Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025) vs Apple iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen, 2018)

88 out 100

VS

69 out 100

Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025)

Apple iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen, 2018)

Compared 2 smartphones : Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025) Manufactured in March, 2025, with display 11 with chipsetApple M3 (iPad), vs Apple iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen, 2018), Manufactured in November, 2018with chipsetApple A12X Bionic. Below are specs, tests, pros and cons for each device

Key Differences

Device key advantages

Reasons to choose Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025)

Lighter design: 460g vs 468g
Higher battery capacity: 8900mAh vs 7812mAh
Newer Bluetooth version: 5.3 vs 5
Supports DisplayPort
Fingerprint scanner

Reasons to choose Apple iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen, 2018)

Higher pixel density: 265ppi
Higher refresh rate: 120Hz

Versions

Available versions and configurations

Memory Options

- 8/128 GB
- 8/256 GB
- 8/512 GB
- 8/1024 GB

- 4/64 GB
- 4/256 GB
- 4/512 GB
- 6/1024 GB

Review

Key Specs Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025) and Apple iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen, 2018)

Display

Color accuracy, sharpness & brightness

Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025)

73

Apple iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen, 2018)

75

Camera

Main & front camera tests

Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025)

88

Apple iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen, 2018)

70

Performance

App & system performance

Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025)

96

Apple iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen, 2018)

51

Games

3D gaming performance

Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025)

98

Apple iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen, 2018)

74

Battery

Battery life, charging speed & type

Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025)

94

Apple iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen, 2018)

90

Connectivity

Connectivity features

Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025)

78

Apple iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen, 2018)

69

NanoReview Score

Overall score by NanoReview

Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025)

88

Apple iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen, 2018)

69

Adjust each parameter’s importance to find the best match for you.

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Function

Importance (Weight)

Display:

Camera:

Performance:

Gaming:

Battery:

Connectivity:

Higher weight means greater impact on NanoReview score.

Display

Display quality comparison

Type	IPS LCD	IPS LCD
Size	11 in	11 in
Resolution	1640x2360 pixels	1668x2388 pixels
Aspect ratio	3:2	3:2
Pixel density	264 ppi	265 ppi
Refresh rate	60 Hz	120 Hz
Adaptive refresh rate	No	Yes (24-120 Hz)
Max brightness	500 nits	600 nits
HDR support	No	Yes HDR10
Screen-to-body ratio	81.5 %	81.5 %
Features	DCI-P3	DCI-P3

Peak brightness (auto)

Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025)

n/a

Apple iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen, 2018)

587 nits

sRGB gamut	n/a	99.7 %
Response time	n/a	45 ms
Contrast	n/a	1420:1

Sources: NotebookCheck [Apple iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen, 2018)]

Design & Build

Design and ergonomics comparison

Height	247.6 mm (9.75 in)	247.6 mm (9.75 in)
Width	178.5 mm (7.03 in)	178.5 mm (7.03 in)
Thickness	6.1 mm (0.24 in)	5.9 mm (0.23 in)
Weight	460 g (16.23 oz)	468 g (16.51 oz)
Area	442 cm² (68.51 in²)	442 cm² (68.51 in²)
Water resistance	No	No
Back panel	Metal	Metal
Frame	Metal	Metal
Colors	- Gold - Gray - Blue - Purple	- Silver - Gray
Fingerprint sensor	Yes In-Button	No

Screen-to-body ratio

Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025)

81.5 %

Apple iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen, 2018)

81.5 %

Performance

Testing Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025) and Apple iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen, 2018) In benchmarks

Chipset	Apple M3 (iPad)	Apple A12X Bionic
Max Frequency	4050 MHz	2500 MHz
CPU Cores	8 (4 + 4)	n/a
Architecture	4/2.75 ()	n/a
Process	TSMC	n/a
Transistor Size	3 nm	n/a
Neural Processor	Apple Neural Engine	n/a

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025)

3037

Apple iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen, 2018)

1318

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025)

11776

Apple iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen, 2018)

4727

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)	3037	1318
Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)	11776	4727
Geekbench Compute (GPU)	46172	n/a

Sources: Geekbench v6 [Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025)], [Apple iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen, 2018)]

AnTuTu 10

Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025)

2406667

Apple iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen, 2018)

677699

CPU	638921	210024
GPU	995610	207499
Memory	371902	122472
UX	400234	137704
NanoReview Score	2406667	677699

3DMark Wild Life

Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025)

n/a

Apple iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen, 2018)

11603

Max Surface Temp.	n/a	39.8 °C
Stability	n/a	69 %
Graphics Test	n/a	69 fps
Graphics Score	n/a	11603

Sources: 3DMark [Apple iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen, 2018)]

Memory

RAM Size	8 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	LPDDR5	LPDDR4X
Memory Frequency	6400 MHz	2133 MHz
Channels	4	2

