Skip to main content

The iPad Pro still has a place in a world with iPad Air 5

The arrival of 5th-generation iPad Air raises a question: Does it undercut the 11-inch iPad Pro since it has the same processor and is almost the same size? Both tablets are thin and light, work with the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil 2, and have the same processing prowess. But the iPad Air 5 starts at $599, which is $200 less than the starting price of the iPad Pro at $799.

As I wrote earlier, the base iPad Air 5 should not be an option for you if you are looking at it as a cheaper iPad Pro alternative. Instead, you should be looking at the $749 iPad Air 5 with 256 gigs of storage. That leaves a gap of $50 between the high-end iPad Air 5 and the base iPad Air Pro. At first glance, it might look like Apple is cannibalizing the iPad Pro by giving that much power to the latest iPad Air via an M1 chip. But the truth is that the 11-inch iPad Pro still has a place in a world with iPad Air 5.

Recommended Videos

What extra features does the iPad Pro offer?

The iPad Pro in silver sits on a table near two plants.
Digital Trends

I will not be comparing the base 11-inch iPad Pro (128GB) with the base iPad Air 5 (64GB). If you are a creator/professional, you will very likely need at least 128 gigs of storage, which the iPad Pro offers for $799; the $749 iPad Air 5 comes with 256GB of storage. Despite lagging in storage, there are still plenty of features on the Pro device that make it worth the extra bucks.

With the 11-inch iPad Pro, you get:

120Hz ProMotion display

One of the major differences between the iPad Air 5 and the 11-inch iPad Pro is the presence of a 120Hz refresh rate on the latter. For $50 more, you will get a smoother and more easy-on-the-eyes display. With more apps and games getting optimized to take advantage of the higher refresh rate, spending $50 more on the base iPad Pro is worth it.

Touch ID vs. Face ID

While it is a personal preference, Face ID gives you a depth sensor on the front camera, which means you get Portrait mode, Depth Control, and six Portrait lighting effects — like the iPhone. But does it warrant a $50 price hike? You decide.

Better audio

If you are considering buying the iPad Pro, you are likely going to use it for consuming video content, whether or not that’s your primary usage. The iPad Pro offers a quad-speaker setup instead of the two speakers found on the iPad Air 5. It will be a game-changer if you like to watch a lot of content on streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, or even YouTube.

Thunderbolt / USB 4 port

This feature is absent on the iPad Air 5. A Thunderbolt port not only gives you better data-transfer speeds, but it supports up to two 4K displays on the iPad Pro. If you are a professional creator, you might want to connect your iPad with an external monitor. You can’t do that with the iPad Air 5, making the extra $50 worth it.

Lidar sensor

This is a feature that has limited use cases, and only a small set of people are going to use it. The niche lidar sensor is specifically designed to be used by designers. If that’s your profession, the iPad Air 5 is not an option and you should go with the 11-inch iPad Pro.

More storage options

Again, the set of people that the iPad Pro is geared toward might like to get more than 256GB of storage on their machine, which is an option only available on the iPad Pro.

Other features

With the iPad Pro, you get an extra 10MP wide-angle rear camera, which you are likely going to use with the lidar sensor for design apps. Other features worth mentioning are audio zoom and stereo recording. You’re not likely going to use these features, but if you are, you already know which iPad to buy.

The iPad Air 5 doesn’t cut into the 11-inch iPad Pro

The iPad Pro 2021 rests on a table, with the home screen showing.
Digital Trends

The ProMotion display, Thunderbolt port, and lidar sensor could be the most important reasons why a professional would consider buying the 11-inch iPad Pro over the iPad Air 5.

Bottom line, if you are a professional creator who is going to make the most of that M1 chip, you get a lot more features with the iPad Pro, which should be a good enough reason to spend an extra $50.

Prakhar Khanna
Prakhar writes news, reviews and features for Digital Trends. He is an independent tech journalist who has been a part of the…
The 2025 iPad Air may get a two-generation performance boost
A person holding the iPad Air (2024) and taking a photo.

Did you get the iPad Air (2024), or are you waiting for a newer model to be released? If you’re in the latter group, we have some exciting news for you.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the next iPad Air could be launched with an M4 chip as early as this spring. If this information is accurate, it's significant, as the current model features the M2 chip. This suggests Apple is skipping the M3 chip for its colorful mid-priced tablet.

Read more
It’s 2025, and the iPhone still has an annoying alarm bug
The iPhone 14 Pro's Dynamic Island showing the timer and music playing.

Have you ever woken up late, only to discover your alarm never actually went off? You aren't alone. For a long time now, iPhone users have reported a disruptive bug that allows their alarms to trigger but with no sound or vibration. It's practically the same as having no alarm at all, and despite repeated promises, Apple has yet to resolve it.

On the r/iPhone subreddit, user u/bryanlolwut posted a picture showing his 10:30 a.m. alarm going off at 12:42 p.m. Other users flooded the comments with similar stories and complaints, with one person simply stating, "I feel vindicated."

Read more
iPhone 17 Pro camera specs leaked. There are good and bad changes
Mockup of redesigned iPhone 17 Pro.

There's new information about this year's iPhone 17 smartphone lineup, all concerning the cameras found on the phones. Depending on opinions, the news could be viewed as a mix of good and bad.

Firstly, leaker Digital Chat Station confirmed an earlier report by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that said the company plans to make significant camera upgrades on the 2025 iPhone lineup.

Read more