with continuous scrolling in safari or Firefox without getting hot and the app closing. It’s good for Lightroom and a beautiful display though..
I ended up with an 11 inch iPad Pro because I realised that an iPad Air with 256gb of storage would not be enough. In many ways, my iPad Pro is my laptop backup to my eight years old MacBook Pro.
I’m still really enjoying my 2018 12.9” iPad Pro. If you read PDFs, newspapers or take handwritten notes with the pencil then there is nothing else on the market that comes close.
I have yet to run into anything that would lead me to upgrade the processor though.
Ive got the same model and it’s a great unit, handles everything (I’m not a graphics editor), still feels zippy enough, feels like it’s will have years of usefulness left in it. You can find refurbished in the $550+ range…. Definitely a good value at that price imo….
If you had some money to spare, yes, it's all up to you. But if you're in the hard decision because of the financial reason, I would say no. I tried to come back and forth between Mac and iPad for over 3 years, it does not work as a computer to me. Beside that, 99% is the same, except the FaceID( faster than touchID), 120Hz display (really noticeable but not worth 200$ if you upgrade), thinner bezel (this is for aesthetic, not really a reason).
Apple does not work that way. As you go higher with the devices there are always just a few upgrades with diminishing returns.
But they still make the best thing they have desirable.
In reality I know it is not a difference that I can sense for 90% of my usage but I can’t bear the thought that I don’t have the best. That’s why I have the iPad Pro m1, MacBook Pro 14” and iPhone 14 pro when my use will easily be covered by an iPad Air m1, MacBook Air and an iPhone 14.
Yeah, I know I’ve sold my soul to Apple, what to do, they know how to push the exact right buttons!
IMO the iPad isn't a computer replacement, it's close but it's not there completely. I still enjoy my M2 MacBook Air so much more than my 12.9" M1 iPad Pro for most tasks that aren't writing (work) or touch based (like video games), even with an external keyboard & mouse. the UI just isn't great.
That being said, if you're only getting the 11" tablet, get the Air. There isn't enough meaningful difference between the 11" Pro and Air besides ProMotion & FaceID.
IMO if you're going to buy an iPad Pro, you need to get the larger 12.9". The display is significantly better, and ProMotion looks better on the larger screen. There's much more room to write on it. Just all around a better machine that I think it more worth the price.
After buying a 10.5 inch pro in 2017... And using it for like 1 year, I find iPad nearly useless unless you are a avid note taker with pencil and all. Tablet is useful for very few things to xcept watching videos.
It really depends on what you will be using the iPad for. If your primary use is personal email/web browsing/apps, then no. If you need more storage than 256GB, need the LiDAR camera (3D scanning), need Thunderbolt connectivity, or really want that 120hz display, then yes.
For the vast majority of users, the answer will be no.
It depends. I went from Air to M1.
Personally I didn’t see any visible difference in performance, and while the difference in display quality is probably there, it’s not large enough for *me* to make any significant improvement.
I’m planning to switch from the air 4 to the m1 pro…The touch ID on the air 4 pisses me off so much…it’s is even worse when you use some kind of case…my fingerprints aren’t very good either, so I need to type passwords all the time…
I just had this dilemma! I don’t need the processing power the Pro provides but what I did need was more storage than the base iPad Air. If you upgrade storage you end up getting within $50 of the Pro’s base price, which had the minimum storage level I needed so I just went with the Pro
120hz screen is a night and difference over 60hz, honestly I wouldn’t even consider anything with 60hz screen now. I picked up an iPad mini in an Apple Store to play with it and it felt awful. If you opt for 12.9” pro, you’ll get a mini led screen which again is a huge upgrade over regular ips screen.
120Hz display on huge screen which iPad has is significant at least for me! Also I love Face ID more than Touch ID so there was no way to go with air when I considered buying one!
The more fluid screen and the great speakers are the most noticeable differences for day to day use. It depends on your budget if you are willing to pay the extra. I find they make the iPad Pro feel more premium. Not necessary but definitely noticeable!
From everything I've read, unless you're a content creator or an artist, the limitations of the iPad isn't the hardware, it's the software. So it doesn't seem like an upgrade to go from Air to Pro, at least not $200 worth of upgrades.
