iPhone Diff: what changes between two iPhones, iPads or Macs

Updates & AISame

Latest iPadOS
iPadOS 27 (same on both)
What does this mean?
iPadOS is the software that runs the iPad: the home screen, the built-in apps, the settings and the security protection. Apple split it off from iOS in 2019. iPads before that ran iOS, the same software as the iPhone.
An iPad on the newest iPadOS gets new features every year and regular security fixes. An iPad stuck on an older version keeps working, but it stops getting new features, and over time apps start requiring a newer version. Banking, payment and school apps are often the first.
Matters most if: Your kids use it for school apps, or you use banking or work apps on it.
Apple Intelligence
Yes (same on both)
What does this mean?
Apple Intelligence is Apple's set of AI features: writing help that rewrites or proofreads your text, short summaries of long notifications and emails, Clean Up for removing unwanted things from photos, and the new Siri AI.
On iPad it needs an M1 chip or later, or the A17 Pro chip in iPad mini. Older iPads cannot get it through a software update. Which features you see also depends on your country and language.
Matters most if: You want the AI writing, photo and Siri features.
Apple repair support
Repaired by Apple (same on both)
What does this mean?
Apple counts from when it stopped selling the model, not from its release date. Vintage: Apple stopped selling it 5 to 7 years ago; repairs only while parts last. Obsolete: over 7 years ago; Apple no longer repairs it.
Checked against Apple's vintage and obsolete products list on 2026-10-11.

PriceSame

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iPad Air 11-inch (M3) — launched at $599

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Refurbished on Back Market
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Launch price (US)
$599›$599same
What does this mean?
The price Apple charged in the US on launch day for the Wi-Fi model with the lowest storage, before tax.
This is not what the iPad costs today. Cellular models, more storage, Apple Pencil and keyboards all cost extra. Older models drop in price over time, so check the used and refurbished links for current prices.

ScreenSame

Screen size
11 in (same on both)
What does this mean?
Screen size measured corner to corner, in inches. One inch is 2.54 cm. Newer iPads have rounded corners, so Apple measures them as if they were a plain rectangle; the area you can see is slightly smaller.
A bigger screen fits two apps side by side more comfortably and shows more of a page or a drawing at once. A smaller iPad is lighter to hold in one hand and fits more bags. Going from about 11 to 13 inches makes the screen roughly 40% larger in area.
Display
Liquid Retina (same on both)
What does this mean?
Apple's name for the screen. Retina means sharp enough that you cannot see the individual dots at a normal distance. Liquid Retina is Apple's name for its rounded-corner LCD screens. Liquid Retina XDR uses mini-LED lighting. Ultra Retina XDR uses OLED.
The name tells you which screen family you get. The XDR screens are much brighter for HDR video and photos, and show deeper blacks than Retina and Liquid Retina screens.
Screen type
LCD (same on both)
What does this mean?
LCD screens use one light behind the whole screen. Mini-LED screens use thousands of tiny lights behind the screen, each lighting one small area. OLED screens have pixels that each make their own light and can switch off completely.
Mini-LED and OLED both show deeper blacks and much brighter highlights than LCD, which you notice most in films and dark photos. OLED gives true black with no glow around bright objects on a dark background.
Matters most if: You watch a lot of video or edit photos on the iPad.
More in the glossary →
120 Hz ProMotion
No (same on both)
What does this mean?
Hz (hertz) means times per second. A standard iPad screen redraws 60 times per second (60 Hz). ProMotion goes up to 120 times per second (120 Hz) and slows down when nothing moves, to save battery.
Scrolling, swiping and animations look noticeably smoother, and lines drawn with Apple Pencil follow the tip more closely.
Matters most if: You draw or take handwritten notes, or scroll through long pages.
More in the glossary →
Fully laminated display
Yes (same on both)
What does this mean?
The cover glass, the touch layer and the screen are bonded together into one piece, with no air gap between them.
The picture looks like it sits right on the surface of the glass instead of slightly below it. When you write with Apple Pencil, the line appears directly under the tip, which makes writing and drawing feel more natural.
Matters most if: You use Apple Pencil for notes or drawing.
Anti-reflective coating
Yes (same on both)
What does this mean?
A thin coating on the glass that cuts down how much light bounces off the screen.
Windows, ceiling lights and the sun show up less as bright reflections, so the screen is easier to read in a bright room or outdoors.
True Tone
Yes (same on both)
What does this mean?
True Tone uses a light sensor to adjust the color of the screen to match the light in the room.
Under warm evening lamps, white pages look like warm paper instead of cold blue-white, which many people find easier on the eyes when reading. It can be turned off in Settings.
Nano-texture glass option
No (same on both)
What does this mean?
Apple offers a version of the screen with nano-texture glass: the surface is etched with a pattern far too small to see, which scatters reflected light.
Glare from windows and lights is reduced much more than with a coating alone, with the picture still clear. It costs extra, is offered only with the larger storage options, and the glass should be cleaned with the special cloth Apple includes.
Matters most if: You often use the iPad near windows, outdoors, or under bright office lights.

