iPad (A16) 128GB Wi-Fi vs iPad Air 11-inch (M4) 128GB Wi-Fi vs iPad Pro 11-inch (M5) 256GB Wi-Fi
iPad (A16) 128GB Wi-Fi | iPad Air 11-inch (M4) 128GB Wi-Fi | iPad Pro 11-inch (M5) 256GB Wi-Fi | |
| The short answer | Cheaper in the US The 11-inch entry iPad with the A16 chip and 128GB starting storage.Apple Pencil and the Smart Folio-style keyboard case are sold separately.Check the Apple Intelligence details on the official page. | Cheaper in the US An 11-inch iPad Air with the M4 chip, Liquid Retina display and support for Apple Pencil Pro and the Magic Keyboard.Check the Apple Intelligence and cellular details on the official pages. | Cheaper in the US An 11-inch iPad Pro with the M5 chip and 10-core GPU, built for drawing, editing and pro creative work with Apple Pencil Pro. It lists at $1,199 in the US vs ¥10,799 in China (about $420 less), so the US is the cheaper buy. |
| China price | ¥3,299Apple China · Checked 11-05 07:36 | ¥5,499Apple China · Checked 11-05 07:36 | ¥10,799Apple China · Checked 11-05 07:37 |
| US price (pre-tax) | $399Best Buy · Checked 11-05 21:07 | $749Best Buy · Checked 11-05 21:07 | $1,199Apple Store · Checked 11-04 17:24 |
| Gap (US pre-tax) | -19%US vs China, converted | -9%US vs China, converted | -26%US vs China, converted |
| What differs between versions | |||
| Apple Intelligence | CN Not supported on the A16 model US Not supported on the A16 model | CN Rollout depends on regulatory approval US Built for Apple Intelligence; available in the US | CN Rollout depends on regulatory approval US Built for Apple Intelligence; the US page lists Image Wand and Live Translation |
| SIM | CN Wi-Fi model has no SIM slot; Wi-Fi + Cellular models use eSIM only US Wi-Fi model has no SIM slot; Wi-Fi + Cellular models use eSIM only | CN eSIM supported (per page) US eSIM on cellular models; this Wi-Fi model has no SIM | — |
| Key specs | |||
| Display | 11-inch Liquid Retina | 11-inch Liquid Retina, 2360 x 1640 | 11-inch Ultra Retina XDR (tandem OLED), ProMotion 10–120Hz adaptive refresh, 1000 nits full-screen brightness, 1600 nits peak HDR brightness, P3 wide color |
| Chip | A16 | M4, 8-core CPU | M5, 10-core GPU with Neural Accelerators |
| Cameras | 12MP wide rear, 12MP Center Stage front | — | — |
| Storage | 128GB starting | 128GB | 256GB |
| Accessories | Apple Pencil supported; keyboard case sold separately | Apple Pencil Pro supported; Magic Keyboard sold separately | — |
| Wi-Fi / cellular | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax); Wi-Fi + Cellular models add 5G Sub-6 and Gigabit LTE, eSIM only, data only | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) and Bluetooth 6; this model is Wi-Fi only (cellular models add 5G with the C1X modem and eSIM) | Wi-Fi model; N1 wireless chip with Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread |
| Battery life | Up to 10 hours of web surfing on Wi-Fi or video; up to 9 hours on a cellular network | Up to 10 hours of web browsing on Wi-Fi; 28.93 Wh battery | All-day battery life; fast charging reaches up to 50% in around 30 minutes |
| Stylus support | Apple Pencil (USB-C) and Apple Pencil (1st generation); pair and charge the 1st generation with a USB-C to Apple Pencil Adapter | Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C), with hover | Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C) |
| Port | USB-C for charging and DisplayPort; one external display up to 4K at 60Hz; USB 2.0 speeds up to 480Mb/s | USB-C, USB 3 up to 10Gb/s, DisplayPort output | Thunderbolt / USB 4 (USB-C): charging, DisplayPort output, up to 40Gb/s |
| Weight | 477 g (Wi-Fi); 481 g (Wi-Fi + Cellular) | 460 g (Wi-Fi model); 465 g (cellular model) | 444 g (Wi-Fi); 446 g (Wi-Fi + Cellular) |
| Cellular | — | C1X modem (cellular models) | — |


