Apple
iPad Air 11 (M3)
M3 · 11″ · Pencil Pro · Apple Intelligence
90
/ 100
From $599
VS
iPad Pro M5 13″ wins by 6
Apple
iPad Pro M5 13″
M5 · Tandem OLED · 5G mmWave
96
/ 100
From $1,299
Specdex verdict
iPad Pro M5 13″ takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, iPad Air 11 (M3) lands at 90 and iPad Pro M5 13″ at 96. That puts iPad Pro M5 13″ ahead by 6 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 M5 13″ if…
- ✓M5 silicon parity with MacBook Pro
- ✓Tandem OLED with full Pro Display calibration
- ✓Apple Pencil Pro hover
iPad Air 11 (M3) 90
vs 96 iPad Pro M5 13″
Score breakdown
iPad Air 11 (M3)
90 cpu 92
gpu 88
display 84
battery 88
software 90
iPad Pro M5 13″
96 cpu 100
gpu 98
display 98
battery 88
software 86
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | iPad Air 11 (M3) | iPad Pro M5 13″ |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 11″ Liquid Retina, 60Hz | ▲ 13″ Tandem OLED, ProMotion 120Hz |
| Chipset | Apple M3 | Apple M5 |
| RAM | 8 / 16 GB | ▲ 12 / 16 GB |
| Storage | 128 / 256 / 512 / 1 TB | ▲ 512 GB / 1 TB / 2 TB |
| Battery | 28.93 Wh | ▲ 38.9 Wh |
| Weight | ▲ 460 g (Wi-Fi) | 579 g |
| Charging | — | 20W USB-C |
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 M5 13″
Pros
- +M5 silicon parity with MacBook Pro
- +Tandem OLED with full Pro Display calibration
- +Apple Pencil Pro hover
Cons
- −iPadOS still trails macOS for power users
- −Magic Keyboard sold separately ($349)
- −Storage upgrades pricey
FAQ: iPad Air 11 (M3) vs iPad Pro M5 13″
Which is better, iPad Air 11 (M3) or iPad Pro M5 13″? +
iPad Pro M5 13″ scores 96 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 6. 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 M5 13″ worth the price? +
At $1,299, iPad Pro M5 13″ delivers a Specdex score of 96 — strongest in cpu.
Does iPad Air 11 (M3) or iPad Pro M5 13″ 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.