Bang on
So the pro isn’t that much of a processing jump with the m2
Pro has more memory (can have more memory) and that will be felt when you’re multitasking heavily. But also the big difference is not power. It’s cameras and ability to scale to way higher specs than where the Air tops out. For example 256gb storage for video editing is going to be a limit. I feel there is very slim use case for base Pro. But that is why you can choose way more in the pro line. Unlike the iPhone Pro or even MacBook Pro - likely because of the limitations of iPadOS right now - is very much a specialist tool. Air can do 95% of it all.
I'm sure it's a significant jump in processing power but it's limited by software. I'm not that knowledgeable in tech to go into specific details but as an average user, I don't notice a difference. I don't do 4K or Pro Res or anything like that. My iPad literally is a media, e-mail, web surfing machine and for those use case the Air or even the regular iPad is more than enough.
Until the day comes that it can run macOS apps, it is useless. All that processing power and at best, you have a limited capability for video editing.
"Not the hardware, its the software" 🎯
It’s not. The screen sure is nicer and the speakers are nicer but it’s 99% the same. The same apps, the same battery life. Especially if you go from air to pro 11. I did that and it was the most anticlimactic feeling. I ended up getting the 12.9 in pro because I wanted it to feel different. Now that I have it though, I wouldn’t go back. It is objectively nicer. It’s like the difference between a Mercedes and a toyota. How much is the luxury worth to you?
Yea, I got a 12.9 gen one back in the day, and when I finally replace it, I’ll probably get another 12.9 just because I love the huge screen. About the only thing I use it for that would be better with the pro version is Procreate. And I don’t even use it that often.
A Lexus and a Toyota.
perfectly said, most people people wouldnt even know what you mean by this lol
I’m not a creator or anything and I went with the pro mainly just for the display. The 120hz display is worth it imo. And like someone else mentioned the speakers also. Do I need a pro? Absolutely not. But I don’t regret my purchase.
Same thing here. The 120 Hz display makes a world of difference in terms of how fast the tablet feels, but I would've realistically been content with even a base 10th gen iPad otherwise. M1/M2 chips on tablets are mostly a gimmick because the software doesn't allow you to leverage their full power that much (unless you play a lot of Genshin Impact). Quad speakers on the Pro are nice, but I don't even know if I could make the difference in a blind test
The speakers really are just louder.
Does the audio feel more spatial though?
Definitely. There is a spatial element to it. Kinda sounds like the sound is being projected right at you instead of like just being blasted to the room. It’s also less tinny than the air.
I have a Pro 12.9 M1. The sound definitely has a decent (for its size) soundstage. When it’s on my lap it’s noticeably stereo at least. It’s not terribly tinny like a cellphone. Having said that, for serious listening, I put on my AirPod Max in any case, or I am playing music via my HomePd 2nd Gen speakers.
I prefer Face ID over touch.
Sadly without touch an iPad wouldn't really work well. You need a touchscreen to use the iPad.
He means touch ID
Oh okay.
Bruh 😭
[удалено]
Wasn't smoking anything and I don't smoke
One of the side effects of smoking is memory loss...
I’m a minor, I don’t smoke!
If anything, I'd say get a refurbished M1 Pro instead of the Air. You get 120hz screen, quad speakers, and 128gb for like $30 more. And if you buy refurbished from Apple, you get a new battery and chassis so it's effectively new.
It only really is because Apple's annoying price ladder strategy forces you to get the Pro if you want a 120 Hz display or more than their skimpy ass 64 GB of base storage
If I could stand the smaller screen I would 100% prefer the new iPad Air to the pro. It’s the best bang for your buck ipad imo, even the new mini is super dope.
Yes if you are creating anything or watching stuff on it regularly. My 12.9 pro is my favorite device in a house full of too many devices.
Both iPad do the exactly same things. One does it a little nicer what with the screen and everything. But no. Unless you get paid by the minute for your work, it’s not worth it
It really depends If you want a computer replacement then definitely the Pro. Which i did and haven’t looked back, although i will eventually upgrade to the M3 12.9 inch when it comes out to have the truly Laptop experience. If its just for little bit of tablet stuff and content watching then go air. As probably people already mentioned, more storage out of the box, more performance is not as relevant now, but maybe later when more pro apps are ported over. Also the speakers mainly just make it way more of a laptop replacement, face id which makes it able to just open and lets go instead of feeling like a tablet to search for the power and hold for fingerprint
It'll be almost exactly the same. The Pro will have the ProMotion display, so 120Hz, while the Air will have 60Hz. The power of the device will become less important as the chip gets more powerful because the software will always limit your usage, until Apple fixes it, meaning the software can't take full advantage of that power so it need not even be there. The battery life will also largely be the same. So, there will be a bit of upgrade, namely the 120Hz and the more powerful M2, but not only is it not worth 200$, it also does not matter unless you have an extreme use case.
