New M2 iPad Air or old iPad Pro, which is the better value? [Video]

As tech has matured over the years, every yearly update is more nuanced. The differences and upgrades are very incremental for most products today. So, the question of “Should you buy the budget version of something new or the old version of something premium?” is getting harder to answer. The current iPad lineup, specifically the new M2 iPad Air, is a great example of this. Should you buy a brand new M2 iPad Air or find a used M1/M2 iPad Pro? Let’s see if we can answer this.

Be sure to check out our video below discussing this topic. I discuss the comparisons between the M2 iPad Air and the M1 iPad Pro in depth to help illustrate which is right for you. For some the M2 iPad Air makes sense, to others a used iPad Pro makes more sense.

M2 iPad Air vs old iPad Pro design differences

If someone handed you an M2 iPad Air and a 2018 iPad Pro, the differences would be so small you might be unable to notice. There are only three very small visible differences (four if you include the different camera bump from the newer iPad Pros).

• The rear of the iPad Air says iPad Air vs the rear of the iPad Pro just says iPad
• The lock buttons are different sizes because there is a TouchID sensor on the iPad air
• There are a few more speaker grill holes on the new M2 iPad Air (zero benefit)

The only other visual difference is going to be color choices. iPad Airs have more color choices with their more pastel look, while the iPad Pro comes in either Space Grey or Silver. So, there is nothing in the design that would really help you make a decision. The M2 iPad Air is essentially a recycled 2018 iPad Pro with a new paint job. What will make or break your decision is going to be the internals and the compatible accessories.

Hardware differences

This is where the comparisons start to make a difference. In my video, I used my 12.9in M1 iPad Pro, so that is what I will mostly be comparing the M2 iPad Air to. There are reasons to go with an older iPad Pro, but there are also reasons to consider a new M2 iPad Air. There are three main factors that you should consider when deciding between the two choices. The display, The USB-C port, and RAM.

Displays

One of the biggest selling points of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is the MiniLED ProMotion display, which is absolutely stunning. It has a 120Hz display that is quick and responsive; it gets extremely bright, has a fantastic contrast ratio, and can handle anything you throw at it. Meanwhile, the M2 iPad Air still has its IPS 60Hz panel. This IPS display is still great in its own right and will 100% get the job done, but it doesn’t compete with the iPad Pros. But, if you have never used a 120Hz display before and haven’t used MiniLED, you might not care too much. You can only truly compare them when you have the iPads side by side. But if not, its sort of a wash. So that is something to consider.

USB-C port

Another big factor is going to be the USB-C port. The M2 iPad Air has a USB 3 USB-C port. This allows for data transfer speeds of up to 10gbps per second, which is plenty fast for most. It also still supports display out, it charges up to 33W when you use the correct charging brick, so it can handle most tasks.

Meanwhile, the M1 and M2 iPad Pros have a Thunderbolt port. This provides up to 40gbps per second of data transfer. So, if you need the absolute fastest data transfer speeds, then you have to go with the Pro models. I am constantly moving data in and out of my iPad, and I also edit off of an SSD that benefits from the faster speeds. But for some, they don’t use their port for more than just charging, so the 10gbps per second speeds will be more than enough.

Storage & RAM

With the release of the M1 iPad Pro, Apple finally allowed us to upgrade our iPads’ RAM. It was a very expensive option, but it was there. To get 16GB of RAM on your iPad Pro, you needed to upgrade to the 1 or 2TB storage option. Then your iPad Pro would come with 16GB of RAM, and boy, did it make a difference. Performance basically doubled. When it comes to the M2 iPad Air, the storage maxes out at 1TB, and there is no 16GB RAM option at all. So if you really need the extra RAM, the iPad Air is not an option.

Other smaller differences

There are a few other differences that are worth considering between the two options

• iPad Air uses TouchID, while iPad Pro uses FaceID
• The selfie camera orientation on the iPad Air is in the correct landscape spot, while iPad Pro has it in the portrait spot (win for iPad Air)
• iPad Pros have the second ultra-wide camera lens, while iPad Air just has one (I never use the cameras)
• iPad Pros have a LiDar scanner, but iPad Air does not

Accessories supported

What is nice about the fact that the form factors are identical is that they support many of the same accessories. Both directly from Apple and third-party accessories. I recently reviewed the X33 Pro Max magnetic charging stand, and it works with the M2 iPad Air and any iPad Pro from 2018 to 2022. The M2 iPad Air and older iPad Pros work with the same magic keyboard and slim folio keyboard from Apple. One big difference is the Apple Pencil situation. The new M2 iPad Air works with the new Apple Pencil Pro, while the older iPad Pros do not. So if you need an Apple Pencil Pro, you must go with the M2 iPad Air.

Final thoughts

At the end of the day, you know who you are and what your use cases are. There is a ton of overlap in terms of form factor and features; it’s just a matter of what you need and what you are willing to pay. One final thing I will bring up is that the battery life of a brand-new device will always be better than that of an old device. If you buy a used iPad, you do not know how the previous owner took care of the battery, so that is something to consider.

The 13in M2 iPad Air starts at $799 for the 128GB version. While an M1 or M2 iPad Pro on the used or refurbed market can start much lower. I have seen people bundling their iPad Pros with magic keyboards and Apple Pencils and selling them for $600 to $800. I usually gravitate towards FB Marketplace or ebay. Be sure to find a trusted seller!

If I had to choose personally, I would go after an iPad Pro because of the display and the Thunderbolt port. I know that I would take advantage of those features. But some might not care about that and just want the cheapest way to use an Apple Pencil Pro.

Let me know what you think! What iPad would you choose? How much would you spend on a used iPad? Let’s discuss below!