iPad Pro vs. iPad Air: Which is the Best Choice for Students?

The Apple iPad has become a staple of many people’s lives, relied on for drawing, social media, gaming, reading and so much more. As newer iPads hit the market, the quality you get for the price has greatly improved, making this a great time to buy one -- especially if you're looking for the best iPads for college students. Whether you're an incoming freshman or continuing your studies, an iPad can be a valuable tool for taking notes, reading textbooks, creating content, and staying connected. If you’re considering getting an Apple tablet, odds are you’re choosing between the iPad Pro versus the iPad Air. Both of these slender, lightweight devices come in 11- and 13-inch models, can record 4K video, have beautiful displays, support Apple Intelligence and more.

The real question is: what do you need the iPad for exactly? How are you planning on using it? Do you need Stage Manager and Apple Intelligence? Apple Pencil hover support? Or just regular Apple Pencil support? This article will delve into a detailed comparison of the iPad Pro and iPad Air, highlighting their key features, performance, and suitability for various student needs, to help you make an informed decision.

Key Differences at a Glance

At a glance, it’s hard to tell the latest iPad Pro and iPad Air apart from one another. They have almost the exact same dimensions, but the iPad Pro is just a bit slimmer than the iPad Air (Apple boasts the iPad Pro is its thinnest iPad to date). While both the Apple iPad Pro and the Apple iPad Air have fast processors, powerful cameras and crystal clear displays, several distinctions set them apart. Here’s a quick overview:

Processor: The Apple iPad Pro has an M4 chip, while the Apple iPad Air has an M3 chip.
Display: The iPad Pro boasts an Ultra Retina XDR display with a 120Hz variable refresh rate, while the iPad Air features a Liquid Retina display with a 60Hz refresh rate.
Cameras: The iPad Pro has a more advanced camera system with a LiDAR scanner and a TrueDepth front camera, whereas the iPad Air has a single-lens rear camera and a Landscape 12MP Center Stage front camera.
Storage Options: The iPad Pro offers higher storage options, including 1TB and 2TB, while the iPad Air's storage options typically max out at 512GB or 1TB.
Biometrics: The Apple iPad Pro uses facial recognition technology to unlock it, while the iPad Air is opened by registering your fingerprint on its slender primary button.
Price: The iPad Pro has a higher starting price than the iPad Air.

Design and Display

Both the iPad Pro and iPad Air sport a sleek and modern design. They have almost the exact same dimensions, but the iPad Pro is just a bit slimmer than the iPad Air (Apple boasts the iPad Pro is its thinnest iPad to date). However, the displays are where they truly differ.

iPad Air: Liquid Retina Display

The iPad Air I tested has a Liquid Retina display built from an LED backlit Multi‑Touch with IPS technology. This panel technology helps give a wider viewing angle with rich color accuracy. The tablet has a screen resolution of 2,360 by 1,640 pixels with a pixel density of 263 PPI (pixels per inch). The iPad Air’s refresh rate, which is how fast the display updates the on-screen image per second, is 60Hz, or 60 frames per second. The iPad Air’s display is great for streaming movies and shows, especially if you’re traveling. The screen gets bright enough that you can enjoy it under most circumstances, and movies and videos look detailed and rich thanks to that Liquid Retina display.

iPad Pro: Ultra Retina XDR Display

The iPad Pro sports an Ultra Retina XDR display that’s comprised of a Tandem OLED, or two OLED panels stacked on one another that work together for better contrast, richer colors and a brighter picture. It has a 2,388 by 1,668 resolution, and it has a 120Hz variable refresh rate-double that of the iPad Air-and it can vary to maintain a buttery smoothness. It can also reach a brightness of 1,600 nits. In bright sunlight, I found the iPad Pro was brighter thanks to that massive difference. The iPad Pro's screen was much brighter and easy to see in full sunlight.

The Ultra Retina XDR display also delivers a higher contrast for more accurate colors for editing photographs, too. While the iPad Pro may be overkill for casual users, it gets brighter and the Ultra Retina XDR display has a much stronger refresh rate for processing action sequences and rendering intensive applications. On the iPad Pro, you can also add a nano-texture glass for an extra cost.

