All iPads iPad Air 4 256GB or iPad Pro 11" 128GB?

[martyna6277]

I want to buy my first iPad ever. I'm going to use it for Procreate, Lightroom, Illustrator and probably Affinity Design/Photoshop (maybe some animations/video editing in future). I'll also be watching Netflix, YouTube, some surfing the internet or answering emails. I'm considering two latest models - iPad Air 4 256GB and iPad Pro 11 128GB (both wifi only). The price difference between these models is about $70.
There are a few issues I'm wondering about:
- Capacity: 256GB is a great deal and will definitely be more than enough for me, where as the PRO is only 128GB (I think that's enough for apps, I can keep files in the cloud if I have to);
- RAM and chip: if Air has newer chip but less RAM will it be as efficient as Pro? Can Pro have shorter support time because of that? I want the device to last a few years. How is it actually with this RAM and chip?
- Brightness - after looking at many reviews on YT I didn't see any big differences, but recently I found pictures with comparison, where you can see that AIR has more faded colors. How will this affect color perception? If I had a paperlike screen protector how much of a difference might be noticeable in the Air and Pro?

LINK:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ipad/comments/jj54jo

- How is it actually with this screen refresh rate? On the reviews on YT you can see a minimal (but visible for me) difference between 60Hz on the Air and 120Hz on the Pro while using Apple Pencil. Could the lag be annoying when using it while drawing?

I'm willing to pay the difference if the Pro would perform better and last longer. But is there actually a need? If I didn't pay extra for the Pro I could already have a case and apps for the same price.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Keniutek]

Since u will be using pencil a lot, go for the Pro. Not only 120Hz but better screen quality as well.

 

[AutomaticApple]

I want to buy my first iPad ever. I'm going to use it for Procreate, Lightroom, Illustrator and probably Affinity Design/Photoshop (maybe some animations/video editing in future). I'll also be watching Netflix, YouTube, some surfing the internet or answering emails. I'm considering two latest models - iPad Air 4 256GB and iPad Pro 11 128GB (both wifi only). The price difference between these models is about $70.
There are a few issues I'm wondering about:
- Capacity: 256GB is a great deal and will definitely be more than enough for me, where as the PRO is only 128GB (I think that's enough for apps, I can keep files in the cloud if I have to);
- RAM and chip: if Air has newer chip but less RAM will it be as efficient as Pro? Can Pro have shorter support time because of that? I want the device to last a few years. How is it actually with this RAM and chip?
- Brightness - after looking at many reviews on YT I didn't see any big differences, but recently I found pictures with comparison, where you can see that AIR has more faded colors. How will this affect color perception? If I had a paperlike screen protector how much of a difference might be noticeable in the Air and Pro?

LINK:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ipad/comments/jj54jo

- How is it actually with this screen refresh rate? On the reviews on YT you can see a minimal (but visible for me) difference between 60Hz on the Air and 120Hz on the Pro while using Apple Pencil. Could the lag be annoying when using it while drawing?

I'm willing to pay the difference if the Pro would perform better and last longer. But is there actually a need? If I didn't pay extra for the Pro I could already have a case and apps for the same price.

Thanks in advance!

I would also recommend the iPad Pro for your use case scenario.

 

[martyna6277]

Thanks for the answers! So less ram + newer chip in Air will not perform as well as more ram+older chip in pro? What specifically is going to make such a difference for me?

 

[Anteater23]

If the iPad Air wasn’t having all the backlight bleed problems it’s having I’d suggest that. But it does have issues and I’d stay well clear and go for the pro

If you can wait 6-8 weeks there might be a new iPad pro coming out in March with better processor than the air.

 

[martyna6277]

Thank you for this information! I didn't even know about it. 6-8 weeks is a long time and I assume then the new iPad will be more expensive than the current one. My budget doesn't seem to allow me to wait for new ipad 😅

 

[bill-p]

I'm going to use it for Procreate, Lightroom, Illustrator and probably Affinity Design/Photoshop (maybe some animations/video editing in future).

You want Pro for this because it has more RAM. More RAM gives more layers for any of the apps you mentioned.

The new chip in the Air may be faster, but I don't think anybody can say that the Pro is "slow".

