All iPads Still debating between the iPad Air 4 and the iPad Pro. Coming from the iPad Air 2 (with usage explained)

[Broadus]

I’ve been holding out for the new IPad Air but this thread has me on the thinking about a pro. Coming from an iPad Pro 2017 that I managed to recently mangle (looks horrible but still works). ?

It would be interesting to see a review of the Air 4 compared to the iPP 10.5. I’m in a similar situation.

I backed over mine carried in a computer bag along with a 2012 15” MBP about 15 months ago. Killed the MBP, which I replaced with a 2018 MBP.

The iPP and Smart Keyboard still function, though the front camera doesn’t and there is an elongated white spot often noticeable to the left of the power button in landscape.

I don’t need the power if the Pro, but I need to wait for Air reviews. I keep it a long time, so I want to see it the Air may satisfy for five years. I’m looking at 256GB.

 

[katmeef]

I picked up the 11" pro last weekend during the AirPods promo and ordered the Air 4 today. Both are 256/cellular, and with the promo price I paid for the pro they are both about the same amount of money. One is getting returned of course - I like the a14 in the Air, but the pro has 6gb ram vs 4gb and I think that's likely to be a bigger differentiator as time goes on. Glad I've got a week to think about it...

 

[ericwn]

Not for me, my 10.5 pro and S7+ don't make me dispise anything. It's a nice bonus, but I am perfectly ok with 60hz as long as the ipad is fast. I move from 120 to 60hz devices with zero issues....

Same here. Nice to have, everything else is just overblown drama.

 

[Broadus]

Same here. Nice to have, everything else is just overblown drama.

I don’t notice the difference that ProMotion produces unless I’m looking for it, and even then I’m not so sure.

 

[Crow_Servo]

I don’t notice the difference that ProMotion produces unless I’m looking for it, and even then I’m not so sure.

If it’s anything like that Clear Motion feature on TVs, I hate that with a passion. I guess it’s supposedly good for video games, though.

 

[satchmo]

I picked up the 11" pro last weekend during the AirPods promo and ordered the Air 4 today. Both are 256/cellular, and with the promo price I paid for the pro they are both about the same amount of money. One is getting returned of course - I like the a14 in the Air, but the pro has 6gb ram vs 4gb and I think that's likely to be a bigger differentiator as time goes on. Glad I've got a week to think about it...

Given you have both, is the difference in bezel thickness noticeable?

 

[Crow_Servo]

Given you have both, is the difference in bezel thickness noticeable?

The Air 4 isn’t out yet. They’re only available for preorder so far. Release date is Oct 23rd.

 

[Apples n' Stone]

I am facing the same upgrade dilemma, but if I were to upgrade I would want Face ID. I have absolutely no need for all the power so will wait for the 2021 IPP! My launch day Air 2 is still going strong, but a little more storage (from 64 GB) would be fantastic. Amazed the battery is so good this far in, my MacBook pro and iPhone X do not have the same battery resilience!

 

[IngerMan]

You don’t seem to be in a rush, and you said you like the latest tech. Why not wait for the next 2021 iPP update and then decide.

 

[Digitalguy]

Thanks everyone for the replies!


64GB is not enough for me. So for the iPad Air 4 I have to get the 256GB option, where as for the iPad Pro I am ok with just 128GB. My $180CAD difference is between the iPad Air 4 256GB vs iPad Pro 128GB.


I definitely want the bigger screen and the edge to edge design from the Air/Pro. I have been eyeing the edge to edge design since the Pro came out in 2018, but at the time I didn't feel the need to upgrade my Air 2 yet. Plus I live by myself and would much prefer to stream with speakers rather than wearing an AirPod in my ears.

------------------

So anyways, looks like most of you suggest the 2020 Pro over the Air 4, or wait for some reviews for the Air 4 on the stereo landscape speakers and TouchID on the button and then decide.

Just curious though, why not wait for the 2021 Pro though? If it comes out around March 2021 I can wait. If it won't come out until Fall 2021 then I will probably make my decision between the Air 4 and the 2020 Pro soon.