Performance and Chipset

While the chassis of each iPad looks similar, it’s under the hood where you’ll find these iPads diverge. The Apple iPad Pro has an M4 chip, while the Apple iPad Air has an M3 chip.

M3 Chip in iPad Air

Powered by the Apple M3 chip and a Liquid Retina display with True Tone, it's hard to argue that there is a better iPad for students than the 7th-generation iPad Air. The M3 chip in the iPad Air provides ample power for multitasking, running demanding apps, and handling everyday tasks with ease. This lightweight tablet is compatible with most Apple high-end accessories, including the Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard, making it easy to take notes in class and watch virtual seminars.

M4 Chip in iPad Pro

The M4 chip in the iPad Pro features a 10-core GPU compared to the M3’s 9-core GPU, resulting in significant performance gains, particularly in graphics-intensive tasks and gaming. The former was built for creatives and more powerful processing. Where the M4 truly shows its prowess is when you have multiple data-hungry apps and programs running at once. The 8th-generation iPad Pro's M5 chip makes it undeniably powerful. This upgrade comes with next-generation machine learning accelerators to handle a diverse range of tasks, and ProMotion technology, enabling variable screen refresh rates ranging from 10 to 120Hz.

Read also: Choosing an iPad for Education

Camera Capabilities

Both the Apple iPad Pro and the Apple iPad Air have good cameras. Each iPad has only two cameras: You’ll find a “selfie” (or video chat or app-interactive) camera built into the front display, and a main, wider angle camera on the rear.

iPad Air Camera

Additionally, on the back, both sport the 12MP wide camera lens with up to 5x digital zoom. The iPad Air’s back camera offers a Panorama feature that can snap up to 63MP images. It can also record video in crisp 4K video, also known as UHD or ultra high definition. The front camera, called the Landscape 12MP Center Stage Camera, can snap 12MP photos and record video at 1080p, or HD (high definition) video. It comes with Retina Flash with True Tone technology and auto image stabilization to help you take detailed, color-accurate images and video.

iPad Pro Camera

The iPad Pro’s rear camera actually has most of the same specs and features, but benefits from improved focusing and enhanced AR (augmented reality) function thanks to the LiDAR ranging. It also has a dual-lens arrangement that allows for truly wide-angle imaging without your selfies showing a “fisheye” look. The real difference is the front camera, which Apple calls the TrueDepth Camera. It’s packed with extra features, including a Portrait Mode with enhanced bokeh and special Portrait Lighting Modes to help capture gorgeous images.

Storage Options

For reference, two terabytes of storage space is enough to hold hundreds of hours of high definition video on your iPad. However, if you plan to work on your iPad with a lot of data, photo or video, of or if you take lots of photos and videos, that storage becomes crucial.

Whichever iPad model you ultimately choose, you would be well advised to purchase as much internal storage as your budget might reasonably allow - as internal storage (and other hardware) cannot be changed, upgraded or extended. The available internal storage is fixed for the entire life of the device. If you run out of internal storage for your documents, photos and other data, you will forever struggle and become a source of frustration. It is far better to have more storage than you need, than to need more storage than you have.

Read also: Savings on iPads for Students

A good rule of thumb is to quantify how much data storage you will need - add a healthy margin - then double it. If you are unable to quantify your data storage needs, it becomes more difficult. Whilst I and others cannot make definitive recommendations for your personal needs, objectively I would council against purchase of any iPad with any less than 256GB storage, 512GB and higher having a greater margin for growth.

Within the Apple Support Communities we see regular tales of woe and disappointment when storage requirements are exceeded, necessitating replacement of the device; by contrast, we never see complaint of having too much available storage. It is relatively easy to fill limited internal storage space; perhaps consider higher tiers of storage as providing room for growth as your needs develop or mature - potentially extending the useful usable life of the device. Also consider the functional differences between WiFi Only and WiFi+Cellular models of iPad.

Accessories and Compatibility

All current models of iPad support for one or two models of the Apple Pencil; the Apple Pencil Pro (with additional features) is only compatible with the iPad Pro M4 and Air M2; iPad models with a USB-C port also support the new USB-C Pencil. For handwritten notes and sketches, support for Apple Pencil may be relevant. Ensure that you choose the correct Apple Pencil for your chosen iPad - as they are not interchangeable.

iPad models that support the Apple Pencil Pro and second generation Apple Pencil are paired and charged using the magnetic charging dock on the edge of the host iPad. This greatly simplifies charging of the Pencil - as the Pencil is kept optimally charged whenever it is not being actively used. Note that the USB-C Pencil does not feature pressure sensitivity.

