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InnoReviews

iPad Air 13-inch (M3) vs iPad Pro 13-inch (M5)

iPad Air 13-inch (M3)
57.1Inno Score
VS
WINNER
iPad Pro 13-inch (M5)
72Inno Score
73.5Performance73.3
35.4Display81.8
44.8Battery53.4
61Portability77.4
74.4Features74.4
0 spec wins — iPad Air 13-inch (M3)8 spec wins — iPad Pro 13-inch (M5)

InnoReviews verdict

iPad Pro 13-inch (M5) wins this tablet face-off, 72 to 57.1, pulling ahead mainly in display (+46) and portability (+16). iPad Air 13-inch (M3) 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 13-inch (M3)

  • Lower launch price: $799 vs $1,299

Reasons to pick the iPad Pro 13-inch (M5)

  • Stronger display score: 82 vs 35
  • Stronger battery score: 53 vs 45
  • Stronger portability score: 77 vs 61
  • 200% higher charging: 60 W vs 20 W
  • 167% higher Peak brightness: 1,600 nits vs 600 nits

Display

Display comparison: iPad Air 13-inch (M3) versus iPad Pro 13-inch (M5)
SpeciPad Air 13-inch (M3)iPad Pro 13-inch (M5)
Screen size12.9 ″13 ″+1%
Panel typeLiquid Retina IPS LCDTandem OLED (Ultra Retina XDR)
Resolution2732x20482752x2064
Pixel density264 ppi264 ppi
Refresh rate60 Hz120 Hz+100%
Peak brightness600 nits1,600 nits+167%

Performance

Performance comparison: iPad Air 13-inch (M3) versus iPad Pro 13-inch (M5)
SpeciPad Air 13-inch (M3)iPad Pro 13-inch (M5)
ChipsetApple M3Apple M5
AnTuTu1,950,000—
Geekbench 6 (single)3,050Top 13%—
Geekbench 6 (multi)11,600Top 11%—
RAM8 GB12 GB+50%
Storage options128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB

Battery

Battery comparison: iPad Air 13-inch (M3) versus iPad Pro 13-inch (M5)
SpeciPad Air 13-inch (M3)iPad Pro 13-inch (M5)
Capacity9,705 mAh10,209 mAh+5%
Charging20 W60 W+200%
Endurance10 h10 h

Design

Design comparison: iPad Air 13-inch (M3) versus iPad Pro 13-inch (M5)
SpeciPad Air 13-inch (M3)iPad Pro 13-inch (M5)
Weight616 g579 g+6%
Thickness6.1 mm5.1 mm+16%
MaterialAluminumAluminum

Camera

Camera comparison: iPad Air 13-inch (M3) versus iPad Pro 13-inch (M5)
SpeciPad Air 13-inch (M3)iPad Pro 13-inch (M5)
Rear camera12 MP12 MP
Front camera12 MP12 MP

Connectivity

Connectivity comparison: iPad Air 13-inch (M3) versus iPad Pro 13-inch (M5)
SpeciPad Air 13-inch (M3)iPad Pro 13-inch (M5)
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6EWi-Fi 7
Bluetooth5.36
Cellular5G optional5G optional
USBUSB-C (10Gbps)USB-C (Thunderbolt / USB 4)

Features

Features comparison: iPad Air 13-inch (M3) versus iPad Pro 13-inch (M5)
SpeciPad Air 13-inch (M3)iPad Pro 13-inch (M5)
StylusApple Pencil ProApple Pencil Pro
Keyboard supportYesYes
SpeakersStereoQuad
Operating systemiPadOS 18iPadOS 26

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