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iPad Air 11 (M3) — M3 · 11″ · Pencil Pro · Apple Intelligence
Apple

iPad Air 11 (M3)

M3 · 11″ · Pencil Pro · Apple Intelligence

90
/ 100
From $599
VS
iPad Pro 13" (M5) wins by 5
iPad Pro 13" (M5) — M5 · 13″ Tandem OLED · Wi-Fi 7
Apple

iPad Pro 13" (M5)

M5 · 13″ Tandem OLED · Wi-Fi 7

95
/ 100
From $1,299
Specdex verdict

iPad Pro 13" (M5) takes it — here’s why.

In our weighted Specdex score, iPad Air 11 (M3) lands at 90 and iPad Pro 13" (M5) at 95. That puts iPad Pro 13" (M5) ahead by 5 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 13" (M5) if…

  • ✓13″ Ultra Retina XDR Tandem OLED at 2752×2064
  • ✓9- or 10-core M5 with 10-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine
  • ✓Wi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth 6 + Thunderbolt / USB 4
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Winner by scenario

Derived from the sub-score breakdown · not a separate test

Display

iPad Pro 13" (M5)

Compared on the display sub-score

iPad Pro 13" (M5) leads on display (98 vs 84).

Battery

Tie

Compared on the battery sub-score

Effectively tied — neither pulls a 2-point weighted lead.

Software

iPad Air 11 (M3)

Compared on the software sub-score

iPad Air 11 (M3) leads on software (90 vs 82).

Value for money

iPad Air 11 (M3)

Specdex score per dollar at MSRP

iPad Air 11 (M3) more score per dollar ($599 vs $1,299).

iPad Air 11 (M3) 90
vs
95 iPad Pro 13" (M5)

Score breakdown

iPad Air 11 (M3)
90
cpu 92
gpu 88
display 84
battery 88
software 90
performance 0
portability 0
iPad Pro 13" (M5)
95
cpu 0
gpu 0
display 98
battery 88
software 82
performance 97
portability 92

Specs side-by-side

iPad Air 11 (M3) versus iPad Pro 13" (M5) — full spec comparison
Spec iPad Air 11 (M3) iPad Pro 13" (M5)
Display
11″ Liquid Retina, 60Hz
▲ 13″ Ultra Retina XDR Tandem OLED, 2752×2064 at 264 ppi, ProMotion 10–120 Hz
Chipset
Apple M3
—
RAM
8 / 16 GB
▲ 12 GB (256/512 GB) or 16 GB (1/2 TB)
Storage
128 / 256 / 512 / 1 TB
▲ 256 / 512 GB / 1 / 2 TB
Battery
28.93 Wh
—
Weight
▲ 460 g (Wi-Fi)
579 g (Wi-Fi)
Chip
—
Apple M5 chip (9- or 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine)
Connectivity
—
Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, optional 5G
Ports
—
Thunderbolt / USB 4 (40 Gb/s)
Pencil
—
Apple Pencil Pro + Apple Pencil (USB-C)
OS
—
iPadOS 19

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 13" (M5)

Pros
  • +13″ Ultra Retina XDR Tandem OLED at 2752×2064
  • +9- or 10-core M5 with 10-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine
  • +Wi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth 6 + Thunderbolt / USB 4
Cons
  • −Lower-tier (256/512 GB) configs cap RAM at 12 GB
  • −$1,299 base climbs fast with Magic Keyboard + Pencil Pro
  • −iPadOS multitasking still trails macOS for power workflows

FAQ: iPad Air 11 (M3) vs iPad Pro 13" (M5)

Which is better, iPad Air 11 (M3) or iPad Pro 13" (M5)? +

iPad Pro 13" (M5) scores 95 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 5. 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 13" (M5) worth the price? +

At $1,299, iPad Pro 13" (M5) delivers a Specdex score of 95 — strongest in display.

Does iPad Air 11 (M3) or iPad Pro 13" (M5) 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.

Which is better for display, iPad Air 11 (M3) or iPad Pro 13" (M5)? +

iPad Pro 13" (M5) — leads on display (98 vs 84). Compared on the display sub-score.

Which is better for software, iPad Air 11 (M3) or iPad Pro 13" (M5)? +

iPad Air 11 (M3) — leads on software (90 vs 82). Compared on the software sub-score.