If you are going to use the Apple's keyboard, then the Air would fit the budget. iPads are currently hold back by the limitation of iPadOS, so Pro doesn't make much different compared to Air. More on reddit.com

I'm happy with my iPad Air 5 64GB. I don't work on this machine, and the main activity I have with it is reading Reddit on the toilet (/s). I don't take photos on the iPad, and the 120Hz screen is not a big deal to me, since the 11" iPad Pro does not have the miniLED display. The only issue I have is that the M1 is overkill for the machine, therefore it doesn't hold the battery as long.

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Depends, do you need the storage and how is it priced compared to the 64gb? More on reddit.com

writing this on the ipad air 4th gen, i will have to upgrade thise gorgeous machine because it is 64gb 😕, otherwise no complaints from it, I use it for multi tasking with pdfs, along with discord chats or sometimes video streaming on 1/3 of the screen and pdf(s) on the rest. Although this has the A14 chip (MUCH weaker than M1, M2 is just godly), i struggle to make this ipad struggle. Now if i was using something like procreate or Da vinci resolve, yes, more power is always better, but as an e-reader/gaming device and/or video calling stuff, it is more than enough powerful. Case in Point - M2 is a beast, don’t think any less of it, YES the panel is 60hz and not 120, which can look good, but will it look good enough for 400$? (For me a thinner design is of no importance, since i use a case anyway, it stops mattering, and face ID, well, the touch is quite good, face id will become seamless, but not a deal breaker) More on reddit.com