iPad Air 4 vs. iPad Pro (2020)
By: Doctor Marvel
Tags: iPad, Apple, Technology, Tech, Gadgets

iPad Air 4 vs. iPad Pro (2020)

…Did Apple create its own iPad Pro killer?

iPad Pro (2020) vs. iPad Air

Apple’s “Time Flies”event just wrapped up and though there wasn’t an abundance of hardware showcased, leaving many disappointed, there is something big to take notice of. Out of all the products we got a look at the event, the product that got the most exciting hype around is the brand new iPad Air which now shares a lot of the similarities of the 2020 iPad Pro. This raises the question that many will need answering when buying these iPads — what iPad should you buy? The iPad Air or iPad Pro?

This is why we’re going to discuss the major differences between both as a buyer’s guide.

Design

The iPad Air has existed since 2013 as a middle-level iPad that shares a lot of the iPad Pro’s features but didn’t have that higher-end price tag. These two were quite similar for a while until 2018, when Apple “modernized the iPad Pro with a squared-off design and edges, again giving it a much more industrial look, smaller bezels, and Face ID. That also means a cut down of the headphone jack.

For those who wanted this stunning design, they looked up to the iPad Pro.

However, that is not the case anymore.

The 2020 iPad Air has received an all-new design that is the same design language as of the iPad Pro. The Air was not just granted a new design, but new colors as well! Both high-end tablets receive the “Space Gray” and Silver colors, default yet clean. But, the new colors of the Air are the glowing Rose Gold, a tint of Green, and Sky Blue, resembling the color to 2020’s Color of the Year! My, the amazing colors of the iPad Air.

iPad Air 4 colors.

iPad Air gets a more variety of colors. More than the Pro. But to be honest, about more than half the people who own any iPad use a protective case as these iPads come with a hefty price. So, if one of those who use a case for your iPad, don’t be too surprised if you can’t see your beautiful new color!

Display

With the iPad Pro, you have the options to pick between an 11-inch display or a 12.9" one. With the iPad Air, there is just a 10.9-inch option. It’s the 11" Pro but with bigger bezels, decreasing the screen size. For those looking for the biggest screen a high-end iPad can provide, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is the way to go. Many people want to turn their iPads into laptop-replacements so for those people, this relatively big size is beneficial to get that laptop feel and size.

Both the iPad Air and the iPad Pro are True Tone capable.

The iPad Pro is a little brighter with 600 nits compared to 500 nits on the new Air. If you want a little more screen brightness, the iPad Pro is going to be the way to go.

The last major thing regarding display is Pro Motion. Having that 120hz fluid display is one of the key features that stand out on the iPad Pro. Not only does it make the iPad feel super smooth but it also allows the refresh rate to drop down to match your content, so if you’re watching a movie, it runs at 24fps as it was set as, saves battery life at the same time. Promotion is also what makes the iPad Pro by par the best tablet to write with latency so low, you won’t even feel it. Whether you’re gaming, writing, or just browsing the web.

On the writing note, both iPads do support Apple Pencil Generation 2 but the experience you’ll get on the iPad Pro is superior to the iPad Air can get tanks to 120htz.

The iPad Air’s 60hz screen will have more than double the latency but keep in mind Apple’s latency is down to 9 milliseconds! Not much of a downside to me…

Authentication

iPad Air 4 built-in Touch ID

Although both screens look very similar, there is a very important distinction to make and that is with authentication. On the iPad Pro, you have all the benefits of Face ID — for unlocking your iPad, making purchases, Apple Pay, all that stuff is handled on Face ID, the facial recognition system tucked into the bezel at the top of the iPad. With the iPad Air, you get the Touch ID technology into the Air’s power button. We’ve seen Touch ID in the home button but not integrated into the power button itself. This can be seen as a benefit if you’re in a public space and you’re required to wear a mask — in an instant all by using your finger. Touch ID will come out victorious and Face ID — not so much. It may not be “easier” than just glance at your iPad but it does get the job done.

