Differences between 2020 iPad Air and 11-inch iPad Pro

Design, same but different

We start with the aspect, perhaps more similar between the two, the design. We all fell in love in 2018 when Apple, finally, changed the design of the iPad, in this case, only the Pro, providing a device with hardly any frames, with a screen that occupied the entire front of the device, square sides, with the That the transition to what we had in the past was beginning and that now, in this 2020, the iPhone has inherited, in general terms, Apple made an aesthetically groundbreaking and very attractive iPad. The bad? This was given only to the iPad Pro, leaving aside the iPad, iPad Mini and iPad Air, until now.

Last October Apple announced something that users were crying out for, a design renewal for the iPad Air, and it did it as expected, meeting the expectations of all of us, since it gave the iPad Air the Same design as the 11-inch iPad Pro of 2018, yes, 2018, not 2020.

Despite being really similar both iPad, iPad Air 2020 and iPad Pro 11 ″ 2020, we can find some differences, some clearer than others.

If we look at the front of both devices, apparently we could say that they are identical, however, when we have one in front of the other, this impression changes and we can realize that the iPad Air has a minimally lower screen, with 10 ‘ 9 inches, while that of the iPad Pro reaches 11, aesthetically this means that the iPad Air has slightly thicker edges than those of the iPad Pro, nothing alarming, but there is that minimal difference on the front.

If we move to the rear, the difference is evident, the 11-inch iPad Pro has the camera module, where it houses two lenses and the LiDAR sensor, while the iPad Air has only one camera on its back.

Finally, in the design section, we have to mention the range of colors that one and the other have, having, the iPad Air, more options for the user, compared to the iPad Pro. The iPad Air can be purchased in 5 colors, Space Gray, Silver, Rose Gold, Green and Sky Blue, while on the iPad Pro we only have two options, Space Gray and Silver.

Features, the key points

Screen, the big difference

Surely on the screen resides one of the points where users can doubt whether or not it is worth opting for the iPad Pro to the detriment of the iPad Air. The first difference, as we have already mentioned when we have talked about the design of both devices, is in their size, a minimal difference, but existing, since in the iPad Air we have a screen of 10.9 inches by the 11 inches of the iPad Pro .

However, the big difference comes when we talk about the refresh rate, since in the iPad Pro we have a Pro Motion screen, that is, we have a refresh rate of 120Hz, for the 60Hz of the iPad Air, and believe me that a A screen with a refresh rate like that of the iPad Pro shows, especially if you are already used to it, the user experience that the Pro Motion screen of the iPad Pro gives you is a real joy.

Capabilities, Apple again?

Now is the time to pull Apple’s ears in this regard and that is, again, the base capacity of the iPad Air is 64GB, when we all expected at least 128 GB as in the case of the iPad Pro. In addition, this The latter has more options to choose from, since we can buy it with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB, for its part, the iPad Air is only available in 64GB and 256GB.

Hopefully, in future updates to the iPad Air Apple will already give us the option of an initial device with 128GB of memory, as it has done with the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max.

Unlocking method

Obviously Apple is not interested in marketing an iPad Air that can cannibalize the sales of the 11-inch iPad Pro, therefore, some of the cutting-edge technologies of the latter could not be present in the iPad Air, hence, the best facial recognition the market is not present in the iPad Air, which continues to bet on Touch ID as an unlocking method, unlike the iPad Pro, which has Face ID, which makes us enjoy the enormous comfort of unlocking our iPad practically without touch him.

Let’s talk about the chip

In September, when at the presentation of the iPad Air he said that it was going to carry the A14 Bionic Chip, we all asked ourselves the big question, is the iPad Air going to mount a more powerful chip than that of the iPad Pro? Well no, despite the fact that by the name, A14 Bionic chip (iPad Air) vs A12Z Bionic chip (iPad Pro), the Cupertino company can imply that yes, the truth is that performance tests have shown that the A12Z Bionic chip of the iPad Pro is still more powerful than the A14 Bionic of the iPad Air, however, this does not mean that the A14 Bionic is going to lack power to be able to face any task, in fact, for 90% of the users, the A14 Bionic is more than enough.

USB-C, the big news

We were all waiting to see which port the iPad Air was going to mount, and here they are, both are exactly the same.

This is a really big change in the iPad Air for all the advantages that the USB-C port entails, mainly when it comes to being able to use a wide variety of accessories that will enhance the possibilities of a device that will delight all its buyers.

Accessories, will enhance your iPad

As we mentioned just a few lines above, the fact that the iPad Air has a USB-C port opens up a world of possibilities in terms of accessories. In addition, it also has that all accessories compatible with the 11-inch iPad Pro are also compatible with the iPad Air. In this section we highlight two especially, the 2nd Generation Apple Pencil and one of the great novelties of 2020 in the iPad range, which is the Magic Keyboard, the keyboard that practically turns your iPad into a laptop thanks to the fact that it integrates, in addition to the keyboard , a trackpad that will be very useful if you are going to use your iPad as if it were a laptop.

Price, is there much difference?

Despite the fact that Apple slightly raised the prices of the Air range, this is still a very great option due to all the improvements it integrates with respect to previous versions, and above all, because Apple has given us practically everything we asked for it. iPad Air. However, as we have seen, there are differences in specific points that, for some users, may be key and enough to spend a little more money and acquire, in this case, the 11-inch iPad Pro 2020.

First of all we are going to go to the base capacity of both devices. In this case, the iPad Air, in its 64GB Wi-Fi version, is found for 649 Euros, while the base model of the 11-inch iPad Pro, in the 128GB Wi-Fi version, reaches 879 Euros.

Let’s equalize the conditions of both a bit, and go for the 256GB Wi-Fi version of both models. In the case of the iPad Air we would have to pay 819 Euros, for the 989 Euros of the iPad Pro.

Finally, let’s choose the most loaded version of both. In the case of the iPad Air we have the 256 GB Wi-Fi + cellular version, whose price amounts to 959 Euros. On the part of the iPad Pro, we also choose the wifi + cellular version, but this reaches up to 1TB of storage, which causes a considerable price increase, reaching up to 1599 Euros.

Which one is worth more?

At this point, it is a personal matter to reflect on the use that each one is going to demand of the device and decide, based on this, which of the two models is more worthwhile.

If you come from previous iPad Air models or lower ranges, such as the iPad or iPad mini, surely this new iPad Air is more than enough, since it will improve the user experience in all aspects.

However, if you come from an old iPad Pro, which did not have the frameless design, but with the Pro Motion screen, perhaps the most appropriate option is the iPad Pro, so as not to lose something that you already enjoyed before. .

Now, if you are looking for an iPad with the new design and you do not want to spend a large amount of money, without a doubt your option is the iPad Air, do not hesitate, you will enjoy a magnificent user experience.