Why I Chose the iPad Air Over the Pro — and Don’t Regret It

Stepping back from Apple’s premium line has been more freeing than I expected

The iPad Air has come a long way. Photo courtesy of Apple.

Recently, I found myself in the market for a new iPad. For clarity: this wasn’t going to be my only device. I already have a MacBook Air, which replaced my previous MacBook Pro — a shift I wrote about in another article. That move from Pro to Air made me wonder: could I do the same with an iPad?

The idea really hit home when I visited my local Apple Store. I had my heart set on the 11-inch iPad. I’ve tried the 13-inch before, it’s just too large and awkward for a tablet. But the 11-inch? That’s my sweet spot.

Then I saw the price: £1,000 for the iPad Pro.

Now, I’m not here to knock the Pro — it absolutely has its use cases, and everyone’s needs are different, but for me, dropping that kind of money on a tablet felt… excessive. That’s when I began seriously looking into the iPad Air.

What I Chose

I ended up buying the iPad Air with 256GB of storage. Having used various iPad Pro models extensively over the years, I was curious (and slightly nervous) about how the Air would compare. Would it feel like a downgrade?