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InnoReviews

iPad Air 13-inch (M3) vs Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition)

iPad Air 13-inch (M3)
57.1Inno Score
VS
WINNER
Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition)
69.1Inno Score
73.5Performance100
35.4Display57.1
44.8Battery53.3
61Portability20
74.4Features81.3
3 spec wins — iPad Air 13-inch (M3)5 spec wins — Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition)

InnoReviews verdict

Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition) wins this tablet face-off, 69.1 to 57.1, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+27) and display (+22). 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)

  • Stronger portability score: 61 vs 20
  • 34% lower thickness: 6.1 mm vs 9.3 mm
  • 31% lower weight: 616 g vs 895 g
  • 20% higher Rear camera: 12 MP vs 10 MP
  • Lower launch price: $799 vs $1,350

Reasons to pick the Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition)

  • Stronger performance score: 100 vs 74
  • Stronger display score: 57 vs 35
  • Stronger battery score: 53 vs 45
  • Stronger features score: 81 vs 74
  • 200% higher charging: 60 W vs 20 W

Display

Display comparison: iPad Air 13-inch (M3) versus Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition)
SpeciPad Air 13-inch (M3)Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition)
Screen size12.9 ″13 ″+1%
Panel typeLiquid Retina IPS LCDPixelSense Flow touchscreen (OLED or LCD)
Resolution2732x20482880x1920
Pixel density264 ppi267 ppi+1%
Refresh rate60 Hz120 Hz+100%
Peak brightness600 nits600 nits

Performance

Performance comparison: iPad Air 13-inch (M3) versus Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition)
SpeciPad Air 13-inch (M3)Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition)
ChipsetApple M3Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus (10-core) or Snapdragon X2 Elite (12-core)
AnTuTu1,950,000—
Geekbench 6 (single)3,050Top 13%—
Geekbench 6 (multi)11,600Top 11%—
RAM8 GB16 GB+100%
Storage options128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB256GB / 512GB / 1TB (removable SSD)

Battery

Battery comparison: iPad Air 13-inch (M3) versus Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition)
SpeciPad Air 13-inch (M3)Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition)
Capacity9,705 mAh—
Charging20 W60 W+200%
Endurance10 h—

Design

Design comparison: iPad Air 13-inch (M3) versus Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition)
SpeciPad Air 13-inch (M3)Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition)
Weight616 g+31%895 g
Thickness6.1 mm+34%9.3 mm
MaterialAluminumAluminum (100% recycled alloy)

Camera

Camera comparison: iPad Air 13-inch (M3) versus Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition)
SpeciPad Air 13-inch (M3)Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition)
Rear camera12 MP+20%10 MP
Front camera12 MP—

Connectivity

Connectivity comparison: iPad Air 13-inch (M3) versus Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition)
SpeciPad Air 13-inch (M3)Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition)
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6EWi-Fi 7
Bluetooth5.35.4
Cellular5G optional5G optional
USBUSB-C (10Gbps)2x USB-C (USB4), Surface Connect

Features

Features comparison: iPad Air 13-inch (M3) versus Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition)
SpeciPad Air 13-inch (M3)Surface Pro 13-inch (12th Edition)
StylusApple Pencil ProSurface Slim Pen (sold separately)
Keyboard supportYesYes
SpeakersStereoStereo (Dolby Atmos)
Operating systemiPadOS 18Windows 11 Home

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