I just got a new 2020 Pro for my birthday. Compared to the 2018 Pro, 50% more RAM makes a massive difference. Safari holds more tabs, apps stay longer in memory, and ProCreate, etc... give more layers and seem more stable overall.

All of the other features (120Hz screen, better speakers, brighter display) are icing on the cake, but more RAM matters more than you may think. Get Pro if you want to use it as a drawing device. Otherwise get the Air as a less expensive media consumption device, but do note that it doesn't quite measure up to the Pro in real use.

 

[martyna6277]

You want Pro for this because it has more RAM. More RAM gives more layers for any of the apps you mentioned.

The new chip in the Air may be faster, but I don't think anybody can say that the Pro is "slow".

I just got a new 2020 Pro for my birthday. Compared to the 2018 Pro, 50% more RAM makes a massive difference. Safari holds more tabs, apps stay longer in memory, and ProCreate, etc... give more layers and seem more stable overall.

All of the other features (120Hz screen, better speakers, brighter display) are icing on the cake, but more RAM matters more than you may think. Get Pro if you want to use it as a drawing device. Otherwise get the Air as a less expensive media consumption device, but do note that it doesn't quite measure up to the Pro in real use.

Thank you so much! It's more clear now and great to hear this from someone who uses pro on a daily basis!

 

[Anteater23]

Thank you for this information! I didn't even know about it. 6-8 weeks is a long time and I assume then the new iPad will be more expensive than the current one. My budget doesn't seem to allow me to wait for new ipad 😅

Might be the same price. If it’s more expensive you could maybe get a good deal on the current model.

 

[martyna6277]

Might be the same price. If it’s more expensive you could maybe get a good deal on the current model.

I did some research and there will probably be a 12.9" model released in the spring and an 11" model later in the year. As I would prefer a smaller iPad I don't really want to wait a whole year )

 

[Digitalguy]

Might be the same price. If it’s more expensive you could maybe get a good deal on the current model.

I would not assume that the new iPad pro will be more expensive... There is a lot of contradictory speculation at the moment... But there is no guarantee that the new pro (12.9 or 11) will be launched in March or even in the first half of the year....
Anyway, as everyone says, get the pro. I got the 2018 11in pro (but the top one with 6GB RAM) at a great price and love it in everything (other than face id, which I can't stand and disabled after a couple of weeks...)

 

[Htsi]

You want Pro for this because it has more RAM. More RAM gives more layers for any of the apps you mentioned.

The new chip in the Air may be faster, but I don't think anybody can say that the Pro is "slow".

I just got a new 2020 Pro for my birthday. Compared to the 2018 Pro, 50% more RAM makes a massive difference. Safari holds more tabs, apps stay longer in memory, and ProCreate, etc... give more layers and seem more stable overall.

All of the other features (120Hz screen, better speakers, brighter display) are icing on the cake, but more RAM matters more than you may think. Get Pro if you want to use it as a drawing device. Otherwise get the Air as a less expensive media consumption device, but do note that it doesn't quite measure up to the Pro in real use.

Ram is a big deal. I bought the 18 and regret not waiting the20 extra days to get the 2020 models. 4GB ram is app reload galore. Go for 6gb ram.

 

[Anteater23]

I did some research and there will probably be a 12.9" model released in the spring and an 11" model later in the year. As I would prefer a smaller iPad I don't really want to wait a whole year )

There are only 12.9 Mini LED displays in production so the iPad Pro 11 won’t get mini led like the iPad Pro 12.9 in March. BUT that doesn’t mean it won’t get a refresh . Kind of like how the iPhone pro Max has a better camera than the iPhone pro.

 

[Digitalguy]

There are only 12.9 Mini LED displays in production so the iPad Pro 11 won’t get mini led like the iPad Pro 12.9 in March. BUT that doesn’t mean it won’t get a refresh . Kind of like how the iPhone pro Max has a better camera than the iPhone pro.

and it also probably means that it will not be more expensive

 

[alyssap22]

Get the pro! I went for the air and had horrible backlight issues. Returned it for the pro and it’s been wonderful.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

If the iPad Air wasn’t having all the backlight bleed problems it’s having I’d suggest that. But it does have issues and I’d stay well clear and go for the pro

If you can wait 6-8 weeks there might be a new iPad pro coming out in March with better processor than the air.

