IPad Air M4 versus iPad Pro M5: see what changes in performance, screen and premium features

Apple maintains its line of tablets with options that cater to casual users and demanding professionals. The updated iPad Air with M4 chip, launching in 2026, delivers solid performance and essential features at a more affordable price. Já the iPad Pro equipped with the M5 chip, introduced in October 2025, prioritizes advances in display, graphics processing and premium features. The comparison between the two models highlights how the performance gap has narrowed, but differences in screen, design and features persist.

The iPad Air M4 represents an efficient upgrade over previous versions, incorporating the M4 chip for gains in speed and energy efficiency. The Esse model handles most daily tasks, such as browsing, light photo and video editing, as well as multitasking with iPadOS 26. The iPad Pro M5, in turn, maintains the ultra-thin design introduced in 2024 and adds significant internal improvements with the new processor.

Key design and construction differences

The iPad Pro M5 measures just 5.1mm in the 13-inch version and 5.3mm in the 11-inch, making it thinner and lighter than the iPad Essa reduced thickness favors daily transport for professionals who need maximum portability.

The Pro includes Face ID with TrueDepth camera, LiDAR, and True Tone adaptive flash, features missing from the Air, which uses Touch ID on the top button. Além Additionally, 1TB and 2TB models of the Pro offer optional nano-texture glass to reduce reflections in bright environments.

Screen: technology and image quality

The Liquid Retina screen of the iPad Air M4 uses LED technology with IPS and reaches a maximum brightness of 500 to 600 nits in SDR, suitable for indoor and moderate outdoor use. Ela operates at 60 Hz and supports limited external display.

The iPad ProMotion technology enables adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz, resulting in smoother scrolling and faster response in graphics apps.

M4 versus M5 chip performance

The M4 chip in the iPad Air delivers an 8-core CPU and 9-core GPU, with 12 GB of unified RAM and 120 GB/s bandwidth. Ele handles everyday tasks and moderate creative editing well, approaching the performance of Pro in many CPU scenarios.

The M5 on the iPad Bandwidth reaches 153 GB/s, with improvements in third-generation ray tracing and dynamic caching, benefiting AI workloads, intense graphics and faster storage.

Audio, camera and connectivity features

The iPad Pro M5 features four studio-quality microphones with audio zoom and stereo recording, as well as a four-speaker system. The rear camera includes LiDAR for accurate depth measurement in AR.

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The iPad Air M4 has two landscape stereo microphones and speakers. Ambos support USB-C, but the Pro offers Thunderbolt/USB 4 for faster transfers and connecting to external displays at 120 Hz, while the Air is limited to 60 Hz.

Starting price and purchase recommendations

The iPad Air M4 starts at lower prices, making it attractive for those looking for a balance between performance and cost. Ele covers most users’ needs without compromising the core iPadOS experience.

The iPad

Storage and configuration options

The iPad Pro M5 starts at 256GB of minimum storage and goes up to 2TB, with RAM up to 16GB on higher configurations. Isso allows you to handle large files and heavy multitasking.

The iPad Air M4 offers up to 1TB of storage and fixed RAM at 12GB. The Ambas lines support accessories like the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil, but the Pro better exploits these peripherals in professional scenarios.

Professional use and ideal scenarios

Graphic design, 4K video editing, and 3D modeling professionals tend to prefer the iPad Pro M5 for its superior display, more powerful GPU, and ProRes support. Tandem OLED highlights HDR details and accurate colors.

Users who consume content, study or perform light to moderate tasks will find the iPad Air M4 to be a sufficient and more economical option, without giving up modern performance.

The iPad Air M4 and iPad Pro M5 represent distinct ranges within the Apple ecosystem. The choice depends on screen priorities, graphics processing and available budget.