iPad Air 11-inch (M4) vs Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition)
73.3Performance100
32.9Display57.1
35.6Battery53.3
84.6Portability20
74.4Features81.3
3 spec wins — iPad Air 11-inch (M4)6 spec wins — Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition)
InnoReviews verdict
Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition) wins this tablet face-off, 69.1 to 57, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+27) and display (+24). iPad Air 11-inch (M4) still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the iPad Air 11-inch (M4)
- Stronger portability score: 85 vs 20
- 48% lower weight: 464 g vs 895 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 $1,350
Reasons to pick the Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition)
- Stronger performance score: 100 vs 73
- Stronger display score: 57 vs 33
- Stronger battery score: 53 vs 36
- Stronger features score: 81 vs 74
- 200% higher charging: 60 W vs 20 W
Display
| Spec | iPad Air 11-inch (M4) | Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 10.9 ″ | 13 ″+19% |
| Panel type | Liquid Retina IPS LCD | PixelSense Flow touchscreen (OLED or LCD) |
| Resolution | 2360x1640 | 2880x1920 |
| Pixel density | 264 ppi | 267 ppi+1% |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz+100% |
| Peak brightness | 500 nits | 600 nits+20% |
Performance
| Spec | iPad Air 11-inch (M4) | Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Apple M4 | Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus (10-core) or Snapdragon X2 Elite (12-core) |
| RAM | 12 GB | 16 GB+33% |
| Storage options | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB (removable SSD) |
Battery
| Spec | iPad Air 11-inch (M4) | Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 20 W | 60 W+200% |
| Endurance | 10 h | — |
Design
| Spec | iPad Air 11-inch (M4) | Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 464 g+48% | 895 g |
| Thickness | 6.1 mm+34% | 9.3 mm |
| Material | Aluminum | Aluminum (100% recycled alloy) |
Camera
| Spec | iPad Air 11-inch (M4) | Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Rear camera | 12 MP+20% | 10 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | — |
Connectivity
| Spec | iPad Air 11-inch (M4) | Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 6 | 5.4 |
| Cellular | 5G optional | 5G optional |
| USB | USB-C (10Gbps) | 2x USB-C (USB4), Surface Connect |
Features
| Spec | iPad Air 11-inch (M4) | Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Stylus | Apple Pencil Pro | Surface Slim Pen (sold separately) |
| Keyboard support | Yes | Yes |
| Speakers | Stereo | Stereo (Dolby Atmos) |
| Operating system | iPadOS 26 | Windows 11 Home |
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