Design & buttons1 change

Weight
462 g›460 g
What does this mean?
Weight in grams for the Wi-Fi model. 100 grams is about 3.5 ounces. Cellular models are a few grams heavier.
A difference of 50 to 100 grams is noticeable when you hold the iPad up in one hand to read for a long time. A keyboard case often weighs about as much as the iPad itself.
Front design
All-screen (same on both)
What does this mean?
Home button: a round button below the screen. All-screen: the screen reaches close to the edges, with no Home button.
All-screen iPads fit a bigger screen into a similar body size. Instead of pressing the Home button, you swipe up from the bottom of the screen to go home.
Unlock
Touch ID (top button) (same on both)
What does this mean?
How you unlock the iPad. Touch ID reads your fingerprint, either in the Home button or in the top button. Face ID recognizes your face. Passcode only means typing a code every time.
Face ID works just by looking at the iPad, in any orientation on newer models. Touch ID in the top button works the same way as in the Home button, but sits on the edge. Touch ID and Face ID also confirm App Store purchases and fill in passwords.
More in the glossary →
Speakers
Landscape stereo speakers (same on both)
What does this mean?
How Apple describes the iPad's speakers on its spec page. Built-in speaker means one speaker. Stereo speakers means separate left and right sound. Landscape stereo speakers are placed so left and right work when the iPad is held sideways. Four speaker audio uses a speaker in each corner. Apple's wording varies between models. We show it exactly as Apple lists it.
With four speaker audio, the iPad plays sound from left and right in whichever way you hold it. With landscape stereo speakers, left and right work when you watch a film sideways. With plain stereo speakers, both usually sit along the bottom edge, so held sideways the sound comes from one side. A single speaker plays everything from one spot.
Matters most if: You watch films or play games without headphones.
Thickness
6.1 mm (same on both)
What does this mean?
How thick the iPad is, in millimeters. 1 mm is about 0.04 inch.
A difference under 1 mm is hard to notice in the hand, and a case adds more than that. Thinner iPads feel lighter to hold and slide more easily into a bag.
Battery (web or video)
10 hours (same on both)
What does this mean?
Apple's battery rating: how many hours the iPad lasts browsing the web over Wi-Fi or watching video on a full charge, in Apple's own tests.
Apple has rated almost every iPad at up to 10 hours, so this rarely differs. Games, video calls and high brightness use more power. Batteries also wear out, so an older iPad today lasts less than it did when new.

CameraSame

Rear cameras
1 (same on both)
What does this mean?
How many cameras are on the back. Most iPads have one. Some iPad Pro models have a second, wider one.
On an iPad, the rear camera is mostly used for scanning documents, taking quick photos of whiteboards or receipts, and augmented reality apps.
Rear camera
12 MP (same on both)
What does this mean?
MP stands for megapixels: one megapixel is one million tiny dots. A 12 MP photo is made of 12 million dots.
More megapixels mean scanned documents and photos stay sharp when you zoom in or crop them. "Not confirmed" here means Apple described the camera without giving a megapixel figure.
More in the glossary →
Ultra Wide rear camera
No (same on both)
What does this mean?
A second rear camera that sees a much wider area than the main one.
You can fit a whole room or a large whiteboard into one photo without stepping back.
More in the glossary →
LiDAR scanner
No (same on both)
What does this mean?
LiDAR is a small sensor that measures distance by sending out invisible light and timing how long it takes to bounce back.
Augmented reality apps place objects in the room more accurately, the Measure app works better, and apps can scan a room into a 3D model. The camera also focuses faster in dim light.
More in the glossary →
Front camera
12 MP (same on both)
What does this mean?
Megapixels of the front camera, the one facing you.
More megapixels make you look sharper in video calls and selfies, and let the iPad crop in to keep you in frame. "Not confirmed" here means Apple described the camera without giving a megapixel figure.
More in the glossary →
Front camera position
Landscape (same on both)
What does this mean?
Where the front camera sits. Portrait: on the short edge, at the top when you hold the iPad upright. Landscape: on the long edge, at the top when the iPad lies sideways in a keyboard case.
In video calls with the iPad sideways, a landscape camera looks at you straight on. With a portrait-edge camera, the camera ends up on the left or right side, so you seem to be looking away from the person you are talking to.
Matters most if: You make video calls with the iPad on a stand or in a keyboard case.
Center Stage
Yes (same on both)
What does this mean?
Center Stage uses the wide front camera to follow you during video calls.
If you move around the room, the picture pans to keep you in the middle. When someone else joins you, it widens to fit both of you. It works in FaceTime and many other video call apps.

