Compare tablets
| Global Score | |
| 70.4 | 65.4 |
| Basic Information | |
| Apple | Apple |
| iPadOS 18.x | iOS 13.x, 12.x, 11.x, 10.x |
| 2025-03-12 | 2017-03-24 |
| -- | 9.45 x 6.67 x 0.30 inches |
| 21.76 ounces | 16.86 ounces |
| Blue, Purple, Space Gray and Starlight | 16 777 216 |
| -- | Aluminum |
| -- | $ 220.00 |
| Display / Screen | |
| 13 inches | 9.7 inches |
| -- | 2048 x 1536 pixels |
| IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
| -- | 264 pixels per inch |
| 600 cd/m2 brightness | -- |
| No touch screen | No touch screen |
| 3.8 | 7.2 |
| Performance | |
| Apple M3 chipset | Apple A9 APL0898 chipset |
| processor | Twister, 64-bit, 16 nm (Dual-Core 1850 MHz) processor |
| 8 GB RAM | 2 GB RAM |
| Apple GPU 9-core GPU | PowerVR GT7600 GPU |
| 6.3 | 8.64 |
| Storage | |
| 128 GB internal memory | -- |
| No SD card slot | No SD card slot |
| 10.1 | 0 |
| Camera | |
| 12.00 MP + 12.00 MP | 8.00 MP + 1.20 MP |
| f/1.80 aperture | f/2.40 aperture |
| 0.33 inches (1/3") sensor | -- |
| 3840 x 2160 (60 fps) (4K) video resolution | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps) (Full HD) video resolution |
| 9.9 | 8.25 |
| Networks | |
| -- | Wi-Fi |
| 5G, 5G, LTE-A (4G), LTE (4G), HSPA+ (4G) and HSDPA | LTE (4G) |
| -- | Nano SIM |
| 7.6 | 4.8 |
| Battery Life | |
| 9705mAh Battery | 8827mAh Li - Polymer Battery |
| Non-Removable Battery | Non-Removable Battery |
| 10.08 | 9.52 |
| Other Features | |
| Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 4.2 |
| GPS | GPS |
| Fingerprint ID Scanner | Fingerprint ID Scanner |
| Accelerometer, Barometer, Compass, Gyroscope and Light Sensor | Accelerometer, Barometer, Compass, Gyroscope and Light Sensor |
Comparison review
IPad Air 13-inch (M3, 2025) is just a bit better than iPad 9.7-inch, having a 70.4 score against 65.4. IPad Air 13-inch (M3, 2025)'s construction is a lot newer and way thinner, but also extremely heavier than iPad 9.7-inch. The iPad Air 13-inch (M3, 2025) has iPadOS 18.x operating system, while iPad 9.7-inch has iOS 13.x operating system.
The iPad 9.7-inch counts with a very superior performance than Apple iPad Air 13-inch (M3, 2025), although it has a lower number of cores (although they are faster) and a lower amount of RAM. Apple iPad 9.7-inch has a much more vibrant display than iPad Air 13-inch (M3, 2025), although it has a lot smaller display.
The iPad Air 13-inch (M3, 2025) has a much better memory capacity for apps and games than iPad 9.7-inch. The iPad Air 13-inch (M3, 2025) has a little better battery life than iPad 9.7-inch, because it has a 9705mAh battery size. Apple iPad Air 13-inch (M3, 2025) takes a lot better photos and videos than iPad 9.7-inch, because it has a way bigger aperture for better photography in poorly lited environments, a lot more megapixels camera in the back and a lot better 3840x2160 (4K) video quality.
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.