Earlier this week, on May 7, Apple held its annual spring event and this year, it was all about the iPads.

During the “Let Loose” event, the tech giant introduced the first-ever M4 chip promising more speed and power in the newly redesigned iPad Pro. For the first time since 2022, the iPad Air was upgraded. Some accessories for both iPad models, like the Apple Pencil, were also given updates.

All of the new iPads and accessories are available to preorder now ahead of a May 15 release; check them out below and read more to find out the key differences between the two models.

Though the new tablets are available in similar sizes, the different features in their construction make them better suited for different activities.

Starting off, a major difference is the price: the starting price for the iPad Air (M2) is $200 lower than that of the iPad Pro (M4).

The new iPad Air is powered by the M2 chip — the same one that powered the last iPad Pro — so it’s faster and more powerful by nearly 50%. Of course, that means the iPad Pro has also gotten a major power upgrade in the form of Apple’s brand new M4 chip.

Thanks to upgrades to the GPU, an improved CPU, and overall performance-boosting Dynamic Caching tech, the new iPad Pro could realistically replace a laptop.

In a fascinating turn of events, according to reporters who got a chance to test the new devices, the iPad Pro is actually thinner and lighter than the iPad Air, which was originally introduced to be thinner and lighter than the flagship iPad.

Display-wise, the iPad Air has a typical LED liquid retina screen, while the iPad Pro has an OLED display. Apple also introduced a new, matte screen on the 1 TB and 2 TB iPad Pros: the iPad nano-texture glass.

This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Writer/Reporter for Decider. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, how to watch your favorite sports teams and movies on each streaming service and the very best in tech, like soundbars, to enhance your viewing experience. Not only does Angela test and compare the services, devices and merch she writes about, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech and pop culture. Prior to joining Decider and New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews. 

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