7 spec wins — iPad Air 11-inch (M3)8 spec wins — Xiaomi Pad 6
InnoReviews verdict
This one is close to a dead heat: iPad Air 11-inch (M3) scores 56.7 against 56.6 for Xiaomi Pad 6. Pick by the categories that matter to you — iPad Air 11-inch (M3) edges ahead in performance and portability, or by price.
Editor's note
These two answer different questions. The iPad Air's M3 is in another performance universe (Geekbench 11,600 multi versus 3,050) and its app ecosystem is still the tablet gold standard — but it asks $599 for 60Hz. The Pad 6 gives you a sharper-than-Air 144Hz screen and a bigger battery for $399, and for video, notes and casual games that is genuinely all most people need. Buy the Air if any real work is involved; buy the Pad 6 if the tablet lives on the couch.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the iPad Air 11-inch (M3)
Stronger performance score: 74 vs 38
Stronger portability score: 85 vs 76
Stronger features score: 74 vs 67
280% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 11,600 vs 3,050
193% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 3,050 vs 1,040
Reasons to pick the Xiaomi Pad 6
Stronger display score: 69 vs 33
Stronger battery score: 51 vs 34
140% higher Refresh rate: 144 Hz vs 60 Hz
65% higher charging: 33 W vs 20 W
20% higher endurance: 12 h vs 10 h
Lower launch price: $399 vs $599
Display
Display comparison: iPad Air 11-inch (M3) versus Xiaomi Pad 6
Spec
iPad Air 11-inch (M3)
Xiaomi Pad 6
Screen size
10.9 ″
11 ″+1%
Panel type
Liquid Retina IPS LCD
IPS LCD
Resolution
2360x1640
2880x1800
Pixel density
264 ppi
309 ppi+17%
Refresh rate
60 Hz
144 Hz+140%
Peak brightness
500 nits
550 nits+10%
Performance
Performance comparison: iPad Air 11-inch (M3) versus Xiaomi Pad 6
Spec
iPad Air 11-inch (M3)
Xiaomi Pad 6
Chipset
Apple M3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 870
AnTuTu
1,950,000+179%
700,000
Geekbench 6 (single)
3,050+193%Top 15%
1,040Bottom 30%
Geekbench 6 (multi)
11,600+280%Top 13%
3,050Bottom 30%
RAM
8 GB+33%
6 GB
Storage options
128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB
128GB / 256GB
Battery
Battery comparison: iPad Air 11-inch (M3) versus Xiaomi Pad 6
Spec
iPad Air 11-inch (M3)
Xiaomi Pad 6
Capacity
7,606 mAh
8,840 mAh+16%
Charging
20 W
33 W+65%
Endurance
10 h
12 h+20%
Design
Design comparison: iPad Air 11-inch (M3) versus Xiaomi Pad 6
Spec
iPad Air 11-inch (M3)
Xiaomi Pad 6
Weight
460 g+6%
490 g
Thickness
6.1 mm+6%
6.5 mm
Material
Aluminum
Aluminum unibody
Camera
Camera comparison: iPad Air 11-inch (M3) versus Xiaomi Pad 6
Spec
iPad Air 11-inch (M3)
Xiaomi Pad 6
Rear camera
12 MP
13 MP+8%
Front camera
12 MP+50%
8 MP
Connectivity
Connectivity comparison: iPad Air 11-inch (M3) versus Xiaomi Pad 6
Spec
iPad Air 11-inch (M3)
Xiaomi Pad 6
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6E
Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth
5.3
5.2
Cellular
5G optional
Wi-Fi only
USB
USB-C (10Gbps)
USB-C 3.2 Gen 1
Features
Features comparison: iPad Air 11-inch (M3) versus Xiaomi Pad 6