To test the speed between both, we’ll see in October…

Processor

This is where the tables turn may turn for iPad Air’s favor. This is because the new iPad Air is equipped with Apple’s all-new A14 Bionic processor, Apple’s latest and greatest silicon expected, the successor to its already fast chip worldwide, A13.

This is where it becomes tricky. This is the chip that will go on the iPhone 12s. This must be massive. Apple’s A12Z (iPad Pro’s chip)is still the mightiest Apple Silicon chip in intensive tasks as seen in Geekbench 5’s multi-core test. The A13 beats the A12x in a single-core test. So the A14 will certainly be even faster, exceeding the A13 by a noble amount. But Apple may hold back the intensive strength of the A14 so that it doesn’t beat out the iPad Pro’s chip. Chips are the Pro’s specialty. The A14 has 6 cores and 4 GPUS compared to 8 cores and 8 GPUS. Again said, the A14 won’t outperform the A12z.

Again, we’ll have to wait till October for the real fun to begin. Reviewers will help us find the definite answer then. But know this; Single Core wise in light tasks like surfing the web and Youtube, the A14 will triumph. Maybe not intensive work-wise…

Etc.

Like the iPad Pro, the Air utilizes a USB-C port which allows for connecting external storage, better power, faster data transfer speeds.

The iPad Pro has a 12-megapixel main camera + an ultra-wide camera. The back of the iPad Air has just one single 12-megapixel camera and no ultra-wide. I honestly use my iPad camera for occasional selfies and just to scan a document so..it doesn't matter much to me but if it does for you…well now you know! The Pro also utilizes a Lidar scanner.

Speaker wise, The iPad Pro has a 4 speaker setup that’s going to a very immersive stereo audio experience while the iPad Air has —

2 speakers for a landscape stereo audio experience.

(it has 4 cutouts for 4 speakers like the Pro but this iPad only has two, one on each side.)

RAM could stand in the way of many buying this iPad Air because it only has 4 gigabytes compared to 6 on Pros. Now, there are many who complain about 4 gigabytes on a iPhone. So on a iPad, would the problem be worse? And as Apple has given access to their iPads like the Air to become laptop replacements, would the 4 gigabytes of RAM suffice for computer-level multitasking? Ask yourself that because if you are going to do heavy tasks even just multitasking, the Pro is the best choice…for an iPad. Macs are just around the corner mates!

Accessories won’t be a problem. The iPad Air is also compatible with all of the accessories of the iPad Pro such as Magic Keyboard and 2nd generation Apple Pencil.

Storage Capacity. The iPad Air is limited to an “okay” storage range of 64gb to a max of 256gb whereas with the iPad Pro you have more flexibility from 128gb to 1TB.

Pricing

You can buy a base model iPad Pro 11-inch right now for $799. The newest iPad Air base-model is for $599. The base 11" Pro has 128gb for base while the $600 Air gets only 64gb for a base. In $200, you are able to get 128 gigabytes of storage, 120 hertz, Face-ID, etc if you get the Pro instead. BUT, to be honest, the Air is already getting Apple’s next best chip, has THE same modern shape and design, and access to the Pro accessories and more. The only “big” thing that you could miss out from the Pro is Promotion but if you don’t care, thats fine! Plus, if storage is a problem, you can up the storage to 256gigs and be $50 short from the base 11" Pro.

Closing

All in all, the iPad Air has become in many ways become a better deal than the Pro. Personally, my dream iPad is an iPad that does the following;

A powerful chip

A top-notch display

A modern design

“Durable” in the long run

Access to the iOS/iPadOS app store coming from a Intel Mac

Worth it all the way financially

The iPad Air is the definition for my dream iPad and that used to be the 11" Pro.

However, there are some great things for some people that will make them levitate to the Pro and thats fine. That will never change for a chance, and for those, go for the Pro…but the Air is worth a chance!