AccessoriesSame

Apple Pencil
Apple Pencil Pro (same on both)
What does this mean?
Which Apple Pencil works with this iPad. Shown is the most capable one it supports. The 1st generation charges through a plug, the 2nd generation snaps to the side of the iPad and charges there, the USB-C model charges through a cable, and Apple Pencil Pro adds squeeze controls and a feel-back vibration.
Each iPad works only with certain Apple Pencil models, so an Apple Pencil you already own may not work with a new iPad. Apple Pencil (USB-C) does not sense how hard you press, so line thickness does not change with pressure. Check Apple's compatibility list before buying.
Matters most if: You already own an Apple Pencil, or want to draw or take handwritten notes.
Apple keyboard
Magic Keyboard (same on both)
What does this mean?
The best Apple keyboard case made for this iPad. Smart Keyboard and Smart Keyboard Folio are thin fabric keyboards without a trackpad. Magic Keyboard Folio and Magic Keyboard add a trackpad; Magic Keyboard holds the iPad above the keys at an adjustable angle.
With a trackpad, you can move a pointer and select text much as on a laptop. Keyboards made for one iPad size and generation usually do not fit others, so an old keyboard may not fit a new iPad.
Matters most if: You plan to type a lot, or want to use the iPad like a laptop.

ConnectionsSame

Port
USB-C (same on both)
What does this mean?
The socket for the charging cable. The 30-pin dock connector was the original wide plug. Lightning is the smaller Apple-only plug that replaced it. USB-C is the standard plug used by most laptops and Android phones.
With USB-C, one cable can charge your iPad, Mac and many phones, and you can plug in cameras, memory card readers, external drives and displays without special adapters. Old 30-pin and Lightning accessories need an adapter.
Cable transfer speed
USB 3 (10 Gb/s) (same on both)
What does this mean?
How fast files move over a cable. Mb/s is megabits per second, Gb/s is gigabits per second (1 Gb/s = 1,000 Mb/s). USB 3 at 10 Gb/s is about 20 times faster than USB 2 at 480 Mb/s. Thunderbolt goes up to 40 Gb/s.
Only matters when you copy large files, like photo libraries or long videos, to or from a drive or computer with a cable, or connect a large external display. A video that takes several minutes to copy at USB 2 speed takes seconds over Thunderbolt. "Not published by Apple" means Apple's spec page for that model does not state a speed.
Matters most if: You edit photos or video, or connect external drives.
More in the glossary →
Cellular (on cellular models)
5G (same on both)
What does this mean?
Cellular models can use mobile data with a SIM or eSIM, like a phone. 3G, 4G LTE and 5G are generations of mobile network, newest last. Wi-Fi models have no mobile data at all.
With cellular, the iPad has internet anywhere your carrier has coverage, without a Wi-Fi hotspot. Cellular models cost more and need a data plan. Many carriers have switched off 3G, so a 3G iPad may get no mobile data today.
Matters most if: You use the iPad on trains, in cars or anywhere without Wi-Fi.
More in the glossary →
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6E (same on both)
What does this mean?
Wi-Fi generations. Each new one handles more devices at once and higher speeds: Wi-Fi 4 (2009), Wi-Fi 5 (2014), Wi-Fi 6 (2019), Wi-Fi 6E adds a new, less crowded radio band, Wi-Fi 7 is the newest.
You only get the extra speed if your router supports the same generation. With an older router, the difference is small.
More in the glossary →

Chip & storage1 change

Chip
M2›M3
What does this mean?
The chip is the iPad's brain. It runs every app, processes photos and video, and handles the AI features.
A newer chip makes the iPad faster, keeps it fast for more years, and decides which new features it can get. Apple Intelligence, for example, needs an M1 chip or later, or the A17 Pro.
Storage options
128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB (same on both)
What does this mean?
Storage is where your apps, photos, videos, books and downloads are kept. 1 TB (terabyte) is about 1,000 GB.
iPads have no memory card slot, so you cannot add storage inside later. Models with USB-C can use external drives in the Files app. Downloaded films and games fill storage fastest.

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