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The M5 iPad Pro is here, and you can get it with an 11-inch or a 13-inch display. The specs look similar on paper, but the actual user experience is completely different depending on which one you buy. The 11-inch is compact, lightweight, and easy to use one-handed. The 13-inch is harder to hold in one hand, but it has a couple of real advantages that you have to consider when you are spending this much money. B&H loaned me both of these, so I used them side by side and worked out which one is right for which person.
The 11-inch is the classic portable iPad done right. The 13-inch trades that portability for a bigger canvas that can stand in for a laptop.
- Both use Apple's tandem OLED display at about 264 PPI, so both look very sharp
- 11-inch is light and easy to hold one-handed for long stretches
- 13-inch gives you more room for multitasking and creative work
- 13-inch Magic Keyboard feels close to a real 13-inch laptop
- 13-inch is bulkier and you will use it two-handed most of the time
- 13-inch has larger black bars at the top when watching most movies
- 11-inch keyboard and trackpad feel cramped by comparison
- Either size is a serious amount of money
Intro: Who This Is For
This is for anyone stuck between the two sizes of the M5 iPad Pro. If you already know you want the small one or the big one, you probably do not need this. But if you keep going back and forth, the deciding factor is almost never the spec sheet. It is how you hold the thing and what you plan to do with it. I used both the 11-inch and the 13-inch to sort out exactly that.
One quick note before the breakdown: B&H loaned me both of these, and B&H is often one of the best places to buy an iPad because of the sales they run. Compare current prices before you commit either way.
Size and Portability in Hand
At first glance the 13-inch iPad Pro only looks slightly larger than the iPad Air. Hold it, though, and the Pro feels quite a bit bulkier and a little more cumbersome. It is still light enough to use. You can scroll and move from one app to the next without a problem. You are just going to want to use it two-handed more often than not.
The 11-inch is the opposite. It is compact, it is lightweight, and it is easy to use one-handed. If you are on the couch or lying in bed, that difference matters. The 13-inch does feel better with a keyboard attached, because at that point it starts to feel more like using a laptop.
Display Quality and Specs
Both of these use Apple’s top-tier tandem OLED display, and the quality, brightness, and contrast are excellent on either size. Both run at about 264 PPI, so the pixel density is effectively the same. The 13-inch has more total pixels simply because the panel is bigger, but in the real world both screens look very sharp. I did not find one noticeably crisper than the other.
- Display: tandem OLED on both
- Pixel density: about 264 PPI on both
- The 13-inch has more total pixels, not more density
Screen Real Estate and Aspect Ratios
Set the 11-inch on top of the 13-inch and you can see the extra screen real estate the bigger model gives you. That extra room is really nice in landscape, because running multiple windows side by side feels more comfortable and you can still read everything. It is a real advantage for document work.
The aspect ratios are different too. The 11-inch is a 16 by 11 ratio. The 13-inch is closer to 4 by 3. That taller 4 by 3 shape is where a lot of the extra vertical room comes from, and it changes how content looks, which matters for the next point.
| 11-inch | 13-inch | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | Tandem OLED | Tandem OLED |
| Pixel density | About 264 PPI | About 264 PPI |
| Aspect ratio | 16 by 11 | Closer to 4 by 3 |
| One-handed use | Easy | Harder, mostly two-handed |
| Keyboard feel | Tighter, more compact | Closer to a 13-inch laptop |
| Best for | Portability and consumption | Multitasking and creative work |
Content Consumption (Movies and Videos)
Because of those aspect ratios, the actual size of a widescreen movie ends up pretty similar on both. The 13-inch is taller, so you get larger black bars across the top and bottom, and you lose a little of that extra screen real estate when you watch video. The 11-inch, at 16 by 11, gives you smaller bars.
Both screens look great for watching things. The takeaway is that the 13-inch did not feel much better for movies and video despite being the bigger panel. If consumption is your main use, the size difference is not the win you might expect.
Magic Keyboard Comparison
Both the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro support Apple’s Magic Keyboard, and you have to buy the one that matches your iPad. The 11-inch keyboard has a tighter, more knit-together feel to the keys. It took me a little time to get used to compared to a full-size Bluetooth keyboard, but it is still comfortable to type on, and the aluminum top makes it feel sturdy.
The 13-inch keyboard is bigger and heavier, and it feels a lot closer to typing on a real laptop. If you do a lot of typing, the larger keyboard and trackpad on the 13-inch are the better experience.
| 11-inch Magic Keyboard | 13-inch Magic Keyboard | |
|---|---|---|
| Key feel | Tighter, more compact | Roomier, laptop-like |
| Weight | Lighter | Heavier |
| Best for | Portability and quick typing | Heavy typing and desk work |
Who Should Buy the 11-inch iPad Pro?
The first question to answer is simple: do you prioritize portability, or do you want the larger, more immersive screen? Get the 11-inch if portability comes first. It is lighter and easier to hold for long periods, especially one-handed on the couch or in bed. It takes up less space in a backpack, it is more comfortable for note-taking on the go, and with the Magic Keyboard it takes up less room on an airplane tray.
It is also the better pick if you mostly want a tablet, a consumption device for reading and watching without the keyboard. I really like the 16 by 11 aspect ratio here, because you do not get quite as big of black bars at the top when watching videos. If you want to pair it with a pencil, the 11-inch works fine for note-taking. You just scroll around the screen a little more.
Who Should Buy the 13-inch iPad Pro?
Choose the 13-inch if you really want this for multitasking. The larger screen is better for running apps side by side with Split View or Stage Manager, and it gives you a more laptop-like experience when paired with the Magic Keyboard, since that bigger keyboard and trackpad are far less cramped.
It is also the one to get for professional creative work: drawing, photo editing, video editing, or graphic design. The extra screen space and the 4 by 3 aspect ratio give you more vertical room for toolbars and your content. For digital note-taking and drawing, that 4 by 3 shape mimics a traditional piece of paper, which can make handwriting and sketching feel more natural. The trade-off is real: it takes up more space in your bag and you need a larger surface to work on. If you go this route, the Apple Pencil Pro is the pen you want.
Final Verdict: Which One is Right For You?
To tie it all together: the 11-inch is the classic portable iPad experience, and to me it is the perfect size. The 13-inch takes everything up a notch, giving you more screen real estate and a larger footprint that can genuinely challenge a traditional laptop for a lot of people. Neither is wrong. Decide whether you value carrying it everywhere or working bigger, and buy that one.
If you spend a lot of time away from an outlet, a good charger and a power bank round out the kit for either size. So which do you prefer, the 11-inch or the 13-inch M5 iPad Pro?
