Apple
iPad Air 11 (M3)
M3 · 11″ · Pencil Pro · Apple Intelligence
90
/ 100
From $599
VS
iPad Pro 13" (M5) wins by 5
Apple
iPad Pro 13" (M5)
M5 · Tandem OLED · Apple Pencil Pro
95
/ 100
From $1,299
Specdex verdict
iPad Pro 13" (M5) takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, iPad Air 11 (M3) lands at 90 and iPad Pro 13" (M5) at 95. That puts iPad Pro 13" (M5) ahead by 5 points — a decisive margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick iPad Air 11 (M3) if…
- ✓M3 silicon at iPad Air pricing
- ✓Pencil Pro support
- ✓Apple Intelligence eligible
Pick iPad Pro 13" (M5) if…
- ✓Biggest generational leap for iPad Pro in years
- ✓M5 ray-traced graphics
- ✓visionOS-adjacent spatial capture
iPad Air 11 (M3) 90
vs 95 iPad Pro 13" (M5)
Score breakdown
iPad Air 11 (M3)
90 cpu 92
gpu 88
display 84
battery 88
software 90
performance 0
portability 0
iPad Pro 13" (M5)
95 cpu 0
gpu 0
display 98
battery 88
software 82
performance 97
portability 92
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | iPad Air 11 (M3) | iPad Pro 13" (M5) |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 11″ Liquid Retina, 60Hz | ▲ 13″ Tandem OLED, 120Hz |
| Chipset | Apple M3 | — |
| RAM | 8 / 16 GB | ▲ 16 GB |
| Storage | 128 / 256 / 512 / 1 TB | ▲ 256 GB – 2 TB |
| Battery | 28.93 Wh | — |
| Weight | 460 g (Wi-Fi) | — |
| Chip | — | Apple M5 |
| OS | — | iPadOS 19 |
iPad Air 11 (M3)
Pros
- +M3 silicon at iPad Air pricing
- +Pencil Pro support
- +Apple Intelligence eligible
Cons
- −No ProMotion 120Hz
- −No Tandem OLED
- −Single rear camera
iPad Pro 13" (M5)
Pros
- +Biggest generational leap for iPad Pro in years
- +M5 ray-traced graphics
- +visionOS-adjacent spatial capture
Cons
- −iPadOS multitasking still limited
- −Keyboard extra
- −Thermals matter on sustained RT workloads
FAQ: iPad Air 11 (M3) vs iPad Pro 13" (M5)
Which is better, iPad Air 11 (M3) or iPad Pro 13" (M5)? +
iPad Pro 13" (M5) scores 95 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 5. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is iPad Air 11 (M3) worth the price? +
At $599, iPad Air 11 (M3) delivers a Specdex score of 90 — strongest in cpu.
Is iPad Pro 13" (M5) worth the price? +
At $1,299, iPad Pro 13" (M5) delivers a Specdex score of 95 — strongest in display.
Does iPad Air 11 (M3) or iPad Pro 13" (M5) last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.