iPad 10 vs. iPad Air Buyer's Guide: Is the $150 Difference Worth It?

The entry-level iPad is close to the iPad Air because of the same design, display size, camera systems, and more. What is the difference between the two devices and which one should you buy?

The price of the 10th-generation iPad is more expensive than the previous one, but it is still on sale for the same price.

The 10th-generation model completes the transformation of the iPad product lineup into a flat look with squared off edges, no home button, and an all-screen design. With the exact same display size and identical features like a Touch ID top button, many prospective customers may now be considering a purchase of the standard iPad instead of the iPad Air

The M1 chip and double the amount of memory makes the iPad Air more powerful than the 10th- generation iPad. Many users still prefer the iPad Air because of its thinner and lighter design, support for the second-generation Apple Pencil, and a variety of color options.

Should you buy the 10th- generation iPad to save money or should you use the iPad Air? The breakdown shows all the similarities and differences between the two devices.

Similarities

The majority of the features of the two iPad are the same.

• Apple silicon chip with 16-core Neural Engine, fabricated with 5nm process
• 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display (2360‑by‑1640 resolution at 264 ppi) with True Tone and 500 nits max brightness (typical)
• Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
• 12MP Wide rear camera with ƒ/1.8 aperture, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 3 for photos, 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps, Extended dynamic range for video up to 30 fps, 3x video zoom, Slo-mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps, and Time-lapse video with stabilization
• 12MP Ultra Wide front-facing camera with ƒ/2.4 aperture, 2x zoom out, Center Stage, Retina Flash, Smart HDR 3 for photos, Extended dynamic range for video up to 30 fps, Cinematic video stabilization
• ‌Touch ID‌ top button
• Landscape two-speaker audio
• USB-C port
• 5G connectivity on cellular models
• Up to 10 hours of battery life
• 64GB and 256GB storage options

Differences

There is a new generation of iPad.

• A14 Bionic chip
• 6-core CPU with 2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
• 4-core GPU
• 4GB RAM
• sRGB display
• 12MP landscape Ultra Wide front-facing camera
• Bluetooth 5.2
• First-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌ support (adapter required to pair and charge)
• Magic Keyboard Folio support
• 7mm thickness
• Weight of 477/481 grams
• Silver, Pink, Blue, and Yellow color options
• Starts at $449

The 5th-Generation iPad Air will be released in the year 2000.

• ‌M1‌ chip
• 8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
• 8-core GPU
• Media engine with video encode and decode endines for hardware-accelerated H.264 and HEVC
• 8GB RAM
• Wide color display (P3)
• Fully laminated display with anti-reflective coating
• 12MP portrait Ultra Wide front-facing camera
• Bluetooth 5.0
• Stage Manager support in iPadOS 16
• Second-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌ support
• Magic Keyboard and Smart Keyboard Folio support
• 6.1mm thickness
• Weight of 461/462 grams
• Space Gray, Starlight, Pink, Purple, Blue color options
• Starts at $599

The main difference between the devices is their chips and amount of memory, so if you plan on using your iPad for more demanding tasks like 3D graphic design, advanced photo editing, and gaming, the iPad Air will be the better option. Stage Manager, Apple's new multitasking system for the iPad, is supported by the M1 chip's media engine.

The 10th- generation iPad's display lacks wide color, full lamination, and an anti-reflective coating. These aspects are worth considering when justifying the $150 leap to the more expensive iPad Air.

The iPad Air is marginally thinner and lighter, with differences that are so minor as to be unimportant to most customers, but the more subdued tones of its color options may make it more or less appealing.

There is only one sense in which the iPad is better than the iPad Air, and that's that it's better in terms of the ability to connect to the internet. The camera hardware is the same as the landscape front-facing camera.

Apple Pencil support is one of the most important considerations. The 10th-generation iPad lacks support for the first-generation Apple Pencil due to the need to pair and charge it. The Apple Pencil is longer and heavier, has a cap that needs to be removed for charging, and can't snap to the side of the iPad for storage, which could be important factors for those prone to losing things. The iPad Air will have a better experience for people who plan to use the Apple Pencil a lot.

Both devices have strengths and weaknesses. Those who prefer function keys, those who want to easily detatch the keyboard but keep the iPad propped up on a surface, and those who prefer lap use the iPad Air's Magic keyboard.

In theory, the iPad Air is a more compelling package with the M1 chip, 4GB of additional memory, a dedicated media engine, Stage Manager for multitasking, a better display, and a much better Apple Pencil experience, but in reality, users are unlikely to notice much difference between the Unless you have specific needs for the iPad Air's added features, you can save $150 and buy the 10th-generation iPad.