iPad 11 vs. iPad Air M3: Which iPad Should You Buy?

Apple’s 2025 iPad lineup makes it challenging to decide between the all-new iPad 11, the most budget-friendly option, and the feature-packed yet pricier iPad Air M3. Both devices boast excellent performance and sleek designs, but they are geared toward different needs—and wallets. So, which one is the better pick for you? Let’s dive into a detailed comparison and break it down step by step.

iPad 11 (2025)	iPad Air M3 (2025)
Bottom Line The iPad 11 is a budget-friendly tablet that excels in everyday tasks. Its vibrant color options and solid A16 chip performance make it ideal for students, families, and those seeking reliability without breaking the bank.	Bottom Line The iPad Air M3 offers a premium experience with its cutting-edge M3 chip, fully laminated display, and Apple Pencil Pro support. While pricier, it’s perfect for creatives and professionals.
Check Price	Check Price

iPad 11 vs. iPad Air M3: Key Specs Compared

Design and Build: Vibrant Colors or Professional Elegance?

Apple has kept the design of both iPads fairly consistent, with durable aluminum frames and slim bezels. However, subtle distinctions set them apart:

• iPad 11: Slightly thicker with a vibrant color palette (blue, pink, yellow), making it appealing for casual and youthful users. However, the larger front bezels give it a less premium aesthetic.
  
• iPad Air M3: Slimmer, lighter, and available in neutral tones like space grey and starlight, offering a more professional and sleek appearance. It is about 1mm thinner and 17g lighter than the iPad 11. When holding both devices, you’ll notice the iPad Air feels thinner and lighter.

For those who value portability, the Air might be your pick. However, if bold, playful colors are your preference, the iPad 11 could be a better fit. Ultimately, these differences won’t significantly affect your day-to-day experience.

Display: Laminated Perfection vs. Standard Quality

Both devices feature Liquid Retina displays, but there are key differences in how they enhance your viewing experience:

• iPad Air M3: Offers a fully laminated display, fusing the glass and screen into one piece for better color accuracy, reduced glare, and a seamless experience. It also has a slightly higher resolution (2048 x 2732 vs 1640 x 2360) for sharper visuals.
  
• iPad 11: Characterized by a non-laminated display, which introduces a noticeable air gap between the glass and the screen. This can lead to glare and reflections, particularly outdoors.

In addition, the 11-inch iPad Air’s display is marginally bigger than the regular iPad’s—by just 0.1 inches. In practice, the difference is barely noticeable unless you’re comparing them side by side. If you’re looking for a larger screen, though, the iPad Air does offer a 13-inch option, while the regular iPad sticks to a single size.

Both feature a 60 Hz refresh rate, which feels smooth enough for everyday browsing and scrolling but lacks the extra fluidity of the 120 Hz ProMotion display found on the iPad Pro.

That said, considering the significant price difference between these models, the regular iPad’s screen still impresses. It’s vibrant, sharp, and ideal for gaming or watching your favorite shows. On the flip side, while casual users might not notice much of a distinction, professionals and creatives may gravitate toward the iPad Air thanks to its fully laminated display, which reduces reflections and enhances productivity for tasks like drawing or note-taking.

Performance: M3 Powerhouse vs. A16 Efficiency

This is where the iPad Air M3 gains a significant advantage:

• iPad Air M3: Powered by the M3 chip, it delivers a massive leap in performance with an 8-core CPU and a 9-core GPU. This makes it ideal for demanding tasks like video editing, AAA gaming, and professional multitasking.
  
• iPad 11: Equipped with the A16 chip (5-core CPU and a 4-core GPU), which is excellent for everyday use, casual gaming, and student work. While it holds up well, it doesn’t match the raw power of the M3.

In Geekbench tests, the iPad Air demonstrates a 177% increase in single-core performance and a 90% jump in multi-core scores over the base iPad. When it comes to graphics-intensive tasks, the Air is three times faster in 3DMark benchmarks and supports hardware-based ray tracing.

This extra GPU power means you can play AAA games like Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Resident Evil Village on the iPad Air, which won’t run on the base iPad. For casual games like Genshin Impact, both perform similarly.

In real-world productivity tasks, the difference becomes even more apparent. Exporting a 1080p video in Premiere Rush takes 1 minute and 37 seconds on the iPad Air compared to 2 minutes and 24 seconds on the base iPad. For context, the iPad Pro (M3) completes the same task in just 1 minute and 27 seconds, showing its slight edge over the Air.

If you’re a creative professional or a multitasker who frequently uses demanding apps, the iPad Air with the M3 chip is an easy recommendation. Its speed and graphical capabilities make it a standout option for power users. However, for students or casual users who prioritize affordability over high performance, the A16-equipped base iPad remains a solid and capable choice.

Battery Life and Charging: Small Differences 

Battery performance is nearly identical for both devices, lasting approximately 10 hours during normal use. In our 100% brightness endurance tests:

• iPad 11 lasted about 5.5 hours.
  
• iPad Air M3 ran for 5 hours.
  

Both tablets support 20W fast charging, and the difference in real-world battery life is minimal. If anything, the iPad 11 edges ahead slightly in terms of longevity.

Apple Pencil Support: Basic vs. Creative Freedom

Both tablets support the Apple Pencil, but the specifics of compatibility and features set them apart.

• iPad 11: Compatible with the older 1st-generation Apple Pencil and the more affordable USB-C Apple Pencil. However, both Pencils do not attach magnetically for charging and lack hover functionality, limiting their versatility.
  