Price Comparison

A base price Apple iPad Air costs $599 for the 11-inch model with 128GB of storage space. You can add an Apple Pencil Pro for $129 or a basic Apple Pencil for $79, while a Magic Keyboard adds $269, and you can add cellular connectivity for $200. The Apple iPad Pro starts at $999 for the 11-inch option when you stick with 256GB of memory. For those that need more storage, the 512GB option costs $1,199, the 1TB is $1,599 and 2TB sets you back a steep $1,999.

Which iPad is Right for You?

Here’s the first thing I’ll say: both the 2TB Apple iPad Pro and the 1TB Apple iPad Air are both overkill for most people. That said, for most of us, it comes down to how much money you want to spend, which display features are most to you and to how much processing power you really need.

Choose iPad Air 7 if:

You want the best iPad for students on the market.
It's lightweight and has many of the same features as the iPad Pro, but for less money.
You need a reliable tablet with a sleek design without paying over $300 (consider iPad 11).

Choose iPad Pro 8 if:

You'll be using your iPad for intense graphics, gaming, rendering large files or for any intensive applications.
You need the strongest iPad that can fuel your passion for content creation.
Its M5 chip makes performance faster and better than ever, great for multitasking between software programs.

Additional iPad Options for Students

Between the four different iPad model variations (iPad base model, the Pro, Air, and Mini), there are many capable features that make decision making, especially for students, even tougher.

iPad 11

Apple's tried-and-true tablet, the base model iPad, is arguably the best design out of Apple's tablet lineup -- especially thanks to its versatility and compatibility. While you don't get the same suite of features as the more expensive iPad Pro and iPad Air models, the 11-inch iPad still outperforms even more expensive tablets on the market in processing power. This is especially true at the very affordable price of $349.

Based on my hands-on testing, I'm convinced that if you're shopping on a budget (as most students are), this iPad makes the most sense, especially given its A14 Bionic processor, USB-C support, 5G support for on-the-go tasks, and new 12MP ultra-wide camera. There's also a Magic Keyboard Folio made specifically for this iPad, so it's perfect for turning your tablet into a laptop in your dorm, library, or campus center.

iPad Mini 7

Apple's iPad Mini has an A17 Pro chip, making it a powerful tablet in a small package. The iPad Mini was last updated in the fall of 2024 and now supports all Apple Pencil models, including the Apple Pencil Pro. It's a super portable tablet, and there's a charging port on the right side for the Apple Pencil, making note-taking easy.

The portable form factor was my favorite thing about the iPad Mini, since I can easily take it with me in my purse, without having to grab a laptop bag. It's so small and lightweight, and it became my go-to entertainment tablet. Former ZDNET editor-in-chief Jason Hiner also noted that, "Compared to a phone, [the iPad Mini is] better for reading ebooks, PDFs, documents, news apps, and other digital content," meaning you won't have to lug around heavy textbooks from class to class -- you can just slip your iPad Mini into your backpack.

Refurbished iPads

College students know the importance of budgeting, and a refurbished or renewed iPad is a powerful Apple product for under $300. An iPad base model will offer many of the same features you'd expect from Apple's other tablets, like iPadOS updates for years and access to the App Store, without the top-shelf price tag.

While the 10th-generation iPad was released in 2022, it's been replaced by the 11th-generation model above. However, you can still buy a reliable refurbished or renewed 10th- or 9th-generation iPad on sites like BackMarket and even Amazon. Even if it is refurbished, an older base model iPad is still a fantastic purchase for personal and everyday use, including video streaming, note-taking, word processing, and games. The biggest compromise you'll make is that this iPad doesn't feature the near-borderless design of some of the newer models on this list.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right iPad for college depends on your specific needs, budget, and intended use. For most students, the iPad Air offers a great balance of performance, features, and price. However, if you require the ultimate in processing power, display quality, and camera capabilities, the iPad Pro is the way to go. Consider your course of study, typical tasks, and budget to make the best decision for your academic success.

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