13-Inch iPad Air Features 20% Brighter Display Than 11-Inch iPad Air

The new 13-inch iPad Air has a max display brightness of 600 nits, which is 20% higher than the 11-inch iPad Air, according to Apple's tech specs for the devices.

M2 iPad Air Hero Feature Purple
This means the 13-inch iPad Air's peak brightness is equal to the previous-generation iPad Pro models with the M2 chip for standard dynamic range (SDR) content, but the new iPad Pro models have brighter OLED displays that can reach up to 1,000 nits for SDR content, and up to 1,600 nits for high dynamic range (HDR) content.

Peak brightness levels (SDR) for recent iPad Pro and iPad Air models:

  • 13-inch iPad Pro (M4): 1,000 nits
  • 11-inch iPad Pro (M4): 1,000 nits
  • 12.9-inch iPad Pro (M2): 600 nits
  • 11-inch iPad Pro (M2): 600 nits
  • 13-inch iPad Air: 600 nits
  • 11-inch iPad Air (M2): 500 nits
  • 10.9-inch iPad Air (M1): 500 nits

The brightness change for the 13-inch iPad Air was spotted by Saran, who runs the tech-focused YouTube channel SaranByte.

The new iPad Air models are available to order now and launch May 15. Key new features include the M2 chip, the front camera moved to the landscape edge, Wi-Fi 6E support, Apple Pencil Pro support, and new color options.

Related Roundup: iPad Air
Buyer's Guide: iPad Air (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
anker power bank recall

PSA: Anker Recalls Multiple Power Banks Due to Fire Risk

Friday June 27, 2025 4:16 pm PDT by
Popular accessory maker Anker this month launched two separate recalls for its power banks, some of which may be a fire risk. The first recall affects Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Banks sold between June 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022 in the United States. Anker says that these power banks have a "potential issue" with the battery inside, which can lead to overheating, melting of plastic...
Chase Sapphire Reserve Apple Perk Feature

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Introduces New Perk for Apple Customers

Wednesday June 25, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Chase this week announced a series of new perks for its premium Sapphire Reserve credit card, and one of them is for a pair of Apple services. Specifically, the credit card now offers complimentary annual subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Apple Music, a value of up to $250 per year. If you are already paying for Apple TV+ and/or Apple Music directly through Apple, those subscriptions will...
iPhone Car Key WWDC 2025

Apple Announces 13 Automakers Planning to Offer iPhone Car Keys

Friday June 27, 2025 11:42 am PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. During its WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple said that 13...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in a Few Months With These 12 New Features

Thursday June 26, 2025 2:00 am PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are around three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Here's Which Vehicle Brands Will and Won't Offer Apple's CarPlay Ultra

Friday June 27, 2025 9:52 am PDT by
Apple last month announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. There was news this week about which automakers will and won't offer CarPlay Ultra, and we have provided an updated list below. CarPlay Ultra is currently limited to newer Aston Martin vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. Fortunately, if you cannot...
apple watch ultra 2 new black

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Finally Coming After Two-Year Hiatus

Tuesday June 24, 2025 3:40 am PDT by
Apple will finally deliver the Apple Watch Ultra 3 sometime this year, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong (via @jukanlosreve). The analyst expects both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year (likely alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup, if previous launches are anything to go by), according to his latest product roadmap shared with...
iPhone 17 Air Size Feature

iPhone 17 Air Screen Protector Reveals a Potential Design Difference

Thursday June 26, 2025 11:05 am PDT by
A screen protector that is allegedly designed for Apple's rumored ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air model has revealed a potential design difference. Based on an image shared today by a leaker known as Majin Bu, the iPhone 17 Air's front camera may be positioned to the left of the Dynamic Island, rather than to the right of it like on iPhone models released over the past few years. It is unclear...

Top Rated Comments

trip1ex Avatar
15 months ago
Makes sense because the 13" is almost 20% bigger than the 11".
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
15 months ago

Makes sense because the 13" is almost 20% bigger than the 11".
The display is actually 40% larger in area. So it’s a plus overall for the 11”. ;)
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Confused-User Avatar
15 months ago

Makes sense because the 13" is almost 20% bigger than the 11".

The display is actually 40% larger in area. So it’s a plus overall for the 11”. ;)
That's not how it works.

"nit" measures brightness per area. So dividing by area to say the 11" is brighter is an error.

Put another way: If you set both 11" and 13" to show a max brightness white display, and you covered each display entirely except for one square inch, the square inch on the 13" would be brighter than the square inch on the 11".
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
maddogeco Avatar
15 months ago
Which model can go the dimmes? I use my 2017 iPad Pro on minimum brightness far more than max brightness when I’m reading in bed.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)