I tend to agree on most things. I prefer to have speakers during the day and airpods (or others buds) at night in order not to bother neighbors...
120hz is nice but not a big deal. Now that I have the S7+ I can say that even Oled is not a big deal: I mean compared side by side to the S7+ the ipad looks like crap, but taken by itself it's perfectly fine and I forget in a minute it's not oled... Same with phones by the way... What I don't forget is speakers...
Yesterday I misplaced my S7+ and took the 10.5 to watch a youtube video after a while I had not used it... Man, those speakers sounded so much quiter... I did remember them much better than that. Truth is once I get used to louder and fuller sound it's hard to go back....

 

[Robbosan]

I couldn't have a iPad anymore without pro motion and the 4 stereo speakers. I'd prefer a 2018 pro than the Air 4, which i have for those reasons.
Also FID. TID on power button is so samsung.

 

[Kierkegaarden]

Hello everyone,

I am still debating between the iPad Air 4 and the iPad Pro (either 2020 or waiting till 2021).

I currently own an iPad Air 2, so it's been awhile since I have upgraded my iPad.

My primary usage for the iPad is only browsing, streaming, reading and some light gaming (non-action based games). I don't intend to use the iPad with the Apple Pencil or the Magic Keyboard. I use my Macbook Pro as my primary work device so the iPad is only used when I am out or when I am in bed.

My pretty light usage tells me that the iPad Air 4 is way more than sufficient for me. The big difference between the iPad Air 4 and the iPad Pro for me would only be:
4 speakers, 120Hz ProMotion (I wonder whether these two are really that noticeable during my day to day use);
and FaceID. (Seems to be a lot easier to just swipe and unlock the iPad than having to use TouchID on the button)

However, I tend to like getting the latest and greatest with my tech toys. Seeing how I don't often upgrade my iPad, should I just go big and go straight for the iPad Pro? I am looking at a price difference of about $180CAD (iPad Air 4 Wifi+Cellar 256GB w/AppleCare+ vs iPad Pro Wifi+Cellar 128GB w/AppleCare+).

So I guess long story short, my question is does the 4 speakers, 120Hz display and FaceID worth $180 extra for just browsing, streaming, reading and light non-action based gaming...

Thanks.

The Pro also has double the base storage and more RAM (presumably).

If this were your main computing device, I would say the Pro makes more sense. Even from the standpoint of value — the Pro 11 is a better deal than the new Air when comparing the features.

I have the Air 2 just like you, and it still works surprisingly well. I’m sure the new Air would be more than adequate for your needs — just depends on if you eventually use it for other things and appreciate the extra features of the Pro model.

 

[doxielover]

I’m in the same position except I do a lot of photo editing also I don’t know if I should get WiFi only or with cellular. The GPS for maps is nice for better tracking.

 

[darngooddesign]

Put both on a card and return the one you like the least after a week.

 

[darngooddesign]

If it’s anything like that Clear Motion feature on TVs, I hate that with a passion. I guess it’s supposedly good for video games, though.

Clear motion is that video smoothing effect which makes everything, including movies, look like a cheap tv show. I turn that off on my friend’s TVs when they aren’t paying attention.

Promotion is different.

 

[chrfr]

Not for me, my 10.5 pro and S7+ don't make me dispise anything. It's a nice bonus, but I am perfectly ok with 60hz as long as the ipad is fast. I move from 120 to 60hz devices with zero issues....

The 10.5 Pro and the S7 are both 120Hz devices.
[automerge]1603024960[/automerge]

 

[satchmo]

The embargo for the Air is lifted tomorrow so we should have a lot more reviews and real world tests to help decide.

 

[etkuo]

The embargo for the Air is lifted tomorrow so we should have a lot more reviews and real world tests to help decide.

That's what I am waiting for but this forum has talked me from "90% iPad Air 4 : 10% 2020 iPad Pro" to "45% 2020 iPad Pro : 45% 2021 iPad Pro : 10% iPad Air 4" lol

 

[satchmo]

That's what I am waiting for but this forum has talked me from "90% iPad Air 4 : 10% 2020 iPad Pro" to "45% 2020 iPad Pro : 45% 2021 iPad Pro : 10% iPad Air 4" lol

Well, if you have the luxury of waiting until 2021, you really don’t need an new iPad then...you want one. ?