I’ve just bought an Air with no backlight bleed so they may have fixed that now.

 

[Anteater23]

I’ve just bought an Air with no backlight bleed so they may have fixed that now.

You need to be in dark environment with brightness up a bit and have black borders to see it like when watching a youtube vídeo.

 

[Maukey]

For your uses, which appear to be more professional applications, get the Pro. Easy choice in my opinion.

I have the 2020 12.9 Pro and the Air 4. I use the Pro for Movies, TV, Videos, and Professional applications in my home office and on long trips. It stays in my home office on the magic keyboard when not traveling. The Air 4 is strictly used as a tablet with the Smart Cover and Apple Pencil 2. It's a go anywhere, move around the house consumption device. If your uses were strictly web browsing, reading, videos, note taking, etc, I'd say the Air hands down due to it being slightly lighter, newer, and less expensive. For consumption, I honestly don't feel the 120Hz display, slight increase in brightness, Face ID, and louder speakers are worth the extra cost. I can tell you I don't miss any of it, or really notice it when I'm using my Air 4 instead of my 12.9. My opinion is too many people get the Pro and don't really need the Pro. Also, no backlight bleed or display issues of any kind on my Air 4.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

You need to be in dark environment with brightness up a bit and have black borders to see it like when watching a youtube vídeo.

I just tried what you said in complete darkness watching a dark video and if I have any, it’s very slight and I’m consciously looking for it. I think mine is fine to be honest.

 

[martyna6277]

There are only 12.9 Mini LED displays in production so the iPad Pro 11 won’t get mini led like the iPad Pro 12.9 in March. BUT that doesn’t mean it won’t get a refresh . Kind of like how the iPhone pro Max has a better camera than the iPhone pro.

Is that worth waiting for new iPad Pro 11" in terms of the aspects I mentioned like new chip, ram or good color perception? I don't care about a better camera or anything like that

 

[martyna6277]

For your uses, which appear to be more professional applications, get the Pro. Easy choice in my opinion.

I have the 2020 12.9 Pro and the Air 4. I use the Pro for Movies, TV, Videos, and Professional applications in my home office and on long trips. It stays in my home office on the magic keyboard when not traveling. The Air 4 is strictly used as a tablet with the Smart Cover and Apple Pencil 2. It's a go anywhere, move around the house consumption device. If your uses were strictly web browsing, reading, videos, note taking, etc, I'd say the Air hands down due to it being slightly lighter, newer, and less expensive. For consumption, I honestly don't feel the 120Hz display, slight increase in brightness, Face ID, and louder speakers are worth the extra cost. I can tell you I don't miss any of it, or really notice it when I'm using my Air 4 instead of my 12.9. My opinion is too many people get the Pro and don't really need the Pro. Also, no backlight bleed or display issues of any kind on my Air 4.

Great summary. Thank you!

 

[snipr125]

I just tried what you said in complete darkness watching a dark video and if I have any, it’s very slight and I’m consciously looking for it. I think mine is fine to be honest.

Yes same with my Day 1 Ipad Air 4, no back light bleed or any issues with the screen at all. Its a beautiful screen in my opinion. I do concede that there are some cases of the Air 4 having some screen issues though, at the end of the day you can just return said ipads to Apple for a replacement.

To the OP, maybe wait for a couple of months if you can to see what the Ipad Pro 2021 is like then make your decision. The 2020 Pros will probably drop in price at the same time.

 

[kp98077]

You need to be in dark environment with brightness up a bit and have black borders to see it like when watching a youtube vídeo.

really? because now I am nervous on this "backlight issue"... i am about to buy an Air 4 but after reading this am nervous!

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

really? because now I am nervous on this "backlight issue"... i am about to buy an Air 4 but after reading this am nervous!

It’s not that much if an issue and if people are trying to find it in the dark in certain situations, you know it’s not really a problem.

 

[scupking]

Go with the pro. More ram, much better screen, better speakers, 120 hz.