Apple has a new iPad. The iPad Air M3 has Apple's slightly older M3 processor, artificial intelligence and a new keyboard (sold separately). Given that the Air always reviews well, it's bound to be a great device.
But is it right for you? The iPad Pro M4 has a more powerful processor, OLED screen and a What Hi-Fi? Award to its name. It is, however, also more expensive.
Join us as we pit the two tablets head to head to see which comes out on top.
iPad Air M3 vs iPad Pro M4: price
The iPad Air M3 has the same £599 starting price as its predecessor. That's for the 11-inch model with 128GB of storage; 256GB will cost you £699, 512GB £899 and 1TB £1099.
The 13-incher is pricier, as you would expect. 128GB costs £799, 256GB is £899, 512GB is £1099 and 1TB is £1299.
These are the wi-fi-only options. If you want a data connection to go with it, for connecting online when away from a wi-fi hotspot, it will cost extra.
Those prices are quite a bit cheaper than the iPad Pro M4. Its 11-inch model starts at £999 for 256GB, going up to £1199 for 512GB, £1599 for 1TB and £1999 for 2TB.
The 13-inch Pro is £1299 for 256GB, £1499 for 512GB, £1899 for 1TB and £2299 for 2TB. Ouch. The 1TB and 2TB options also come in a nano textured glass option, for even lower reflectivity in ambient light, for an extra £100. Again, you will have to pay more for a data connection.
iPad Air M3 vs iPad Pro M4: design
The iPad Air is, unsurprisingly, very slim and light – but perhaps not as much as you might expect.
The 11-inch model is a couple of millimetres shorter than the iPad Pro M4, but is actually 1mm wider and nearly 1mm thicker. The 13-inch Air is shorter and narrower than the equivalent Pro, but again is slightly thicker. The Pro models are also lighter than the Airs. Bizarre.
The Air is more colourful though, coming in four finishes: Blue, Purple, Starlight or Space Grey. The Pro only comes in the rather more buttoned-up Silver or Space Black. Think of it as the one person who still wears a suit to the office.
iPad Air M3 vs iPad Pro M4: features
The M3 processor is the big selling point of the new iPad Air. Apple says this will make the device nearly twice as fast as the M1 iPad Air (which came out in 2022), and up to three times faster than the iPad Air with A14 Bionic (which came out in 2020).
M3 packs an 8-core CPU, which is up to 35 per cent faster for multithreaded CPU workflows than the iPad Air with M1. Its 9-core GPU boasts up to 40 per cent faster graphics performance over the M1 model.
And it's the first iPad Air with Apple's advanced graphics architecture, with support for dynamic caching, hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing.
Creative types, beavering away on graphics-intensive rendering workflows, will enjoy up to 4x faster performance than with the iPad Air with M1, meaning more accurate lighting, reflections, shadows, and more realistic gaming experiences.
The M3 chip also means Apple's neural engine (which enables AI features) is faster too – up to 60 per cent faster than the M1, Apple claims.
The new Magic Keyboard for iPad Air has a larger trackpad, and a new 14-key function row for adjust elements such as volume and screen brightness.
But the iPad Pro M4 has a faster processor in the form of the M4. That makes it better suited for creative professionals, as it puts much more graphics and processing power at their fingertips.
The 1TB and 2TB options have even more power: these variants have a processor with an extra performance core and double the RAM of the smaller-capacity versions
And there's another feather in the Pro's cap: an OLED screen. Not just any OLED screen at that; this is a tandem OLED, which won our Innovation Award last year. It delivers better brightness and radically better screen quality. All the benefits of OLED with the brightness of Mini LED, in other words.
According to Apple, it offers 1600 nits with HDR highlights and 1000 nits of full-screen brightness. It can now hit 1000 nits with SDR content, too, whereas the previous model was limited to 600 nits with such content.
The iPad Pro M4 also has the nano-texture display glass option for better visibility in certain lighting conditions (this is available only on 1TB and 2TB models).
It too has Apple Intelligence for AI smarts, and the same 12-megapixel camera as the new iPad Air – but if you're taking photos with your iPad, you want to have a word with yourself.
iPad Air M3 vs iPad Pro M4: picture
We haven't tested the iPad Air M3, so can't give our verdict on its picture quality. But we have tested its predecessor, which we found to have plenty of pop and punch.
"It's awesomely sharp and detailed, too, as all current iPads are, and its motion is superb, with no judder or soap-opera effect," we say in our review.
It's not a patch, however, on the iPad Pro M4, which combines "incredible peak brightness with perfect OLED blacks in scintillating fashion." The Pro is richer and warmer too, and effortlessly cinematic.
"All told, this is a spectacular picture performance that combines pop and dynamism with superb subtlety and cinematic richness, resulting in a portable movie experience that is a match for the best home cinema displays," we conclude.
iPad Air M3 vs iPad Pro M4: sound
Again, we haven't tested the iPad Air M3 so can't comment on its audio chops. Our verdict on the iPad Air M2's sound was "fairly well balanced, controlled and spacious". Which is pretty good for a tablet. "Dynamics are better than expected, too, and there’s good clarity to vocals in music and dialogue in movies."
Connect a pair of headphones, and you're in for a much more enjoyable experience. Dynamics, detail and timing were all excellent, and we expect the iPad Air M3 to perform very similarly.
The iPad Pro M4 is a touch warmer than the previous Air, and retains a good sense of spaciousness. It's a rich performance with plenty of weight, giving it a great sense of impact.
iPad Air M3 vs iPad Pro M4: early verdict
Without having put the new iPad Air through its paces, we can't give a definitive verdict on how it performs. But it is likely to be very similar to its predecessor, which earned five stars. Add a new processor, and the odd tweak here and there, and it should be another winning Apple tablet.
It's also much cheaper than the iPad Pro M4. There's no denying the Pro is the more capable tablet, thanks to its beefier processor and more advanced screen. But unless you watch a lot of films on the go, or use your tablet for graphics-heavy creative work, you're likely to be better off saving the money and going for the iPad Air M3.
That would be the sensible thing to do. But if you want an absolute monster of a portable cinema, we're certainly not going to stop you.
MORE:
Read our iPad Air M2 review
And our iPad Pro M4 review
These are the best tablets around
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