• iPad Air M3: Works with the USB-C Apple Pencil and the premium Apple Pencil Pro. The Pro version offers advanced features like magnetic charging, pressure sensitivity, double-tap tool switching, haptic feedback, barrel roll for rotating brush heads, and squeeze gestures for accessing menus. This makes it a clear choice for professionals and creatives.
  

Another key consideration is the display. Due to the non-laminated display on the base iPad, using any Apple Pencil gives a hollow feeling compared to the iPad Air. Comparatively, the iPad Air’s laminated display delivers a more tactile and realistic drawing and writing experience.

For casual note-takers or light use, the USB-C Apple Pencil pairs well with either device. However, if you’re an artist or someone who frequently takes detailed notes, the iPad Air’s compatibility with the Apple Pencil Pro might make it worth the investment.

Apple Intelligence: The Air Takes the Lead

Here’s where the iPad Air M3 truly pulls ahead. With 8GB RAM, the iPad Air supports Apple Intelligence. It unlocks features like Genmoji, advanced photo editing (e.g., removing objects from images), Email rewriting, and text summarization for faster productivity.

Unfortunately, the iPad 11 lacks these AI-driven innovations. The regular iPad is basically a faster, smoother version of the old iPad.

How much you value these features is personal. They’re decent now but will likely become more useful around 2027 when Siri gets contextual awareness. But If you care about AI features now, the Air wins again.

Camera and Audio Quality

Both tablets feature identical 12MP rear cameras paired with 12MP ultra-wide front-facing cameras, equipped with Center Stage functionality to enhance video calls. Their camera performance remains consistent across both models, offering reliable results for casual photography and video conferencing. However, both struggle in low-light scenarios due to the absence of Night mode.

Interestingly, the iPad Air’s front camera may deliver slightly better image quality thanks to its f/2.0 aperture compared to the f/2.4 aperture of the iPad 11. In terms of video recording, the base iPad demonstrates marginally better dynamic range in areas like the sky.

That said, neither device is suitable for serious photography enthusiasts. If imaging capabilities are a priority, users may want to consider the iPad Pro for professional use.

When it comes to sound, both tablets include landscape stereo speakers. The iPad Air, however, has noticeably louder and clearer audio output, making it the better choice for media consumption and audio-intensive activities.

Data Transfer Speeds

If you frequently work with large file transfers, the iPad Air is a clear winner over the base iPad thanks to its much faster 10Gbps USB-C port, compared to the base iPad’s 480Mbps port. 

For example, transferring a 20GB folder from an SSD took just 1 minute and 23 seconds on the iPad Air, while the same task on the base iPad required nearly 12 minutes. This makes the iPad Air approximately 8.6 times faster for file transfers.  

Wi-Fi and Connectivity

The iPad Air M3 introduces Wi-Fi 6E compatibility, granting access to the 6 GHz spectrum—a major perk for users in densely populated urban areas burdened by network congestion. By contrast, the iPad 11 sticks to Wi-Fi 6, which delivers solid performance but lacks support for newer networking technologies.

For users in homes with robust network setups, the difference between the two might be minimal. However, the iPad Air’s Wi-Fi 6E support could be invaluable for those navigating heavily connected environments in metropolitan regions.

Accessories: Keyboard Differences

A notable distinction between these two iPads lies in their keyboard compatibility. The base iPad 11 pairs with the Magic Keyboard Folio, which features a kickstand-backed plate that attaches to the keyboard itself. In contrast, the iPad Air M3 supports the premium Magic Keyboard, distinguished by its elegant floating design, backlit keys, and an added USB-C port for enhanced convenience.

While the Magic Keyboard on the iPad Air M3 boasts a sleeker and more refined appearance, the functionality of the keyboards remains nearly identical. Both offer similar tactile feedback on their keys and trackpads; however, the base iPad stands out with a slightly larger trackpad.

Pricing: Affordability vs Premium Features

When choosing between the iPad model, pricing is often the first factor to consider.

• iPad 11: Starting at just $350, it’s the most affordable iPad in 2025.
  
• iPad Air M3: Starting at $599, it nearly doubles the price of the base iPad.
  

That’s a significant jump!  

If you value enhanced features like a better display, improved performance, newer chipsets, and AI capabilities, then the iPad Air M3 might justify the added expense. However, the iPad 11 brings its own appeal with vibrant color options. If your iPhone already includes Apple Intelligence, you might not miss those extra features on your iPad.  

Ultimately, the choice boils down to your priorities. If affordability is your main concern, the iPad 11 is the clear winner. On the other hand, the iPad Air M3’s upgrades and capabilities may be worth the additional investment for users seeking more advanced features.

Pros and Cons of iPad 11 (2025)

Pros and Cons of iPad Air M3 (2025)

The Verdict: iPad 11 or iPad Air M3?

Here’s a quick rundown to help you decide:

• Pick the iPad 11 if you’re looking for a solid and affordable tablet for everyday use, gaming, and media consumption.
  
• Choose the iPad Air M3 if you need advanced performance, creative tools, AAA gaming, and productivity features or if you want to future-proof your investment.
  

Both devices excel in their categories, ensuring you’ll get a quality iPad experience no matter which one fits your needs and budget.

Recommended Readings!

12 Things You Need To Know About iPad Mini 7

iPad 9 Vs iPad Mini 6: 11 Differences You Should Know