Should I buy an 11-inch or 13-inch iPad Air?

For the first time, Apple offers the iPad Air in two sizes. Therefore, you can choose depending on your intended use and budget. But how do you know which iPad Air size is right for you? Do not worry! The following article will help you make an informed decision.

The 11-inch iPad Air is better for watching videos

The 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air models may look identical except for screen size. However, that is not entirely true as the two have different aspect ratios.

The 13-inch iPad Air has a 4:3 aspect ratio, while the 11-inch iPad is closer to a 3:2 ratio. If you put them side by side, you will immediately notice that the 11-inch iPad Air is narrower than the 13-inch model. Therefore, when used in landscape orientation to watch movies, the black bars will not be as prominent as on the 13-inch model.

The 13-inch iPad Air is better for digital artists

The difference in aspect ratio makes the 13-inch iPad Air appear much larger when placed next to the 11-inch model. At first glance, it seems that the difference in size is more than just 2 inches.

The 13-inch iPad Air with a 4:3 aspect ratio provides a larger canvas for digital artists who plan to draw or sketch with Apple Pencil. It is slightly wider than an A4 sized sheet of paper. Most artists will feel cramped with space on the smaller 11-inch iPad Air.

iPad Air 11 inch is lighter and more portable

The 11-inch iPad Air weighs only 0.5kg, while the 13-inch model weighs 0.6kg. This means that the 11-inch iPad Air will be much more comfortable holding the tablet in one hand rather than using it with the Magic Keyboard or Smart Folio case.

Additionally, thanks to its smaller size, the 11-inch iPad Air will have no trouble fitting into a handbag or laptop bag. Therefore, if you are a frequent traveler, you may want to choose the 11-inch model because of its portability.

It's worth noting that the iPad Air isn't the lightest full-sized iPad you can buy. The 11-inch iPad Pro 2024 weighs just 0.4kg and is even thinner at 5.3mm. The 2024 iPad Pro models also offer better hardware to justify their price.

The 13-inch iPad Air has a slightly brighter screen

If you look at Apple's iPad Air spec sheet, you'll see that the company claims a maximum SDR brightness of 500 nits for the 11-inch model. For comparison, the 13-inch model can go up to 600 nits, making it 20% brighter.

Therefore, if you plan to use the iPad Air outdoors, choose the larger 13-inch model as it will offer slightly better visibility when reading text, watching videos or scrolling through social media.

11-inch iPad Air is $200 cheaper

For most people, the deciding factor is price. And as might be expected, the smaller iPad Air is more affordable. However, the price difference between the two models is 200 USD.

So unless you really think you'll use the larger screen, the article really recommends buying the 11-inch iPad Air for $599.

Besides the differences mentioned above, the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air offer the same feature set. And unlike the 2022 iPad Pro line, you won't get an inferior display with the smaller model.

Isabella Humphrey

Update 14 May 2024