iPad Air 13-inch (M2) vs Surface Pro 9
74.1Performancechip48
35.4Display71.4
48.6Battery—
60.9Portability20
74.4Features81.3
3 spec wins — iPad Air 13-inch (M2)3 spec wins — Surface Pro 9
InnoReviews verdict
This one is close to a dead heat: iPad Air 13-inch (M2) scores 58 against 58.1 for Surface Pro 9. Pick by the categories that matter to you — Surface Pro 9 edges ahead in display and features, or by price.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the iPad Air 13-inch (M2)
- Stronger performance score: 74 vs 48
- Stronger portability score: 61 vs 20
- 34% lower thickness: 6.1 mm vs 9.3 mm
- 30% lower weight: 617 g vs 879 g
- 20% higher Rear camera: 12 MP vs 10 MP
- Lower launch price: $799 vs $1,000
Reasons to pick the Surface Pro 9
- Stronger display score: 71 vs 35
- Stronger features score: 81 vs 74
- 100% higher Refresh rate: 120 Hz vs 60 Hz
Display
| Spec | iPad Air 13-inch (M2) | Surface Pro 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 12.9 ″ | 13 ″+1% |
| Panel type | Liquid Retina IPS LCD | PixelSense Flow touchscreen |
| Resolution | 2732x2048 | 2880x1920 |
| Pixel density | 264 ppi | 267 ppi+1% |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz+100% |
| Peak brightness | 600 nits | — |
Performance
| Spec | iPad Air 13-inch (M2) | Surface Pro 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Apple M2 | Intel Core i5-1235U |
| AnTuTu | 2,386,025Top 31% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (CPU) | 624,844Top 38% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (GPU) | 906,053Top 28% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (Memory) | 291,361Top 44% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (UX) | 563,767Top 28% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,605Top 26% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 10,120Top 13% | — |
| RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage options | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB (removable SSD) |
Battery
| Spec | iPad Air 13-inch (M2) | Surface Pro 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 9,705 mAh | — |
| Charging | 20 W | — |
Design
| Spec | iPad Air 13-inch (M2) | Surface Pro 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 617 g+30% | 879 g |
| Thickness | 6.1 mm+34% | 9.3 mm |
| Material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
Camera
| Spec | iPad Air 13-inch (M2) | Surface Pro 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Rear camera | 12 MP+20% | 10 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | — |
Connectivity
| Spec | iPad Air 13-inch (M2) | 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 13-inch (M2) | Surface Pro 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Stylus | Apple Pencil Pro | Surface Slim Pen 2, sold separately |
| Keyboard support | Yes | Yes |
| Speakers | Stereo (landscape) | Stereo (2W, Dolby Atmos) |
| Operating system | iPadOS 17 | Windows 11 Home |
Related comparisons
iPad Air 13-inch (M2)vs POCO Pad M1VSiPad Air 13-inch (M2)vs HONOR Pad 9 ProVSiPad Air 13-inch (M2)vs iPad Air 11-inch (M3)VSiPad Air 13-inch (M2)vs Huawei MatePad 11.5 (2025)VSSurface Pro 9vs HONOR Pad 9 ProVSSurface Pro 9vs iPad Air 11-inch (M3)VSSurface Pro 9vs POCO Pad M1VSSurface Pro 9vs Xiaomi Pad 6VS