iPad Air Vs. iPad Pro: Which Apple Tablet Should Last Longer?

In general, an iPad should last around six years, giving the tablet a longer lifespan on average than iPhones. Of course, your iPad's longevity will largely depend on your personal usage and care habits. That said, the model you have also has an impact on how long it will take before you start seeing signs it's time to replace your old iPad.

Most estimates put the lifespan of an iPad Pro in the range of seven to 10 years, while an iPad Air might last six to eight years. The key difference here is the chip, with the iPad Pro M5 being the most powerful yet. The newer iPad Pros — those with an M4 or M5 chip — are more powerful than the M1, M2, and M3s you'll find in an iPad Air, making the Pro better for gaming and video editing. It also means your tablet should stay powerful for longer, which could mean being able to keep your iPad Pro for close to a decade. All told, either the iPad Air or iPad Pro should last you longer than other iPad models thanks to Apple's M chips.

The base iPad model and iPad Mini use Apple's A-series chips, which are pretty similar to the more recently introduced M chips. Both are powerful, but M chips are designed to maintain peak function for as long as possible, which is why Apple now uses them in Macs and MacBooks outside of the budget MacBook Neo. However, those M chips are too big and run too hot for something as small as a smartphone, which is why they aren't used for even the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Notably, M chips seem to outlast other chips. Many devices powered by the M1, released in 2020, still perform well and maintain impressive battery strength over time. Battery health is often the first thing to decay as a device ages, so the M chip's success here is a good sign for the iPad Pro and iPad Air.

Still, it's worth mentioning that Apple software support has a major impact on how long your iPad will remain useful. Apple generally supports its tablets with software updates for around six to eight years, after which you'll miss out on new features and start seeing compatibility issues with your apps. Security updates continue for a longer period of time, but once your device stops receiving those, your data will be far more vulnerable. At that point, you can still use your iPad for the basics, but you definitely shouldn't use it for anything that involves personal information.