M4 iPad Air vs M4 iPad Pro: Over 20% Multi-Threaded Performance Trade-Off Due to Binned Chipset with Reduced Cores

Apple has elevated its standard iPad offerings by integrating the M4 chipset into the iPad Air. However, it’s essential to note that the performance of this processor may differ significantly from that found in the higher-end iPad Pro models. Recent benchmarking analyses reveal that the iPad Air could experience up to a 20% reduction in performance due to its binned system-on-chip (SoC) configuration.

Performance Comparison: M4 iPad Air vs.iPad Pro

As the new models prepare for pre-orders, Geekbench 6 has documented both single-core and multi-core performance benchmarks. The M4 chip within the iPad Air features three performance cores and five efficiency cores, totaling eight cores. In contrast, the M4 found in the iPad Pro is available with either nine or ten cores.

According to the latest benchmark results, the disparity in multi-core performance between the M4 iPad Air and the most advanced iPad Pro stands at approximately 22.8%.While the 9-core M4 exhibits a closer performance comparison to the iPad Air, single-core performance differences across all three models are minimal, as detailed in the scores below.

M4 iPad Air (8-core CPU) Benchmark Scores

Single-core score: 3, 714
Multi-core score: 12, 296

M4 iPad Pro (9-core CPU) Benchmark Scores

Single-core score: 3, 765 (1.4% faster than the M4 iPad Air)
Multi-core score: 13, 408 (9% faster than the M4 iPad Air)

M4 iPad Pro (10-core CPU) Benchmark Scores

Single-core score: 3, 846 (3.6% faster than the M4 iPad Air)
Multi-core score: 15, 100 (22.8% faster than the M4 iPad Air)

Comparison of 8-core M4 in iPad Air vs 9-core M4 in iPad Pro — Performance comparison between the 8-core M4 in iPad Air and the 9-core version in iPad Pro.

Comparison of 8-core M4 in iPad Air vs 10-core M4 in iPad Pro — Comparison of the 8-core M4 in iPad Air against the 10-core variant in the iPad Pro.

Despite these differences, the M4 remains a robust chipset that significantly boosts the capabilities of the iPad Air, which is attractively priced at $599. This price point marks a considerable value for consumers looking for powerful performance without the premium cost associated with the iPad Pro. Furthermore, Apple’s practice of utilizing binned chipsets isn’t new; it was recently observed in the newly announced iPhone 17e, which utilizes a less powerful A19 processor.

For deeper insights, you can check the benchmarking data on Geekbench.

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