Plus you may be waiting until June for all we know.

Frankly I’m not sure there a whole lot of difference between the 4 and the 2020 Pro. Maybe you could tilt towards the Pro given the extra RAM for longevity. But it’s also $200+ more.

 

[magicschoolbus]

Air for sure. If you have made it this long in an iPad Air 2 you don’t need a pro..

 

[StefanSC86]

So I guess long story short, my question is does the 4 speakers, 120Hz display and FaceID worth $180 extra for just browsing, streaming, reading and light non-action based gaming...

Hello,

I've been lurking on the forum for the past 3 months as I was interesting on upgrading my iPad Mini 2 to either the Pro or the Air 4 (USB C with 3.0 speeds is a must for me these days).

I'm using the iPad for web browsing, streaming, light document editing and image editing away from my desk.

In the end, after going back and forth, I decided not to wait for the Air 4 256GB and went with the Pro 11" 128GB model as here, in the EU, the difference between them is about 40$.

My initial (48 hours) impression:
- couldn't care less for FaceID, would have liked TouchID.
- 120Hz display is really visible only if you put it side by side with a 60Hz display. Otherwise, switching from the Pro to the Mini 2 to my Nokia 8 phone, I couldn't feel the difference after a couple of minutes of use.
- the speakers are impressive. Loud, crisp, very little distortion even at max volume. Very nice to just leave the iPad on a stand playing a clip and move around the room doing stuff.
- TrueTone is the nicest implementation of this kind of feature I've encountered until now and really relaxing for reading before going to sleep.

So, IMHO, paying 180$ for those three features is not really worth it.

What tipped the scales for me were the 6GB of RAM in the Pro (in my experience, more useful for future-proofing than CPU), the fact that 64GB Air 4 is too little storage for my usage and that the Pro has been out long enough for all of it's issues to be known, while the Air 4 is a new product, with a new CPU and a new design, and new issues to pop-up.

 

[S1njin]

I have a older iPad that work issued me. 60hz screen - I can tell the difference when I’m scrolling with that one vs. my current IPP 10.5.

I’m really interested in the IPP 12.9 - predominantly for the screen size. Its purely a web browsing, video consumption, shopping vehicle or me. However I do enjoy reading the Washington Post in print format every morning. That extra screen real estate calls to me.

I typically have my IPP 10.5 sitting on the kitchen counter w/ the smart keyboard on it. Then I move it to the study in my home where I work 2-3 days a week. Its in the smart keyboard cover 95% of the time save when I grab it surf the web on the couch. My IPP never really leaves the house.

So for me, the 12.9 is likely what I’m moving too. Damned shame they’re going to upgrade it soon - I’m hoping black friday kicks out a deal that takes the sting out of that.

 

[muzzy996]

To me the Air 4 sounds like a good fit for OP. Gets them what they want in terms of design changes but isn’t overkill. The savings between that and the Pro can be parlayed into the accessories (folio and AC+ perhaps etc. etc.). Coming from an Air 2 to the Air 4 should give OP a nice upgrade in performance and sound quality.

I’m looking to upgrade my wife’s Air 2 to an Air 4 in the future, and picking up an Air 4 for my son who’s in college. Great device.

As for Promotion I have to admit that I always read statements about not being able to tell the difference with a degree of disbelief. I have to remind myself that some of those who say that they can’t tell probably mean that the difference isn’t appreciable enough to matter to them. I certainly understand and respect that point of view, the difference is certainly there and they’re not denying it. I don’t think those of us who prefer to have it are necessarily being overly dramatic about it though.

 

[Ungibbed]

While I may have a second generation 12.9 iPP, having the Pro Motion display and great sounding quad speakers.

Both of which I imagine have improved in the newer models compared to mine. Still, it’s difficult to go back once you’ve been spoiled.

 

[b.c.]

fyi embargo is off and online reviews of the iPad Air 4th gen are starting to appear this a.m. many of them are specifically comparing it to the Pro (nothing earth-shattering in reviews I've seen but just fyi)