Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2021) vs Apple iPad Air 13-inch (M4, 2026) Specs Comparison

Availability

Officially announced
Apr 20, 2021	Mar 02, 2026
Prices (MSRP)
	12GB/128GB - $799 12GB/256GB - $899 12GB/512GB - $1099 12GB/1024GB - $1299

Design

Dimensions
11.05 x 8.46 x 0.25 inches 280.6 x 214.9 x 6.4 mm	11.04 x 8.46 x 0.24 inches 280.4 x 214.9 x 6.1 mm
Weight
24.06 oz / 682.0 g 5G version - 685	21.76 oz / 617.0 g Wi-Fi only - 616 g
Materials
Back: Aluminum Frame: Aluminum	Back: Aluminum Frame: Aluminum
Materials & Colors
Silver, Space Gray
Biometrics
3D Face unlock	Fingerprint (touch)
Keys
Right: Volume control	Right: Volume control
Colors
	Blue, Purple, Starlight, Space Gray

Display

Size
12.9-inch, 85.43% screen-to-body	13.0-inch, 86.84% screen-to-body
Type
IPS LCD, 120Hz, HDR, 1600 nits	IPS LCD, 60Hz, 600 nits
Resolution
2732x2048px, 4:3 ratio, 265 PPI	2732x2048px, 4:3 ratio, 263 PPI
Features
HDR support, Oleophobic coating, Ambient light sensor	Oleophobic coating, Scratch-resistant glass

PhoneArena Display Test

Bright Max (20% APL)
Untested	Untested
Bright Min
2.1 (Average)	Untested

Learn more on our PhoneArena Display Test Results page.

Hardware

System chip
Apple M1 (5 nm)	Apple M4
Processor
Octa-core 3100 MHz	Octa-core
GPU
Apple 8-core GPU	Apple 9-core GPU
Memory
8GB/128GB 8GB/256GB 8GB/512GB 16GB/1024GB 16GB/2048GB	12GB (LPDDR5X)/128GB 12GB/256GB 12GB/512GB 12GB/1024GB
Storage expansion
not expandable	not expandable
OS
iPadOS (14.x)	iOS (26.x)

Battery

Type
10758 mAh, Li - Polymer	9705 mAh, Li - Polymer

PhoneArena Battery Tests

Battery Life Estimate

Untested

Browsing

Untested

Video

8h 51min

Gaming

Untested

Battery Life Estimate

Untested

Browsing

Untested

Video

Untested

Gaming

Untested

Learn more on our PhoneArena Battery Test Results page

Camera

Rear
Triple camera	Single camera
Main camera
12 MP (PDAF) Aperture size: F1.8	12 MP (Sapphire crystal lens cover, Autofocus, PDAF) Aperture size: F1.8 Sensor size: 1/3" Pixel size: 1.22 μm
Second camera
10 MP (Ultra-wide) Optical zoom: 2.0x Aperture size: F2.4
Third camera
ToF 3D depth sensing (Depth information)
Flash
Quad LED
Video recording
4K UHD (60 fps), 1080p (240 fps), 720p (30 fps) Time-lapse video	4K UHD (60 fps), 1080p (240 fps), 720p (30 fps) Time-lapse video, Continuous autofocus, EIS, Video calling, Video sharing, Cinematic mode
Front
12 MP (EIS, Wide Angle, HDR) Video capture: 1080p (60 fps)	12 MP (Autofocus, HDR, Slow-motion videos) Video capture: 1080p (60 fps)

Connectivity & Features

Bluetooth
5.0	6.0
WLAN
Wi-Fi 6,dual-band MIMO, Wi-Fi Direct 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac, ax	Wi-Fi 7,dual-band MIMO, Hotspot 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac, ax
USB
Type-C	Type-C, USB 3.1
Sensors
Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Barometer, LiDAR scanner, Ambient light sensor	Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Barometer, Ambient light sensor
Location
GPS, A-GPS	GPS, GNSS
Other
Tethering, Computer sync

Multimedia

Headphones
No 3.5mm jack
Speakers
Multiple speakers	Multiple speakers
Features
Dolby Atmos, Album art cover, Background playback, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus
Screen mirroring
DLNA,Wireless screen share,MirrorLink
Additional microphone(s)
Noise cancellation, Video recording

Cellular

5G Bands
5G version - n1, n2, n3, n4, n5, n7, n8, n12, n20, n25, n28, n38, n40, n41, n66, n71, n77, n78, n79, n260, n261, Sub-6, mmWave	n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n14, n20, n25, n26, n28, n29, n30, n38, n40, n41, n48, n66, n70, n71, n75, n77, n78, n79
LTE Bands
5G version - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 66, 71	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 66, 71
TDD Bands
5G version - 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48	34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48
3G Bands
5G version - 1, 2, 4, 5, 8
Data Speed
	LTE-A, HSPA, HSUPA
SIM type
	eSIM
HD Voice
	Yes
VoLTE
	Yes

Discover more

Full Specs Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2021) Specs PA Review Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2021) Review

Full Specs Apple iPad Air 13-inch (M4, 2026) Specs