Storage Capacity	128 GB	64 GB
Storage Type	NVMe	NVMe
Memory Card	No	No

Software

OS

iPadOS 18.3

iPadOS 12 (Upgradeable to iPadOS 18.3)

Battery

Volume	8900 mAh	7812 mAh
Max Charging Power	20 W	30 W
Battery Type	Li-ion	Li-Po
Removable	No	No
Wireless Charging	No	No
Reverse Charging	No	No
Fast Charging	Yes (50% in 60 min)	Yes (50% in 60 min)
Full Charge Time	2:16 h	2:35 h

Battery Life

Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025)

n/a

Apple iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen, 2018)

29:37

Web Browsing	n/a	10:48 h
Video Playback	n/a	15:19 h
Games	n/a	06:32 h
Standby Mode	n/a	166 h

Main camera

Matrix	12 MP	12 MP
Photo resolution	4032x3024 pixels	4032x3024 pixels
Flash	No	Quad LED
Stabilization	Digital	Digital
8K Recording	No	No
4K Recording	Yes (Up to 60 fps)	Yes (Up to 60 fps)
1080p Recording	Yes (Up to 60 fps)	Yes (Up to 60 fps)
Slow Motion	240 fps (1080p)	120 fps (720p)
Lenses count	Standard: 12 MP	Standard: 12 MP
Features	Bokeh effect	Bokeh effect

Matrix	12 MP	12 MP
Aperture	f/1.8	f/1.8
Focal length	n/a	29 mm
Sensor size	n/a	1/3.0"
Pixel size	1.22 μm	1.4 μm
Autofocus	Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel)	Phase autofocus
Stabilization	Digital	Digital

Front camera

Matrix	12 MP	7 MP
Matrix	4032x3024 pixels	3472x2063 pixels
Aperture	f/2.4	f/2.2
Focal length	n/a	32 mm
Sensor	CMOS	n/a
Autofocus	No	No
Stabilization	Digital	Digital
Video resolution	1080p (Full HD) at 60 fps	1080p (Full HD) at 30 fps
TOF 3D sensor	No	No

Connectivity

Wi-Fi version	Wi-Fi 6E (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax)	Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac)
Wi-Fi features	- Dual Band - Wi-Fi MiMO - Wi-Fi Direct - Wi-Fi Hotspot - Wi-Fi Display	- Dual Band - Wi-Fi Direct - Wi-Fi Hotspot - Wi-Fi Display
Bluetooth version	5.3	5
Bluetooth features	LE	LE
USB type	USB Type-C	USB Type-C
USB version	3.1	3.1
USB features	- Charging - USB Storage Mode - OTG	- Charging - USB Storage Mode - OTG
DisplayPort	Yes	No
GPS	- GPS - GLONASS	- GPS - GLONASS
NFC*	No	No
Infrared Port	No	No

SIM Count*	n/a	1
SIM Type	eSIM	Nano
eSIM Support *	Yes	Yes
Hybrid Slot	No	No
2G Bands	n/a	GSM/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
3G Bands	UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC‑HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)	UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC‑HSDPA 850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz
LTE Bands*	LTE (B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B11/B12/B13/B14/B17/B18/B19/B20/B21/B25/B26/B28/B29/B30/B32/B34/B38/B39/B40/B41/B42/B48/B66/B71)	LTE (B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B11/B12/B13/B14/B17/B18/B19/B20/B21/B25/B26/B29/B30/B34/B38/B39/B40/B41/B46/B66/B71)
5G Support	Yes	No

Sound

Speakers	Stereo	4.0
3.5 mm Jack	No	No
FM Radio	No	No
Dolby Atmos	Yes	Yes

Max Volume

Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025)

n/a

Apple iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen, 2018)

78.7 dB

Other

Class	Flagship	Flagship
Announced	March, 2025 yr	October, 2018 yr
Release Date	March, 2025 yr	November, 2018 yr
Launch Price ($)	599	799
Sensors	- Barometer - Gyroscope - Accelerometer - Ambient Light Sensor - Fingerprint sensor	- Barometer - Gyroscope - Accelerometer - Ambient Light Sensor - Compass - Face Sensor
Charger Included	Yes 20 W	Yes 18 W

Results

After analyzing the data, we consider Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025) the clear winner in this comparison.

Survey

Which tablet would you pick?

Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025)

0 (0%)

Apple iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen, 2018)

0 (0%)

Total Votes: 0

Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025) vs Apple iPad Pro 11" (1st Gen, 2018)

Key Differences

Versions

Review

Tests & specs

Display

Design & Build

Performance

Memory

Software

Battery

Main camera

Front camera

Connectivity

Sound

Other

Results

Survey

User comments