Apple released the iPad Pro M5 on Wednesday, October 15, 2025 – time for a comparison with the iPad Air M3, which has been available since March.
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iPad Air 2025 vs iPad Pro 2025
Are you looking for a modern iPad? Then you probably want to know which suits you better: the iPad Air 2025 or the new iPad Pro 2025. We put them side by side and tell you what differences there are between the two tablets.
| iPad Air 2025 | iPad Pro 2025 |
|---|---|
| 11 or 13 inch Liquid Retina display | 11 or 13 inch Ultra Retina XDR display with ProMotion |
| M3 chip | M5 chip |
| Max. 1 TB | Max. 2TB |
| 8 GB RAM | 12 GB RAM |
| Up to 10 hours of video playback | Up to 10 hours of video playback |
| Space Gray, Blue, Purple, Starlight | Space Black, Silver |
| At Apple from 669 euros (best deal: € 619) | At Apple from 1,119 euros (best deal: € 1,119) |
Housing
In terms of dimensions and weight, there are differences between the iPad Air 2025 and the iPad Pro 2025, but those differences are small:
| Model | Dimensions 11 inches | Weight 11 inches | Dimensions 13 inches | Weight 13 inches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPad Air 2025 | 247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1mm | 460 grams | 280.6 x 214.9 x 6.1mm | 616 grams |
| iPad Pro 2025 | 249.7 x 177.5 x 5.3mm | 444 grams | 281.6 x 215.5 x 5.1mm | 579 grams |
The iPad Air 2025 has a button that incorporates Touch ID. The iPad Pro 2025 does not have this and works with Face ID. Furthermore, the Air’s housing contains two speakers and two microphones, and the iPad Pro 2025 has four of each.
Screen
Both iPads are available in an 11-inch and a 13-inch variant. This means that the resolution of the screens is also almost the same: 2360 x 1640 pixels on the 11-inch Air, compared to 2420 x 1668 pixels on the 11-inch Pro. For the 13-inch variants it is 2732 x 2048 pixels and 2752 x 2064 pixels respectively.
At 1000 nits, the Pro’s screen has twice as much brightness as the Air (500 nits). This mainly means that you can read the screen of the iPad Pro 2025 better in direct sunlight than that of the iPad Air 2025. The screen of the Pro is also equipped with ProMotion, and if you choose 1 TB or 2 TB of storage space, you have the option to choose Nano-texture. This is a matte finish that ensures that you see even fewer reflections. The Air does not have that option.
Camera
The iPads both have a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera on the back. The iPad Pro also has a LiDAR scanner that can measure the distance to a subject and therefore take better portrait photos. Furthermore, the Pro can also make video recordings with ProRes.
The Air and Pro also have the same selfie camera on the front: a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera with Center Stage. The latter helps to automatically keep yourself visible during video calls.
Performance
Here we find somewhat larger differences than, for example, with the camera. The iPad Pro runs on the brand new and lightning-fast M5 chip. The iPad Air 2025 lags far behind with the M3 chip. In addition, the Pro has 12 GB of RAM, compared to 8 GB on the Air. If you like to play heavy games, the Pro can handle them a lot better than the Air. For everyday use, both iPads will do just fine.
The iPad Air is also available with a minimum amount of storage space of 128 GB. For the iPad Pro this is 256 GB. The maximum amount of storage space for the Air is 1 TB and for the Pro 2 TB.
Battery
On this point, both iPads score very comparable again. With a full battery, you can watch video for up to 10 hours with both. The Pro is the only one that supports fast charging. You can therefore charge it up to 50 percent in 30 minutes, provided you use a suitable adapter.
Prices
In addition to performance, we also find a big difference in prices. With a starting price of 1119 euros, the Pro is considerably more expensive than the Air (from 669 euros). Whether the additional cost of 450 euros is worth it for you is very personal.
Conclusion: iPad Air 2025 vs iPad Pro 2025
The iPad Pro 2025 is clearly the better tablet of the two, although the differences are not very large in all respects. You pay the higher price mainly for the faster processor, the extra RAM, the screen with ProMotion, the LiDAR scanner and possibly the extra storage space. If you like to play heavy games, then the Pro is definitely the best choice. If you don’t really need the extras mentioned, you can save quite a bit of money.
Want to buy an iPad Pro 2025 or iPad Air 2025?
The pre-order of the iPad Pro 2025 has already started, so you can order it immediately. From Wednesday October 22 the new iPad Pro is in stores. View here where you can order the tablet now, so that you can receive the device first:
- iPad Pro 2025 at Coolblue
- iPad Pro 2025 at MediaMarkt
- iPad Pro 2025 at Belsimpel
- iPad Pro 2025 at KPN
Would you rather go for the iPad Air 2025? Then keep an eye on the deals below to ensure you don’t pay too much!
Apple iPad Air 2025 deals
Compare all Apple iPad Air 2025 prices