Apple

The 5 keys that differentiate the iPad Air and the iPad Pro

We recently analyzed the differences between the iPad Air 2020 and the 11-inch iPad Pro 2021, having emphasized all their sections and also their similarities. If you want to see an exhaustive comparison between them, we recommend that you visit that post, although if you want something lighter and that first give you a basic idea of ​​their most important differences, keep reading this article because we will tell you what they are.

The most prominent changes of one and the other iPad

Aesthetically they are very similar, even sharing dimensions that make them also compatible with the same official accessories. Now, there are some relevant differences between that iPad Air launched last year and the 11-inch ‘Pro’ model launched a few months ago in 2021. The main ones are these:

  • Screen size: Although the difference is not enormous, the iPad Pro mounts an 11-inch panel and the 10.9-inch iPad Air. It could be imperceptible many times, but the truth is that it is noticeable (even slightly) that the ‘Air’ model has thicker frames than the ‘Pro’ model.
  • Display technology: Yes, they both mount identical IPS panels with very good resolutions. However, only the ‘Pro’ model has 120 Hz refresh rate, leaving 60 Hz for the other. This for all practical purposes translates into a smoother feel on the iPad Pro, as well as an improved experience in games that support that rate.
  • Processor and RAM: an excellent A14 Bionic and 4 GB is what the iPad Air mounts. However, the ‘Pro’ model has a powerful M1 chip identical to that of the Mac and that makes its RAM 8 or 16 GB of RAM.

A14 vs M1

  • Cameras: It may not be the most relevant on an iPad, but the ‘Pro’ model has a dual lens system (wide angle and ultra wide angle) to which it adds a LiDAR sensor for augmented reality functions. In addition, in the front it mounts a wide-angle sensor capable of tracking faces. The ‘Air’ does not mount that technology on the front and has a single wide angle at the rear.
  • Thunderbolt vs USB-C: Although both are USB-C standard, only the ‘Pro’ model supports Thunderbolt 4, thereby allowing faster data transfer and greater compatibility with external monitors.
  • Price: Probably one of the key factors is that the iPad Air starts at 649 euros in its 64 GB WiFi versions, while the ‘Pro’ does it from 879 euros in the WiFi version with 128 GB of storage.

Doubts between buying one or the other?

If you are in this situation, we recommend you read the article that we linked to at the beginning, seeing what are the other differences that exist between these devices, as well as the similarities they have. All this with the aim of unbalancing the balance and values ​​in which points that you consider important one or the other serves you, especially if your budget is limited, since you may have to add accessories such as keyboards and mice.

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