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 · 13″ Tandem OLED · Wi-Fi 7
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…
- ✓13″ Ultra Retina XDR Tandem OLED at 2752×2064
- ✓9- or 10-core M5 with 10-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine
- ✓Wi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth 6 + Thunderbolt / USB 4
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″ Ultra Retina XDR Tandem OLED, 2752×2064 at 264 ppi, ProMotion 10–120 Hz |
| Chipset | Apple M3 | — |
| RAM | 8 / 16 GB | ▲ 12 GB (256/512 GB) or 16 GB (1/2 TB) |
| Storage | 128 / 256 / 512 / 1 TB | ▲ 256 / 512 GB / 1 / 2 TB |
| Battery | 28.93 Wh | — |
| Weight | ▲ 460 g (Wi-Fi) | 579 g (Wi-Fi) |
| Chip | — | Apple M5 chip (9- or 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine) |
| Connectivity | — | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, optional 5G |
| Ports | — | Thunderbolt / USB 4 (40 Gb/s) |
| Pencil | — | Apple Pencil Pro + Apple Pencil (USB-C) |
| 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
- +13″ Ultra Retina XDR Tandem OLED at 2752×2064
- +9- or 10-core M5 with 10-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine
- +Wi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth 6 + Thunderbolt / USB 4
Cons
- −Lower-tier (256/512 GB) configs cap RAM at 12 GB
- −$1,299 base climbs fast with Magic Keyboard + Pencil Pro
- −iPadOS multitasking still trails macOS for power workflows
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.