How do the scores compare?

iPad Air (M1) scores 49.8/100 overall; Surface Pro 7 scores 50.4/100. iPad Air (M1) wins 4 individual spec rows, Surface Pro 7 wins 2.

What are the main differences between the iPad Air (M1) and the Surface Pro 7?

iPad Air (M1) advantages: Stronger performance score: 54 vs 47; Stronger portability score: 85 vs 20; Stronger features score: 74 vs 57; 140% higher Front camera: 12 MP vs 5 MP; 50% higher Rear camera: 12 MP vs 8 MP; Lower launch price: $599 vs $749. Surface Pro 7 advantages: Stronger display score: 63 vs 33; 13% higher Screen size: 12.3 ″ vs 10.9 ″.

Which is cheaper: iPad Air (M1) or Surface Pro 7?

iPad Air (M1) launched cheaper at $599, versus $749 for the Surface Pro 7.

iPad Air (M1) vs Surface Pro 7

Apple

iPad Air (M1)

$599

WINNER

Microsoft

Surface Pro 7

$749

54.1chipPerformance46.7

32.9Display62.8

28.4Battery—

85Portability20

74.4Features57.2

4 spec wins — iPad Air (M1)2 spec wins — Surface Pro 7

InnoReviews verdict

This one is close to a dead heat: iPad Air (M1) scores 49.8 against 50.4 for Surface Pro 7. Pick by the categories that matter to you — Surface Pro 7 edges ahead in display, or by price.

Which would you pick?

Key differences

Reasons to pick the iPad Air (M1)

Stronger performance score: 54 vs 47
Stronger portability score: 85 vs 20
Stronger features score: 74 vs 57
140% higher Front camera: 12 MP vs 5 MP
50% higher Rear camera: 12 MP vs 8 MP
Lower launch price: $599 vs $749

Reasons to pick the Surface Pro 7

Stronger display score: 63 vs 33
13% higher Screen size: 12.3 ″ vs 10.9 ″

Display

Display comparison: iPad Air (M1) versus Surface Pro 7
Spec	iPad Air (M1)	Surface Pro 7
Screen size	10.9 ″	12.3 ″+13%
Panel type	Liquid Retina IPS LCD	PixelSense touchscreen
Resolution	2360x1640	2736x1824
Pixel density	264 ppi	267 ppi+1%
Refresh rate	60 Hz	—
Peak brightness	500 nits	—

Performance

Performance comparison: iPad Air (M1) versus Surface Pro 7
Spec	iPad Air (M1)	Surface Pro 7
Chipset	Apple M1	Intel Core i5-1035G4
RAM	8 GB	8 GB
Storage options	64GB / 256GB	128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB (SSD)

Battery

Battery comparison: iPad Air (M1) versus Surface Pro 7
Spec	iPad Air (M1)	Surface Pro 7
Capacity	7,600 mAh	—
Charging	20 W	—

Design

Design comparison: iPad Air (M1) versus Surface Pro 7
Spec	iPad Air (M1)	Surface Pro 7
Weight	461 g+41%	775 g
Thickness	6.1 mm+28%	8.5 mm
Material	Aluminum	Magnesium

Camera

Camera comparison: iPad Air (M1) versus Surface Pro 7
Spec	iPad Air (M1)	Surface Pro 7
Rear camera	12 MP+50%	8 MP
Front camera	12 MP+140%	5 MP

Connectivity

Connectivity comparison: iPad Air (M1) versus Surface Pro 7
Spec	iPad Air (M1)	Surface Pro 7
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 6	Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth	5.0	5.0
Cellular	5G optional	—
USB	USB-C (10Gbps)	USB-C, USB-A

Features

Features comparison: iPad Air (M1) versus Surface Pro 7
Spec	iPad Air (M1)	Surface Pro 7
Stylus	Apple Pencil (2nd generation)	Surface Pen, sold separately
Keyboard support	Yes	Yes
Speakers	Stereo	Stereo (1.6W, Dolby Audio)
Operating system	iPadOS 15.4	Windows 10 Home

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