iPad Air 11-inch (M3) vs Surface Pro 9
78.7Performancechip48
32.9Display71.4
33.6Battery—
85.2Portability20
74.4Features81.3
3 spec wins — iPad Air 11-inch (M3)3 spec wins — Surface Pro 9
InnoReviews verdict
This one is close to a dead heat: iPad Air 11-inch (M3) scores 58.2 against 58.1 for Surface Pro 9. Pick by the categories that matter to you — iPad Air 11-inch (M3) edges ahead in portability and performance, or by price.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the iPad Air 11-inch (M3)
- Stronger performance score: 79 vs 48
- Stronger portability score: 85 vs 20
- 48% lower weight: 460 g vs 879 g
- 34% lower thickness: 6.1 mm vs 9.3 mm
- 20% higher Rear camera: 12 MP vs 10 MP
- Lower launch price: $599 vs $1,000
Reasons to pick the Surface Pro 9
- Stronger display score: 71 vs 33
- Stronger features score: 81 vs 74
- 100% higher Refresh rate: 120 Hz vs 60 Hz
- 19% higher Screen size: 13 ″ vs 10.9 ″
Display
| Spec | iPad Air 11-inch (M3) | Surface Pro 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 10.9 ″ | 13 ″+19% |
| Panel type | Liquid Retina IPS LCD | PixelSense Flow touchscreen |
| Resolution | 2360x1640 | 2880x1920 |
| Pixel density | 264 ppi | 267 ppi+1% |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz+100% |
| Peak brightness | 500 nits | — |
Performance
| Spec | iPad Air 11-inch (M3) | Surface Pro 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Apple M3 | Intel Core i5-1235U |
| AnTuTu | 2,630,403Top 27% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (CPU) | 731,049Top 28% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (GPU) | 946,407Top 25% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (Memory) | 314,757Top 32% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (UX) | 638,190Top 23% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,019Top 12% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 11,773Top 7% | — |
| RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage options | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB (removable SSD) |
Battery
| Spec | iPad Air 11-inch (M3) | Surface Pro 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 7,606 mAh | — |
| Charging | 20 W | — |
| Endurance | 10 h | — |
Design
| Spec | iPad Air 11-inch (M3) | Surface Pro 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 460 g+48% | 879 g |
| Thickness | 6.1 mm+34% | 9.3 mm |
| Material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
Camera
| Spec | iPad Air 11-inch (M3) | Surface Pro 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Rear camera | 12 MP+20% | 10 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | — |
Connectivity
| Spec | iPad Air 11-inch (M3) | Surface Pro 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.1 |
| Cellular | 5G optional | None (Intel model); 5G on the SQ 3 model |
| USB | USB-C (10Gbps) | 2x USB-C (USB4 / Thunderbolt 4) |
Features
| Spec | iPad Air 11-inch (M3) | Surface Pro 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Stylus | Apple Pencil Pro | Surface Slim Pen 2, sold separately |
| Keyboard support | Yes | Yes |
| Speakers | Stereo | Stereo (2W, Dolby Atmos) |
| Operating system | iPadOS 18 | Windows 11 Home |