iPad Pro (M5) vs iPad Air (M4)
Verified 2026-10-03
A factual specification comparison between the iPad Pro (M5) and the iPad Air (M4).
Key differences
| Specification | iPad Pro (M5) | iPad Air (M4) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 11-inch: 444g (Wi-Fi) / 446g (Wi-Fi + Cellular); 13-inch: 579g (Wi-Fi) / 582g (Wi-Fi + Cellular) | 11-inch: 464g (Wi-Fi) / 465g (Cellular); 13-inch: 616g (Wi-Fi) / 617g (Cellular) |
| Resolution | 11-inch: 2420×1668 pixels at 264 ppi | 11-inch: 2360×1640 (264 ppi); 13-inch: 2732×2048 (264 ppi) |
| Chipset model name | M5 | M4 |
| Wired charging | USB-C; fast-charge capable, up to 50% in around 30 minutes with a 60W or higher USB-C power adapter | USB-C (charging, DisplayPort, USB 3 up to 10Gb/s) |
| Video recording | 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps; 1080p HD at 25/30/60 fps; 720p HD at 30 fps; ProRes up to 4K at 30 fps (1080p at 30 fps for 256GB storage); slo-mo 1080p at 120/240 fps | 4K video recording at 24/25/30/60 fps; 1080p HD at 25/30/60 fps; 720p HD at 30 fps; slo-mo 1080p at 120/240 fps |
| SIM | eSIM only (not compatible with physical SIM cards) | eSIM |
| Speakers | Four speaker audio | Landscape stereo speakers, dual microphones |
| Biometric authentication | Face ID (TrueDepth camera, facial recognition) | Touch ID |
| Colors | Silver, Space Black | Blue, Purple, Starlight, Space Gray |
| Peak brightness | 1600 | 500 |
Facts shown above are the specifications where both devices have a confirmed value and those values differ — not an indication that either device is better. Showing 10 of 19 differing facts, spread across categories — see the full specification table below for the rest.
Configurations
iPad Pro (M5)
- 256GB / 12GB RAM
- 512GB / 12GB RAM
- 1024GB / 16GB RAM
- 2048GB / 16GB RAM
iPad Air (M4)
- 128GB
- 256GB
- 512GB
- 1024GB
Cameras
iPad Pro (M5)
- Rear · Wide: 12MP, ƒ/1.8
- Front · TrueDepth Center Stage: 12MP, ƒ/2
iPad Air (M4)
- Rear · Wide: 12MP, ƒ/1.8
- Front · Center Stage: 12MP, ƒ/2
Specifications
| Specification | iPad Pro (M5) | iPad Air (M4) |
|---|---|---|
| Design & Build | ||
| Weight | 11-inch: 444g (Wi-Fi) / 446g (Wi-Fi + Cellular); 13-inch: 579g (Wi-Fi) / 582g (Wi-Fi + Cellular) | 11-inch: 464g (Wi-Fi) / 465g (Cellular); 13-inch: 616g (Wi-Fi) / 617g (Cellular) |
| Colors | Silver, Space Black | Blue, Purple, Starlight, Space Gray |
| Dimensions | 11-inch: 249.7 × 177.5 × 5.3 mm; 13-inch: 281.6 × 215.5 mm | 11-inch: 247.6 × 178.5 × 6.1 mm; 13-inch: 280.6 × 214.9 × 6.1 mm |
| Stylus support | Apple Pencil Pro; Apple Pencil (USB-C); Apple Pencil hover | Apple Pencil Pro; Apple Pencil (USB-C) |
| Build materials | Aluminum and glass enclosure | — |
| Keyboard accessory support | Compatible with Magic Keyboard (with built-in trackpad) | Compatible with Magic Keyboard |
| Display | ||
| Resolution | 11-inch: 2420×1668 pixels at 264 ppi | 11-inch: 2360×1640 (264 ppi); 13-inch: 2732×2048 (264 ppi) |
| Peak brightness (nits) | 1600 | 500 |
| Display | Ultra Retina XDR display, tandem OLED, ProMotion adaptive refresh 10-120Hz, Wide color (P3), True Tone, fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating | Liquid Retina (LED-backlit IPS), True Tone, antireflective coating — 11-inch and 13-inch sizes |
| HDR support | Dolby Vision, HDR10+/HDR10, and HLG | Dolby Vision, HDR10+/HDR10, and HLG |
| Performance | ||
| Chipset model name | M5 | M4 |
| Chipset | Apple M5 — 256GB/512GB models: 9-core CPU (3 super + 6 efficiency), 10-core GPU, 12GB unified memory; 1TB/2TB models: 10-core CPU (4 super + 6 efficiency), 10-core GPU, 16GB unified memory. Both: Neural Accelerators, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, 16-core Neural Engine | Apple M4 (8-core CPU: 3 performance + 5 efficiency, 9-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine) |
| Battery & Charging | ||
| Wired charging | USB-C; fast-charge capable, up to 50% in around 30 minutes with a 60W or higher USB-C power adapter | USB-C (charging, DisplayPort, USB 3 up to 10Gb/s) |
| Battery capacity (Wh) | 11-inch: 31.29 Wh, 13-inch: 38.99 Wh | 11-inch: 28.93 Wh, 13-inch: 36.59 Wh |
| Camera | ||
| Video recording | 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps; 1080p HD at 25/30/60 fps; 720p HD at 30 fps; ProRes up to 4K at 30 fps (1080p at 30 fps for 256GB storage); slo-mo 1080p at 120/240 fps | 4K video recording at 24/25/30/60 fps; 1080p HD at 25/30/60 fps; 720p HD at 30 fps; slo-mo 1080p at 120/240 fps |
| Connectivity | ||
| SIM | eSIM only (not compatible with physical SIM cards) | eSIM |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), 2x2 MIMO |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 6, Thread networking technology | Bluetooth 6 |
| Cellular technology | 5G (sub-6GHz) with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE with 4x4 MIMO (Wi-Fi + Cellular models only) | 5G (sub-6GHz) with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE with 4x4 MIMO (Wi-Fi + Cellular models only) |
| Positioning | GPS/GNSS (Wi-Fi + Cellular models only); digital compass, Wi-Fi, and iBeacon microlocation (all models) | GPS/GNSS (Wi-Fi + Cellular models only); digital compass, Wi-Fi, and iBeacon microlocation (all models) |
| USB | Thunderbolt / USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s); USB 3 (up to 10Gb/s); with DisplayPort support | USB-C (USB 3, up to 10Gb/s) with DisplayPort support |
| Audio | ||
| Speakers | Four speaker audio | Landscape stereo speakers, dual microphones |
| Software | ||
| Operating system at launch | iPadOS | iPadOS |
| Security & Sensors | ||
| Biometric authentication | Face ID (TrueDepth camera, facial recognition) | Touch ID |
Sources & verification
iPad Pro (M5)
Verified 2026-10-02- Apple Inc.Manufacturer specificationsTier 1
- Apple Inc.ManufacturerTier 1
iPad Air (M4)
Verified 2026-10-01- Apple Inc.ManufacturerTier 1
- Apple Inc.Manufacturer specificationsTier 1
Tier 1 sources are the manufacturer's own product pages, technical specification sheets, or support documentation. Tier 2 sources are reputable independent technical references, used only for facts that couldn't be confirmed from official documentation.