47 people are comparing Apple iPad Pro M4 13-inch · iPad Air M3 right now

Updated April 2026 PIXLRUN · COMPARE LAB v3

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A laboratory-grade side-by-side that scores phones, laptops and headphones on the things buyers actually feel — not the spec-sheet poetry manufacturers print on the box.

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Lab metrics per unit

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The duel.
Two phones, one verdict.

Lab-tested over 14 days each. Identical conditions, identical workloads, scored on a calibrated 100-point rubric.

Apple · 2024 Best for ecosystem

Apple iPad Pro M4 13-inch

A17 Pro · 6.1″ Super Retina XDR · Titanium

0^/100

From

$999

Samsung · 2024 PixlRun pick

iPad Air M3

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 · 6.8″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X · Titanium

0^/100

From

$1,299

Where each one wins.

Six pillars, scored independently in our Victoria, BC lab. Bars animate to live values when in view.

Camera

S24 +0.6

Apple8.6

Apple9.2

Performance

iPhone +0.3

Apple9.5

Apple9.2

Battery

S24 +1.4

Apple7.8

Apple9.2

Display

S24 +0.4

Apple9.3

Apple9.7

Build & feel

iPhone +0.5

Apple9.4

Apple8.9

Value

iPhone +0.4

Apple8.6

Apple8.2

Six dimensions, overlaid.

Radar of normalized scores across our full rubric.

Apple iPad Pro M4 13-inch iPad Air M3

Lab benchmark

+12%

iPad Air M3 vs Apple iPad Pro M4 13-inch — sustained workload comparison.

Battery (video, real-world)

19h

iPad Air M3 vs Apple iPad Pro M4 13-inch — battery rundown.

Charge to 50%

22min

iPad Air M3 fast-charge vs Apple iPad Pro M4 13-inch.

Weight delta

−45g

Apple iPad Pro M4 13-inch vs iPad Air M3 — weight delta.

The full spec sheet.

Grouped by what matters to use, not by alphabet. Winners highlighted with an acid dot.

Display

Display13" Ultra Retina XDR Tandem OLED

Display—

Resolution2752 x 2064 (264 PPI)

Resolution—

Refresh RateProMotion 120Hz

Refresh Rate—

Brightness1000 nits SDR, 1600 nits HDR peak

Brightness—

Display (11")—

Display (11")11" Liquid Retina, 2360x1640, 60Hz, P3

Display (13")—

Display (13")13" Liquid Retina, 2732x2048, 60Hz, P3

Performance

ChipApple M4 (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU)

ChipApple M3 (8-core CPU, 10-core GPU)

RAM16GB Unified Memory

RAM8GB unified memory

Storage—

Storage128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB

Camera

Rear Camera12MP Wide + LiDAR Scanner

Rear Camera—

Front Camera12MP Ultra Wide (Landscape)

Front Camera—

Camera (Rear)—

Camera (Rear)12MP f/1.8 Wide

Camera (Front)—

Camera (Front)12MP Ultra Wide, Center Stage

Battery & Charging

Battery LifeUp to 10 hours

Battery Life—

Battery—

BatteryUp to 10 hours web/video

Body & Build

Thickness5.1 mm

Thickness—

Weight579 g (WiFi)

Weight—

Weight (11")—

Weight (11")462g

Connectivity

ConnectorUSB-C (Thunderbolt / USB 4)

Connector—

WiFiWi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)

WiFi—

Connectivity—

ConnectivityWi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, optional 5G

Ports—

PortsUSB-C (Thunderbolt / USB 4)

General

Authentication—

AuthenticationTouch ID (top button)

Pros & cons,
at a glance.

A bento grid of what each one nails — and where it falls short.

Apple iPad Pro M4 13-inch

What you'll love

The most polished daily-driver experience Apple has ever shipped.

Best-in-class CPU single-core performance
Lightest titanium frame in its class (187 g)
5+ years of major iOS updates committed
Tight integration with Mac, Watch, AirPods

Watch out for

Slow 20 W charging
3× telephoto only
No always-on tone-mapping

iPad Air M3

What you'll love

A spec monster with the most versatile camera system on a phone.

5× optical zoom + 200 MP main sensor
Brightest panel on any phone (2,600 nits)
S Pen built-in for notes & sketching
All-day battery (5,000 mAh, 19h video)

Watch out for

Heavy at 232 g
Steeper $1,299 entry price
One UI bloat out of the box

The verdict.

After 14 days each, in real-world use — here's how we'd actually spend the money.

PixlRun verdict · April 2026

If you do anything serious with the camera, get the S24 Ultra.

Apple iPad Pro M4 13-inch takes the overall win. Apple iPad Pro M4 13-inch: The thinnest Apple product ever, and the most powerful tablet. iPad Air M3: Supercharged Air with M3 power.

See S24 Ultra review Read the full review

PixlRun Lab Score

Composite · 14-day test cycle

Apple iPad Pro M4 13-inch92.4

iPad Air M394.1

Margin+1.7

ConfidenceHigh