Unterschied ipad air und ipad pro

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• The 2022 iPad Air has the same performance as the 2021 iPad Pros, but it's $200 to $500 cheaper.
• The 256GB iPad Air that costs $750 still has twice the storage of the iPad Pro for $50 less.
• Apple's iPad Pros differentiate with ProMotion screen tech, better cameras, and a 12.9-inch option.

Both the 2022 iPad Air and the iPad Pros from 2021 have the same power, but the iPad Air is $200 cheaper than the baseline iPad Pro. 

If power alone is what matters to you, you should already have the answer to the question "which of these two iPads should I buy." At first glance, it's the new iPad Air for $600.

Still, there are a few extra differences between the iPad Air and iPad Pros that you should think about, and you might find that spending more on the iPad Pros is actually the way to go depending on your preferences. 

I go into more depth into those differences below to help you decide which of these two iPads you should get.

Apple iPad Air 2022 vs iPad Pro 2021: specifications

Apple iPad Air 2022 vs iPad Pro 2021: displays

The iPad Pros have a "smoother" screen

One of the major differences between these iPad models is Apple's ProMotion technology. That's to say that the iPad Pro displays have a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, which means the screen can refresh itself up to 120 times per second. That high refresh rate makes the screen animations look and feel smoother than the iPad Air's standard 60Hz screen. 

It's mostly cosmetic, but high refresh rates make for a more premium experience that makes the iPad Pros feel more powerful, even though they have the same M1 processor inside as the iPad Air. 

Screen quality

You'll get similar screen quality with the iPad Air and the smaller 11-inch iPad Pro, as both iPads have the same Liquid Retina displays. 

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro has a "Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED" display that has better contrast, which makes photos and videos pop even more than the standard Liquid Retina displays. It can also get significantly brighter when displaying HDR content. 

Screen size

The 10.9-inch iPad Air and the 11-inch iPad Pro are basically the same size. But if you value a bigger screen, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is essentially one of this line's primary differentiators. 

Apple iPad Air 2022 vs iPad Pro 2021: storage options

The $600 iPad Air might seem like a steal compared to the $800 iPad Pro with the same performance, but there's a good reason why the iPad Air is cheaper other than the lack of ProMotion screen tech. 

The basic, $600 iPad Air comes with 64GB of storage while the entry-level, $800 iPad Pro comes with 128GB of storage. 

How much storage you need is largely up to you. Higher storage options are better if you often work with big video of photo files on your iPad, or you play lots of games or download videos for flights that use up a bunch of storage. If you know you need more than 64GB, the base iPad Air isn't going to cut it. If that's the case, the $750 iPad Air with 256GB is a better bet — and still cheaper than the base-level iPad Pro.

If you're using an iPad for simpler tasks like browsing the web, running standard apps like email, social media, or shopping apps and playing casual games, you'd likely be fine with 64GB iPad Air. In fact, I'd even recommend the $330 10.2-inch iPad for casual tablet users.

Again, the 256GB iPad Air is still $50 less than the 128GB iPad Pro, and it has twice the storage, so it's still an impressive deal. Just keep in mind that the iPad Air doesn't come with Apple's ProMotion screen tech, if that sounds tempting to you, as well. 

Apple iPad Air 2022 vs iPad Pro 2021: cameras

I'd consider this a niche option, as phones come with cameras already. The iPad Pros have a second camera lens for taking ultrawide photos, which is a nice option to have if you often take photos with your iPad.

The iPad Pros also have a LiDar scanner that helps with better focus when taking photos in low light. It's also designed for augmented reality (AR) applications, which can be essential for professionals working on AR projects, but not so much for anyone else at the moment.

Apple iPad Air 2022 vs iPad Pro 2021: USB-C transfer speeds

I'd also consider this a niche feature that should only really speak to professionals who are often transferring big projects to and from the iPad and external storage devices. 

The iPad Air's USB-C port can transfer data up to 10 Gigabits per second (Gbps), while the iPad Pros' USB-C ports support the Thunderbolt 4 standard that can transfer data up to 40Gbps. It basically means that big files or projects will transfer faster on the iPad Pros. Technically speaking, the iPad Pro models can theoretically transfer data four times as fast as the iPad Air.

Still, the iPad Air's 10Gbps transfers are very fast, and transfer speeds also depend on whether your connected storage device — whether it's an external drive or a drive inside a computer — supports the same transfer speeds as your iPad.

Apple iPad Air 2022 vs iPad Pro 2021: which should you buy?

After considering the storage options and their prices, knowing that they possess the same processing power, the iPad Air 2022 poses the best value at the time of writing.

While ProMotion on the iPad Pro is great, it's still a cosmetic feature that adds to the experience rather than the utility of the tablet. Meanwhile, the 256GB iPad Air actually offers a bit more utility in twice the storage for $50 less than the cheapest iPad Pro. 

But if 128GB of storage is enough for you, and you value a more premium experience from Apple's ProMotion screen tech, the iPad Pro is for you. 

Cameras and data transfer speeds are particular features that only you can judge. If you want the best cameras possible on a tablet, or super fast data transfer speeds, the iPad Pros are again your best bet.

And, clearly, the 12.9-inch iPad is your best option if you must have a laptop-sized tablet, regardless of price. However, none of the iPad Pro models can beat the iPad Air on value.

Antonio Villas-Boas

Senior Tech Reporter

Antonio is a senior tech reporter for Insider's Reviews team, where he helps lead coverage, reviews, and guides of smartphones, tablets, accessories, wearables, smart home products, as well as audio devices from Apple, Google, Samsung, OnePlus, and other major tech companies. Before joining Business Insider, Antonio was a consumer-electronics analyst at PCMag. He graduated from Colgate University in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in history. You can contact Antonio with tips and cool tech via email at: Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here. Learn more about how we test tech and electronics.

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