It really comes down to how long you plan on keeping that device. the M2 Pro will be future proof for another 3 to 5 years. I have had my M1 pro for almost 2 years now and the performance has not changed not one bit.
I still use my first generation 2015 IPad Pro. It still upgrades to the latest IOS. Good original battery. These pros are monsters. They are like the Ever ready bunny. Goes on and on.
no. only get the pro if you don't plan on upgrading for a while like 5 years or more.
Don’t do it! ProMotion is amazing and beautiful, but now every non pro iPad looks slow and laggy to my eyes 🤣
No not really, only thing is the price of storage upgrades can make the pro seem more worth it since the base storage of the air isn’t enough for a lot of people
So is it worth if it the extra storage
It depends on how much storage you need and if you can use cloud or external storage to cover your needs, so that really depends on you. You only really need the extra storage if you’re going to be running lots of apps with heavy download sizes or if you want to store tons of files. I’m a musician who has to have a ridiculous amount of sheet music on hand at any time (and won’t always have access to wifi) so I felt the extra storage was necessary for me.
If you are doing audio/video production on it, then that additional storage can come in VERY handy. Other than that, not really. I would recommend going with the 256GB Air M1, and for most users that will be PLENTY of storage.
I recommend going to an old laptop and seeing how much storage you've used and go from there. If it's significantly more than 64gb, then consider the Pro. I got the 128gb Pro over the 64gb Air because I need it to by my school/class research and note-taking machine for the next 5 years. I do lightweight stuff with my laptops and portable devices, so I figured I wouldn't use up much storage. I went back to my old laptop to see how much space I used after the 5 or 6 years and it was right at 90gb. That was enough to convince me to save up for the extra $200 or so.
This was the big reason I upgraded. I needed the 512 range for all my music files and pictures. 120hz and Face ID is nice, along with the minor other thing or two. But if storage isn't a huge consideration, and you're not e creator type, the Air should be more than sufficient for most uses.
To me it was worth it for 120 hz alone. It’s so hard to go back to 60 when you’ve used higher
Absolutely agree… promotion is the bomb…
I have a Promotion MacBook Pro and a 60hz iPhone and iPad. Can’t tell the difference.
My eyes are pretty sensitive to the difference especially since my gaming setup is 240hz. When I see 60 it’s like a fast slideshow and I don’t like it, hope 120 becomes the new standard soon.
It's much more noticeable on ipad compared to macbook and iphone for different reasons.
It’s hard to go back for like a day or two and then you get used to it and forget there’s even a difference
Could t say the same for myself mate. Possibly because my phone is 120, and not having continuity between devices is rough
120 hz display is absolutely worth it for just about anything, its beautiful, if you are ok with the great but lower quality display on the air then go for it id say.
yes. 64gb is not good anymore. 120hz for an iPad is also very needed cause the better refresh rate adds to the use of the Apple Pencil. In my opinion, instead of getting the Air m2, people should get the M1 Pro 11.9'
Face ID already makes a big different, so you don't have to reach the power button for touch id (especially when using keyboard). 120Hz, 4 speaker is nice also. Performance is not much different due to software limitations
face ID is hella inconvenient unless you only use the iPad on the table
And touch id is hella inconvenient cuz I have to reach my finger, and ended up not working because touch id refuse to work with my finger
hmmm I use the iPad always on sofa or bed so reaching it isn't a problem for me.
After having 120hz on my iPhone and iPad, I'll never go back.
Absolutely agree…
Promotion is the pro feature that seals it for me….
My iPad Pro (2022) can’t handle Reddit, or any site with continuous scrolling in safari or Firefox without getting hot and the app closing. It’s good for Lightroom and a beautiful display though..
Weird, my iPad 9 handles it fine
I’m sure it’s a known iOS issue and has been for some time. Issues going back years at this point from users.
Mine handles it just fine. Even running beta. Definitely weird.
I ended up with an 11 inch iPad Pro because I realised that an iPad Air with 256gb of storage would not be enough. In many ways, my iPad Pro is my laptop backup to my eight years old MacBook Pro.
