All iPads iPad Air 13 M2 vs iPad Pro 12.9 2018.

[neomorpheus]

Hello.

I'm wondering, what would I be giving up (besides the 120 Hz screen and amazing speakers) if I move from a 2018 iPad Pro 12.9 to a new iPad Air M2 13?

Granted, I mostly use it for media consumption and on few occasions, as a computer replacement, like attaching external hard drives and move data around.

I dont have a pen, but might get one in the future for further notes taking and maybe use it as an external display for a possible Mac Mini.

So I wonder, what else should I look for going from one to the other?

 

[Reverend Benny]

The lack of Face ID might be annoying if you gotten used to it.

 

[snipr125]

The lack of Face ID might be annoying if you gotten used to it.

That can work both ways as well. I keep putting my finger on the power button on my iPP M4 to unlock it, after being so used to Touch ID on my iPad Air 4th gen.

 

[neomorpheus]

Hmm, those are good points.

Personally, I use FaceID on my iPad but have no issues with the fingerprint reader on my Pixel.

But FaceID is so convenient when just login into an app.

 

[snipr125]

Hmm, those are good points.

Personally, I use FaceID on my iPad but have no issues with the fingerprint reader on my Pixel.

But FaceID is so convenient when just login into an app.

Overall Face ID is probably better, but Touch ID is absolutely fine for me as well.

OP, with the iPad Air M2 you will be getting significantly more performance than your 2018 iPP (about 3x faster), twice the RAM, faster memory speeds etc and also Landscape oriented centre stage camera and the ability to use the Pencil Pro. However you will lose Promotion 120 hz display and gain slightly inferior speakers (this would not be an issue for me personally) and obviously Face ID.

Have you not considered the iPP M4 13" or is this out of your budget?

 

[neomorpheus]

Overall Face ID is probably better, but Touch ID is absolutely fine for me as well.

Yeah, I think in the end its not a big deal to lose it.

you will lose Promotion 120 hz display and gain slightly inferior speakers

For what I currently do, I might miss the speakers, not sure about the 120 Hz display.

Have you not considered the iPP M4 13" or is this out of your budget?

For what I have been doing with this, I dont think that paying more than 600 or so for a tablet is worth.

But yes, budget is currently tight.

 

[snipr125]

Its a tough one OP, if you keep your 2018 iPP its still really good because of its promotion screen, great speakers and face id. It’s also still fairly powerful even 6 years later and has stage manager. The main issue is the 4 GB RAM though as you wont be able to use the full Apple Intelligence features in iPad OS 18. Maybe just keep it for media use and get the iPad Air M2 for the more demanding tasks.

 

[neomorpheus]

Its a tough one OP, if you keep your 2018 iPP its still really good because of its promotion screen, great speakers and face id. It’s also still fairly powerful even 6 years later and has stage manager. The main issue is the 4 GB RAM though as you wont be able to use the full Apple Intelligence features in iPad OS 18. Maybe just keep it for media use and get the iPad Air M2 for the more demanding tasks.

The ram is the main reason why I’m looking to replace it.

I lost a browser session with around 15 tabs because it ran out of memory.

Or at the very least, thats my theory.

Besides that, i don’t really have any complaints.

The AI function is a good point though.

 

[Eithanius]

I came from an iPad 6 with Touch ID, but ever since I've upgraded to an AIR 5 with Touch ID, I can't help but noticed I kept swiping up wondering why I can't unlock my iPad until I realised my iPad Air DOES NOT have Face ID...

Naturally...

 

[neomorpheus]

It has happened to me with my Pixel and iPad.😁

 

[Digitalguy]

If speakers are important to you, here is a piece of info: the M4 13 has louder and fuller speakers than the 2018 12.9... And it's lighter and has oled, but it costs much more that the air...

 

[neomorpheus]

If speakers are important to you, here is a piece of info: the M4 13 has louder and fuller speakers than the 2018 12.9... And it's lighter and has oled, but it costs much more that the air...

The problem is, for my usage, its very hard to justify buying a brand new M4 ipad pro 13.

 

[Digitalguy]

The problem is, for my usage, its very hard to justify buying a brand new M4 ipad pro 13.

At Apple's prices sure. I have seen at almost $1000 lately on Black Friday. I personaly bought it at little more than $1000 too (new). But you know how much is too much for you...

 

[Student of Life]

Yeah this is a tricky question. Going to the air you basically lose promotion, viewing angles, speakers, Face ID. The only thing you would gain with an air is a better chip, everything mentioned before would be downgraded. Honestly a better solution would be the iPad Pro M2. You keep all the advantages of the pros, get a better version of the same chip and most importantly you HDR with mini led screen.

https://tow.com/2024/05/17/ipad-pro-display-comparison-and-upgrade/

A good picture comparison of the pros. Also the M2 pros where on sale at the same price as the airs not to long ago.
Best Buy was giving crazy sales trying to move out its M2 pro inventory.

 

[Digitalguy]

Yeah this is a tricky question. Going to the air you basically lose promotion, viewing angles, speakers, Face ID. The only thing you would gain with an air is a better chip, everything mentioned before would be downgraded. Honestly a better solution would be the iPad Pro M2. You keep all the advantages of the pros, get a better version of the same chip and most importantly you HDR with mini led screen.

https://tow.com/2024/05/17/ipad-pro-display-comparison-and-upgrade/

A good picture comparison of the pros. Also the M2 pros where on sale at the same price as the airs not to long ago.
Best Buy was giving crazy sales trying to move out its M2 pro inventory.

Yeah that's the usual comment, if it's just for media consumption the air is a much better value than the pro.
Not at all. The pro is a much better media consumption device than the air.
The air is a better value if you want to do productivity and don't care (enough) about the better screen, better speakers, lighter weight. Because the different in speeed is irrelevant with iPadOS.
So the idea that you don't need the M4 for media consuption misses the point, the M4 gives the best media consumption device, you don't need the M4 for heavy tasks and productivity.... (M2 or even M1 are totally enough).