iPad Air (M3) vs iPad Pro (M5)
Compare iPad Air (M3) and iPad Pro (M5): display, weight and key specifications. Exact configurations, sources and Difluma's interactive comparison.
iPad Air (M3)
11″ · 128 GB
iPad Pro (M5)
11″ · 256 GB
Key differences
- Chip: M3 → M5.
- Screen size: 10.86″ → 11.1″.
- Resolution: 2360 × 1640 → 2420 × 1668.
- SDR brightness: 500 nits → 1000 nits.
| Feature | iPad Air (M3) | iPad Pro (M5) |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | M3 | M5 |
| Screen size | 10.86″ | 11.1″ |
| Resolution | 2360 × 1640 | 2420 × 1668 |
| SDR brightness | 500 nits | 1000 nits |
| Weight | 460 g | 444 g |
| CPU cores | 8 | 9 |
| GPU cores | 9 | 10 |
| RAM | 8 GB | 12 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB | 256 GB |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Display type | LCD | Tandem OLED |
| Hardware ray tracing | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | 6E | 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 6.0 |
Considering an upgrade
iPad Pro (M5) scores approximately 29% higher in the single-core test (Geekbench 7 Single-Core): 2744 versus 3536.
iPad Pro (M5) scores approximately 27% higher in the multi-core test (Geekbench 7 Multi-Core): 11799 versus 15020.
Score differences help compare the selected configurations. Application speed depends on the workload; these percentages do not imply the same FPS increase or time saving in every task.
Screen diagonals are 10.86″ and 11.1″. iPad Pro (M5) has the larger display, useful when space for spreadsheets, documents or multiple windows matters. This comparison covers the stated sizes; a different chassis size may change the conclusion.
Display refresh rates reach 60 and 120 Hz. iPad Pro (M5) supports the higher rate, relevant to scrolling and animations; it does not by itself guarantee that frame rate in games.
iPad Air (M3) weighs 460 g and iPad Pro (M5) weighs 444 g. The 16 g difference is small and is unlikely to be a decisive upgrade reason on its own.
Specified maximum SDR brightness is 500 and 1000 nits, higher on iPad Pro (M5). Consider this in bright ambient light. HDR brightness is a separate specification.
This table covers the configurations shown; other screen sizes and capacities may differ. Specifications come from the project catalog, with original sources linked below.
Sources and methodology
- Apple — iPad Air (M3)
- Geekbench 7 Single-Core
- Geekbench 7 Multi-Core
- Notebookcheck WiFi v1.3 / 150 nits
- Apple — iPad Pro (M5)
- Notebookcheck WiFi v1.3 / 150 nits
- How we compare devices