Choosing between the iPad Pro and the MacBook Air has always been a bit of a head-scratcher for me. Yeah, they’re different categories and all, but both are Apple’s star players in the 13-inch lineup. The arrival of the M4 iPad Pro just amplifies the dilemma. Do I go for power and portability, or the familiarity and flexibility of a laptop? Let me break down my experience.
First off, let’s be real – the price tag makes you think twice. The M4 iPad Pro starts at a cool $799 for the 11-inch and $1099 for the 13-inch. The M3 MacBook Air? Also starting at $1099 for the 13-inch. Here’s the catch: to make that iPad Pro a true laptop replacement, you’re looking at another $349 for the Magic Keyboard. That pushes the price to $1448, putting it in the same ballpark as a higher-spec MacBook Air. See what I mean? Decisions, decisions…
Now, gotta admit, the redesigned M4 iPad Pro is a beauty. Apple claims it’s their thinnest product ever – 5.3mm for the 11-inch and a mind-boggling 5.1mm for the 13-inch. But, slap on that new Magic Keyboard, and the M4 iPad Pro loses its thinness advantage over the MacBook Air. Honestly, with the old Magic Keyboard, the iPad felt bulkier than the Air. So, for everyday carry, the Air might have the upper hand.
Of course, the fundamental iPad vs. MacBook difference remains. The MacBook’s hinge lets you fine-tune those viewing angles, while the iPad Pro, well, it’s an iPad – the tablet convenience is undeniable. But, if you’re after a laptop replacement, tablet mode might not be as essential as you’d think.
Let’s talk displays. The iPad Pro wins, hands down. It was already ahead with its mini-LED screen, but now, with OLED, it’s a whole new level. Apple’s clever double-stacked OLED design tackles brightness limitations, making the iPad Pro’s screen not only brighter than the MacBook Pro’s mini-LED but also boasting superior contrast. Don’t get me wrong, the MacBook Air’s screen is solid – accurate colors, decent brightness. But, hey, there are cheaper Windows laptops with OLED screens already. Take the ASUS Zenbook Q425 – its OLED, maybe not as bright as Apple’s, still looks fantastic and even has a 120Hz refresh rate. The MacBook Air is stuck at 60Hz, making scrolling and animations feel a tad less smooth than the iPad Pro’s 120Hz. Plus, you’ve got that iPad Pro touch screen, something the Air lacks entirely.
The new Magic Keyboard’s big news is the larger, haptic-feedback trackpad and a full-size keyboard layout with 14 function keys. These upgrades make the iPad Pro way more functional and blur the line between it and a MacBook. Port-wise, they’re pretty similar, both rocking two Thunderbolt ports. That is, as long as your iPad Pro is wearing its Magic Keyboard. The MacBook Air has a slight edge with its MagSafe 3 charging port, freeing up those Thunderbolt ports. Oh, and the Air keeps that headphone jack, something the iPad ditched ages ago.
Funny thing is, the M4 chip showed up in the iPad Pro *before* the MacBook, which took many by surprise. How powerful is this thing? Apple claims it’s 4x faster than the M2 and a whopping 10x faster than the M1. In real-world terms, it’s said to boost ProCreate by 50% and quadruples the efficiency of ProRES Raw video stream handling in Premiere Pro. But, against the M3, the M4’s edge seems less pronounced. We’ll have to see how that plays out.
Then there’s the AI muscle. Apple’s holding back on the specifics until WWDC next month, but the M4’s Neural Engine is a big deal. It can handle a massive 38 trillion operations per second (TOPS), nearly double the M3’s 18 TOPS. That’s huge, though the practical implications remain to be seen. Clearly, AI is where the M4 shines.
Interestingly, the M3 MacBook Air might still hold the battery life crown, thanks to the iPad Pro’s smaller battery. So, at the end of the day, the choice boils down to your software needs and how you’d use the device. The iPad Pro is pricier, but you get that gorgeous screen, the faster processor, a dual-camera system, Face ID, and touch input. The MacBook Air offers greater configuration flexibility, a larger keyboard and trackpad, longer battery life, a headphone jack, and perhaps a more portable design – all at a more attractive price. While the safe bet might be the MacBook Air for most folks, the iPad Pro offers a unique experience and display quality that Macs can’t match. Honestly, the line between the iPad and Mac lines feels blurrier than ever. For sheer practicality, the MacBook Air might win out for many, but that doesn’t make the iPad Pro any less compelling.