iPad Air 13-inch (M4) vs Surface Pro 12-inch (1st Edition)
80.4Performance85.7
35.4Display36.7
35.6Battery43.3
61Portability32
74.4Features56.8
9 spec wins — iPad Air 13-inch (M4)3 spec wins — Surface Pro 12-inch (1st Edition)
InnoReviews verdict
iPad Air 13-inch (M4) wins this tablet face-off, 57.4 to 55.3, pulling ahead mainly in portability (+29) and features (+18). Surface Pro 12-inch (1st Edition) 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 (M4)
- Stronger portability score: 61 vs 32
- Stronger features score: 74 vs 57
- 500% higher Front camera: 12 MP vs 2 MP
- 50% higher Peak brightness: 600 nits vs 400 nits
- 46% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 3,576 vs 2,442
Reasons to pick the Surface Pro 12-inch (1st Edition)
- Stronger performance score: 86 vs 80
- Stronger battery score: 43 vs 36
- 125% higher charging: 45 W vs 20 W
- 50% higher Refresh rate: 90 Hz vs 60 Hz
- 33% higher RAM: 16 GB vs 12 GB
Display
| Spec | iPad Air 13-inch (M4) | Surface Pro 12-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 12.9 ″+8% | 12 ″ |
| Panel type | Liquid Retina IPS LCD | PixelSense IPS LCD touchscreen |
| Resolution | 2732x2048 | 2196x1464 |
| Pixel density | 264 ppi+20% | 220 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 90 Hz+50% |
| Peak brightness | 600 nits+50% | 400 nits |
Performance
| Spec | iPad Air 13-inch (M4) | Surface Pro 12-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Apple M4 | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100 |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,576+46%Top 5% | 2,442Top 27% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 12,591+13%Top 6% | 11,118Top 11% |
| RAM | 12 GB | 16 GB+33% |
| Storage options | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 256GB / 512GB (UFS) |
Battery
| Spec | iPad Air 13-inch (M4) | Surface Pro 12-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 20 W | 45 W+125% |
| Endurance | 10 h | — |
Design
| Spec | iPad Air 13-inch (M4) | Surface Pro 12-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 616 g+10% | 686 g |
| Thickness | 6.1 mm+22% | 7.8 mm |
| Material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
Camera
| Spec | iPad Air 13-inch (M4) | Surface Pro 12-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Rear camera | 12 MP+20% | 10 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP+500% | 2 MP |
Connectivity
| Spec | iPad Air 13-inch (M4) | Surface Pro 12-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 6 | 5.4 |
| Cellular | 5G optional | Wi-Fi only |
| USB | USB-C (10Gbps) | 2x USB-C (USB 3.2, DisplayPort 1.4a) |
Features
| Spec | iPad Air 13-inch (M4) | Surface Pro 12-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Stylus | Apple Pencil Pro | Surface Slim Pen (2nd Edition), sold separately |
| Keyboard support | Yes | Yes |
| Speakers | Stereo | Stereo (2W, Dolby Atmos) |
| Operating system | iPadOS 26 | Windows 11 Home |
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