iPad Air 11 (M3)
M3 · 11″ · Pencil Pro · Apple Intelligence
iPad Pro M5 13″
M5 · Tandem OLED · 5G mmWave
iPad Pro M5 13″ takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, iPad Air 11 (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 11 (M3) if…
- ✓M3 silicon at iPad Air pricing
- ✓Pencil Pro support
- ✓Apple Intelligence eligible
Pick iPad Pro M5 13″ if…
- ✓M5 silicon parity with MacBook Pro
- ✓Tandem OLED with full Pro Display calibration
- ✓Apple Pencil Pro hover
Winner by scenario
Derived from the sub-score breakdown · not a separate testCpu
iPad Pro M5 13″Compared on the cpu sub-score
iPad Pro M5 13″ leads on cpu (100 vs 92).
Gpu
iPad Pro M5 13″Compared on the gpu sub-score
iPad Pro M5 13″ leads on gpu (98 vs 88).
Display
iPad Pro M5 13″Compared on the display sub-score
iPad Pro M5 13″ leads on display (98 vs 84).
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).
Score breakdown
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | iPad Air 11 (M3) | iPad Pro M5 13″ |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 11″ Liquid Retina, 60Hz | ▲ 13″ Tandem OLED, ProMotion 120Hz |
| Chipset | Apple M3 | Apple M5 |
| RAM | 8 / 16 GB | ▲ 12 / 16 GB |
| Storage | 128 / 256 / 512 / 1 TB | ▲ 512 GB / 1 TB / 2 TB |
| Battery | 28.93 Wh | ▲ 38.9 Wh |
| Weight | ▲ 460 g (Wi-Fi) | 579 g |
| Charging | — | 20W USB-C |
iPad Air 11 (M3)
- +M3 silicon at iPad Air pricing
- +Pencil Pro support
- +Apple Intelligence eligible
- −No ProMotion 120Hz
- −No Tandem OLED
- −Single rear camera
iPad Pro M5 13″
- +M5 silicon parity with MacBook Pro
- +Tandem OLED with full Pro Display calibration
- +Apple Pencil Pro hover
- −iPadOS still trails macOS for power users
- −Magic Keyboard sold separately ($349)
- −Storage upgrades pricey
FAQ: iPad Air 11 (M3) vs iPad Pro M5 13″
Which is better, iPad Air 11 (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 11 (M3) worth the price? +
At $599, iPad Air 11 (M3) delivers a Specdex score of 90 — strongest in cpu.
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 11 (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.
Which is better for cpu, iPad Air 11 (M3) or iPad Pro M5 13″? +
iPad Pro M5 13″ — leads on cpu (100 vs 92). Compared on the cpu sub-score.
Which is better for gpu, iPad Air 11 (M3) or iPad Pro M5 13″? +
iPad Pro M5 13″ — leads on gpu (98 vs 88). Compared on the gpu sub-score.