The iPad Air 11″ offers a compelling value proposition with its M2 chip, 128GB storage, and thinner, lighter design, despite minor trade-offs like the 60Hz display and older Magic Keyboard compatibility. But the lower 60 Hz refresh rate still appears smooth due to the M2 chip’s snappiness. The speaker has less depth and fullness due to the dual speaker instead of the quad speaker. If you want a quad-speaker and a higher refresh rate and your budget is tight, the OnePlus Pad might be a good option for you.
Key differences between the iPad Air 11″ and the iPad Pro
Design: The iPad Air 11″ is thinner and lighter than the iPad Pro, with a 10% weight reduction and a different color choice.
Display: The iPad Air 11″ features a standard 60Hz LCD, while the iPad Pro offers a higher-end OLED display with better contrast ratio and brightness.
Speakers: The iPad Air 11″ has a two-speaker system, whereas the iPad Pro boasts a four-speaker system for richer sound quality.
Biometric Authentication: The iPad Air 11″ uses Touch ID for authentication, while the iPad Pro offers Face ID.
Accessories Compatibility: The iPad Air 11″ is not compatible with the newer Magic Keyboard designed for the iPad Pro, and there are inconsistencies in accessory compatibility, such as with the Apple Pencil.
Display quality of the iPad Air 11″ compared to the iPad Pro
The iPad Air 11″ features a standard basic LCD, while the iPad Pro comes with a brand new hyped-up tandem OLED display. The iPad Pro’s display technology is considered better, with features like a higher contrast ratio and deeper black levels. The iPad Pro also has a 120 Hz display, while the Air has a 60 Hz display. However, the difference in display quality between the two models might not be as drastic as expected, especially in normal lighting conditions and everyday use scenarios. The iPad Pro’s display also runs a little warm compared to the cooler display tone of the iPad Air, which might be a preference for some users. Additionally, the iPad Pro offers a higher brightness level of up to 600 nits compared to the iPad Air’s 500 nits, making it technically a better display.
Advantages and disadvantages of the iPad Air 11″ compared to the 13″
The advantages of the iPad Air 11″ over the 13″ model include:
1. Potentially lower price point compared to the larger 13″ model.
2. Enhanced portability due to its smaller size and lighter weight, making it easier to carry and handle.
3. Compatibility with the newer Magic Keyboard designed for the iPad Pro, offering a more seamless typing and viewing experience.
4. Use of the Apple Pencil 2, which may be preferred by users who already own this version of the stylus.
The disadvantages of the iPad Air 11″ compared to the 13″ model are:
1. A smaller 11-inch display size may limit multitasking capabilities and content viewing experience.
2. Reduced screen real estate could be less ideal for tasks that require more space, such as graphic design or video editing.
3. Less room for on-screen content, which may result in more scrolling and zooming compared to the larger 13″ model.
4. Lack of landscape camera orientation, which could impact certain video conferencing or content creation scenarios that benefit from this feature.
Similarities with the M2 iPad Pro
The iPad Air, perceived as unexciting due to similarities with the M2 iPad Pro, pleasantly surprises with a lighter design and subtle display differences, making it a viable alternative.
M2 iPad Pro uses a mini-LED LCD with 120Hz, but the Air’s design impresses with a thinner and lighter build offering a more manageable user experience for prolonged use. Despite featuring a standard LCD iPad Air’s screen quality is surprisingly satisfactory in normal usage scenarios.
But the Pro has a quad-speaker, while the Air has a dual speaker so it’s lacking the depth and fullness of four speakers. Also, the Air hasn’t Face ID rather it depends on Touch ID. This leads to the inconvenience for the 13” larger Air on user experience.
The New Apple Pencil Pro
The new Apple Pencil Pro is much improved. Also, the Air supports Apple Pencil 2. Features like a haptic motor and quick tools are nice. It enhances the drawing experience for professional users. The powerful performance of the iPad Air with M2 Chip enables seamless multitasking, gaming, and heavy-duty applications, offering versatility for users with the Pencil.
Verdict
The iPad Air with M2 Chip delivers exceptional performance and value, making it a versatile and capable device for various tasks. It is a desktop chipset under 599$ which is great. But the OS is not desktop-grade. iPad OS is amazing but not a desktop replacement yet. For that, you need to buy a MacBook.
The new thinner design is sick. It feels different than before. The lack of a quad-speaker and higher refresh rate is a thing. But the performance, the display, the ecosystem, and support for the new Apple Pencil Pro make it a beast under 600$.