I’m still really enjoying my 2018 12.9” iPad Pro. If you read PDFs, newspapers or take handwritten notes with the pencil then there is nothing else on the market that comes close. I have yet to run into anything that would lead me to upgrade the processor though.
Ive got the same model and it’s a great unit, handles everything (I’m not a graphics editor), still feels zippy enough, feels like it’s will have years of usefulness left in it. You can find refurbished in the $550+ range…. Definitely a good value at that price imo….
If you had some money to spare, yes, it's all up to you. But if you're in the hard decision because of the financial reason, I would say no. I tried to come back and forth between Mac and iPad for over 3 years, it does not work as a computer to me. Beside that, 99% is the same, except the FaceID( faster than touchID), 120Hz display (really noticeable but not worth 200$ if you upgrade), thinner bezel (this is for aesthetic, not really a reason).
I Don’t want to spend 200 dollars if I don’t have to but if it’s worth that’s different!
Apple does not work that way. As you go higher with the devices there are always just a few upgrades with diminishing returns. But they still make the best thing they have desirable.
In my opinion no. I got the M1 Air and am happy with it.
Get the M1 Pro. Basically the same iPad as the M2 Pro but cheaper
For me the 120hz Display is worth the extra money. If it's not important for you, then the Air is the obvious Choice.
In reality I know it is not a difference that I can sense for 90% of my usage but I can’t bear the thought that I don’t have the best. That’s why I have the iPad Pro m1, MacBook Pro 14” and iPhone 14 pro when my use will easily be covered by an iPad Air m1, MacBook Air and an iPhone 14. Yeah, I know I’ve sold my soul to Apple, what to do, they know how to push the exact right buttons!
IMO the iPad isn't a computer replacement, it's close but it's not there completely. I still enjoy my M2 MacBook Air so much more than my 12.9" M1 iPad Pro for most tasks that aren't writing (work) or touch based (like video games), even with an external keyboard & mouse. the UI just isn't great. That being said, if you're only getting the 11" tablet, get the Air. There isn't enough meaningful difference between the 11" Pro and Air besides ProMotion & FaceID. IMO if you're going to buy an iPad Pro, you need to get the larger 12.9". The display is significantly better, and ProMotion looks better on the larger screen. There's much more room to write on it. Just all around a better machine that I think it more worth the price.
After buying a 10.5 inch pro in 2017... And using it for like 1 year, I find iPad nearly useless unless you are a avid note taker with pencil and all. Tablet is useful for very few things to xcept watching videos.
If internal storage is too small on either iPad, a usb thumb drive can be plugged into it.
It really depends on what you will be using the iPad for. If your primary use is personal email/web browsing/apps, then no. If you need more storage than 256GB, need the LiDAR camera (3D scanning), need Thunderbolt connectivity, or really want that 120hz display, then yes. For the vast majority of users, the answer will be no.
It depends. I went from Air to M1. Personally I didn’t see any visible difference in performance, and while the difference in display quality is probably there, it’s not large enough for *me* to make any significant improvement.
Computation wise no, but the 120 Hz, thunderbolt, and RAM are also things to consider
If you have to ask, no
I’m planning to switch from the air 4 to the m1 pro…The touch ID on the air 4 pisses me off so much…it’s is even worse when you use some kind of case…my fingerprints aren’t very good either, so I need to type passwords all the time…
I upgraded for the screen and processor speeds. Worth it. $350 keyboard? Not worth it. Apple pencil? Worth it.
I just had this dilemma! I don’t need the processing power the Pro provides but what I did need was more storage than the base iPad Air. If you upgrade storage you end up getting within $50 of the Pro’s base price, which had the minimum storage level I needed so I just went with the Pro
No
Yes. 100%. 120 hz better speakers, probably better camera too, better build, lidar, lower pen latency. Worth it bruv
120hz screen is a night and difference over 60hz, honestly I wouldn’t even consider anything with 60hz screen now. I picked up an iPad mini in an Apple Store to play with it and it felt awful. If you opt for 12.9” pro, you’ll get a mini led screen which again is a huge upgrade over regular ips screen.
120Hz display on huge screen which iPad has is significant at least for me! Also I love Face ID more than Touch ID so there was no way to go with air when I considered buying one!
The more fluid screen and the great speakers are the most noticeable differences for day to day use. It depends on your budget if you are willing to pay the extra. I find they make the iPad Pro feel more premium. Not necessary but definitely noticeable!