Apple
iPad Air 13" (M3)
M3 · 13″ · Apple Pencil Pro · $799
90
/ 100
From $799
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 13" (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 13" (M3) if…
- ✓M3 speed at Air price
- ✓Apple Pencil Pro support
- ✓Bigger 13″ canvas
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 13" (M3) 90
vs 96 iPad Pro M5 13″
Score breakdown
iPad Air 13" (M3)
90 performance 94
display 86
battery 90
portability 92
software 82
cpu 0
gpu 0
iPad Pro M5 13″
96 performance 0
display 98
battery 88
portability 0
software 86
cpu 100
gpu 98
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | iPad Air 13" (M3) | iPad Pro M5 13″ |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | Apple M3 | — |
| Display | 13″ Liquid Retina 60Hz | 13″ Tandem OLED, ProMotion 120Hz |
| Storage | 128 GB – 1 TB | ▲ 512 GB / 1 TB / 2 TB |
| Weight | 617 g | ▲ 579 g |
| Chipset | — | Apple M5 |
| RAM | — | 12 / 16 GB |
| Battery | — | 38.9 Wh |
| Charging | — | 20W USB-C |
iPad Air 13" (M3)
Pros
- +M3 speed at Air price
- +Apple Pencil Pro support
- +Bigger 13″ canvas
Cons
- −Still iPadOS multitasking limits
- −No OLED, no 120Hz
- −Keyboard sold separately
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 13" (M3) vs iPad Pro M5 13″
Which is better, iPad Air 13" (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 13" (M3) worth the price? +
At $799, iPad Air 13" (M3) delivers a Specdex score of 90 — strongest in performance.
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 13" (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.