Are you an artist stuck on what to buy between iPad Pro vs iPad Air for drawing? For years, the battle between iPad Pro and iPad Air was always preceded by the mighty iPad Pro.
Although the iPad Pro is pricey, it seemed to be the choice of many users until the 4th generation of iPad Air happened. The iPad Air is getting all the recognition it deserves now, all thanks to its slim bezels and the addition of the Apple M1 chip.
This iPad Air tablet uses the same Processors used in MacBook Air and its competitor iPad Pro. After its vamp, the revamp, so many creatives have been bombarded with the question of whether the iPad Air is good for creative work.
After using both of them, especially the 5th Gen iPad Air, we are convinced that this iPad Air has no huge difference from the iPad Pro. With most iPad Pros features, you can work on your projects flawlessly like never before. If you’re yet to attain the iPad Pro’s budget, then you can go for Air and still make the best out of it.
Apple 12.9-inch iPad Pro
The iPad Pro VS iPad Air Features Overview
Display
As an artist, the most important this to check for in a laptop is the display. The display carries everything essential that determines the quality of your drawings, like resolution, viewing angle and color accuracy.
Most cheap tablets tend to compromise on the features above. But that’s not the case with iPad Air when we put it against iPad Pro. Below is a detailed report of the display between iPad Pro 11-inch and iPad Air.
| iPad Air | iPad Pro | |
| Display Size | 11 inches | 10.9 inches |
| Aspect Ratio | 1.43:1 | 1.43:1 |
| Color Accuracy | Wide color display | Wide color display |
| PPI | 264 | 264 |
| Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz |
| Resolution | 2360×1640p | 2388×1668 |
| Brightness | 500 nits | 600 nits |
Based on the report above, iPad Pro seems to be mightier than the iPad Air. Although the difference might seem slight, there are some really important features that iPad Air compromised on, especially the brightness.
If you work outdoors most of the time, then the iPad Air’s brightness might not be good enough. This means that you might need to go for the Pro tablet with an extra 100 nits of brightness.
Display Sharpness
When it comes to sharpness, the two tablets simply carry the same strengths. With 264 pixels per inch and a slight difference in resolution, the iPad Pro and the iPad Air seem to deliver the same amount of display sharpness.
Refresh Rate
This is where the iPad Pro beats the iPad Air big time. With a refresh rate of 120Hz, it means that the iPad Pros screen takes approximately 60 seconds to update the screen when drawing. The iPad Air, on the other hand, takes twice the time to refresh the screen.
Stylus Compatibility
For quite a long, the Wacom Stylus has been receiving so much glory as far as creativity is concerned. The Apple Stylus 2nd Generation is a great one too.
The fact that both iPad Pro and iPad Air are compatible with this Apples Stylus, then it means that the drawing experience of both tablets is pretty much similar.
Processor
Both the iPad Pro and iPad Air use an M1 chip that makes your drawing experience flawless. A good tablet should have a powerful processor for it to handle large resolution projects.
The M1 chip is basically a MacBook’s processor, so getting yourself the iPad Pro or iPad Pro means you’re purchasing an iPad with a super high-level performance.
Storage
You need enough storage for your projects and for that reason most creatives check for the storage after display. The iPad Air comes in two versions, one with 64 GB storage and the other with 264 GB storage. On the other hand, iPad Pro has many storage options to choose from starting from 128GB and going up to 1TB.
While the larger storage is the best choice you need to understand that the larger the storage the more you’re going to pay for it.
RAM
Both the iPad Pro and Air come with 8 GB RAM. This means that you can have multiple layers in drawing apps. RAM also plays a vital role in multitasking. A tablet with low RAM limits you so much you cannot be able to multitask.
Design
iPad is usually super slim and that is where they take the mantle most of the time. With their slim design, iPads are more portable than other tablet brands and are ideal when working remotely.
Camera
As a creative, you also need a drawing tablet with a good camera for your projects. You might want to snap an important thing to paint later.
Both iPads have powerful 12MP cameras with the iPad Air with a single rear camera and the iPad Pro with three rear cameras. Both also have 12MP front cameras.
Battery Life
iPads are good when it comes to battery life. Ideally, most of them can serve you for up to 12 hours. However, the battery life mainly depends on several factors like the apps you’re using, display size, and resolution among others. Both the iPad Pro and iPad Air have the same battery capacity of 28.6Wh.
What’s The Best Tablet For You Between iPad Pro and iPad Air?
The answer to this question is determined mainly by your needs. If you want a compact iPad, an iPad Pro 12-inch would be out of the question. Both the iPad Air and iPad Pro have a compact design so choosing one is easy.
There are many features that can help you pick your perfect match. Check out the main difference below before you take your next step.
Main Difference Between iPad Pro and iPad Air
The biggest difference between these two tablets is their refresh rate. While the iPad Pro has a whooping refresh rate of 120Hz, the iPad Air comes with half the refresh rate of 60Hz.
Although this difference is huge, the iPad Air still offers you an amazing drawing experience. The iPad Pro on the other hand is smoother and offers a better smooth feeling when drawing. If you are wondering what is the difference between iPads and regular tablets, check out our earlier post.
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