iPad 11 vs iPad Air M3: All the biggest differences

Apple surprised us all with its recent announcement of not just one but two new iPads. 

Sporting different processors, a variety of storage sizes and even some new accessories, the iPad 11 and iPad Air M3 seem like promising updates to their predecessors.

While we’ll have to wait until we review the two tablets to see if they’ll make it onto our best iPad or best tablet lists, we’ve compared their specs and highlighted the key differences in iPad 11 vs iPad Air M3. 

Alternatively, if you want to know how the new iPad Air compares to its predecessor, then visit iPad Air M3 vs M2.

Pricing and Availability

Both the iPad 11 and iPad Air M3 are currently available for pre-order in 29 countries and regions, including the UK and US. Pre-orders are taken from Apple’s website or via the Apple Store app.

The iPad 11 is the cheaper of the two, with a starting RRP of £329/$329 for the smallest 128GB storage size. 

Starting at £599/$599 for the 11-inch or £799/$799 for the 13-inch version, the iPad Air M3 is a much pricier model than its counterpart. Regardless of the size you opt for and much like its predecessor, the iPad Air M3 is available in four storage sizes, ranging from 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and a whopping 1TB. 

A16 Bionic vs M3 chip

The biggest difference between the iPad 11 and iPad Air M3 is their respective processors. While the iPad 11 runs on Apple’s A16 Bionic chip, which is found in the iPhone 15 series, the iPad Air runs on Apple’s M3 computing processor.

Apple explains that compared to iPad models with an A-series chip, the iPad Air M3 boasts support for Apple Intelligence, the choice of 11- and 13-inch sizes and is compatible with advanced accessories like the newly announced Magic Keyboard. 

Although the M3 chip might not be the latest M4 processor that’s found in the iPad Pro or latest MacBook Pro and iMac, the new iPad Air 2025 is promised to see a huge number of improvements from previous iPad Air generations.

As we haven’t tested the new iPad Air M3, we can’t verify the claims ourselves yet, however Apple promises it’s nearly 2x faster with up to 40% faster graphics performance than the iPad Air M1. Not only that but the iPad Air M3 is also the first to sport Apple’s advanced graphics architecture, which provides support for dynamic caching and ray tracing for “extremely realistic gaming experiences”.

Having said that, Apple does promise the iPad 11’s A16 chip does provide a jump in performance for everyday tasks, making it nearly 30% faster than its iPad 10 predecessor. Not only that, but Apple claims the iPad 11 is “up to 6x faster” than the best-selling Android tablet.

iPad Air M3 supports Apple Intelligence

Following on from the above, the use of the M3 chip in the new iPad Air enables the running of Apple Intelligence. In fact, Apple has hailed the iPad Air as being “built for Apple Intelligence”. 

The toolkit includes lots of generative AI features, including the Clean Up tool in the Photos app which allows you to remove unwanted objects from your pictures and Image Wand which utilises the Apple Pencil and turns rough sketches into finished images. 

In a surprising move by Apple, the new iPad 11 will not run Apple Intelligence. This is undoubtedly a shame, as even the latest mid-range iPhone 16e offers support for the AI toolkit.

iPad Air M3 comes in a choice of two sizes

While the iPad 11 is available in just an 11-inch model, the iPad Air M3 comes with a choice of two: 11- or 13-inch. The 13-inch iPad Air M3 is naturally the heaviest of all the options, weighing 616g, while the 11-inch iPad Air is the lightest at 460g.

Having said that, the iPad 11 is only slightly heavier than the 11-inch iPad Air M3, as it weighs 477g.

Otherwise, both are Liquid Retina displays, with IPS technology and up to a 60Hz refresh rate. The lack of Apple’s ProMotion technology is a disappointing omission, especially in the iPad Air. Instead, the 120Hz refresh rate can only be found in Apple’s Pro products, including the iPad Pro.

iPad Air M3 supports advanced accessories

Although the iPad 11 does support many accessories, including the Magic Folio Keyboard and Apple Pencil USB-C, the iPad Air M3 is compatible with more advanced accessories.

Launched alongside the iPad Air M3 is the compatible Magic Keyboard. Available in 11- and 13-inches, the Magic Keyboard attaches to the iPad Air without requiring Bluetooth and sports a built-in trackpad and a 14-key function row too. 

The Magic Keyboard also has backwards compatibility, which means it works with iPad Air M2, iPad Air 5th Gen and iPad Air 4th Gen too, with an RRP of £269/$269 for the 11-inch or £299/$299 for the 13-inch.

That’s not all. The iPad Air M3 also works with the Apple Pencil Pro which has lots of features including the seriously useful Hover tool which allows you to preview marks on the screen before committing. 

iPad Air M3 has a 1TB storage option

The iPad Air M3 has a total of four storage size options to choose from: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and a whopping 1TB. We’d argue the latter sizes are perhaps too much for the average person, but it’s certainly nice to have the option. 

We were slightly disappointed by the iPad 10’s storage options, as the tablet came with either a measly 64GB or 256GB. Fortunately, Apple listened and now the iPad 11 has three sizes to choose from: 128GB, 256GB and 512GB. We’d suggest that the smaller, and therefore cheaper, 128GB iPad 11 would suffice for the majority of people. 

Early Verdict

With a more powerful processor, Apple Intelligence support and compatibility with a range of accessories, it’s easy to assume the iPad Air M3 is the one you should go for. However, the iPad 11 still offers a lot for most people, especially those who want a tablet for more casual use. 

We’ll be sure to update this versus once we’ve reviewed both the iPad 11 and iPad Air M3.

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