M5 iPad Pro: Everything You Need To Know

We may earn compensation from reviewed products. Learn about our editorial policies.

Need-to-knows

• New M5 chip is incredibly powerful
• Tandem OLED display panel
• Fast charging is new to this generation

Apple has officially launched the M5 iPad Pro, the latest iteration in its top-of-the-range iPad lineup. It arrives with a new processing chip, a new OLED display, and Apple’s latest attempt to convince the world that the iPad really can replace your laptop in the form of iPadOS 26.

Whether you’re here to weigh up an upgrade or just want a clear-eyed summary of what’s new, this is your no-nonsense guide to Apple’s latest flagship tablet.

At A Glance

Release Date and Price

The M5 iPad Pro is available to pre-order now and ships from 22nd October 2025. Pricing starts at $999/£999 for the 11-inch Wi-Fi model with 256GB of storage. As with previous Pro models, you can spec it all the way up to 2TB, choose cellular connectivity, and opt for the larger 13-inch version, which pushes the price well north of $2000/£2,000 with accessories included.

Related: M5 MacBook Pro

If you’re planning to make the most of it, factor in the cost of the new Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro, neither of which comes in the box.

M5 Chip

At the heart of the new iPad Pro is the M5 chip, Apple’s latest and greatest processing chip. It’s built on second-generation 3nm architecture and designed for serious multitasking and high-performance workloads.

The chip includes:

• A 9-core or 10-core CPU, depending on the storage tier
• A 10-core GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing
• A 16-core Neural Engine optimised for on-device AI tasks

Apple claims up to 6.7x faster rendering and 4x faster AI image generation when compared to older iPad Pro models, though, as always, your mileage will vary depending on the apps you use, and these stats are yet to be tested in the wild.

Related: M4 vs M3 vs M2 chip

Those buying the 1TB or 2TB models also get a RAM boost to 16GB, while the 256GB and 512GB configurations come with 12GB. It’s a spec bump that will appeal most to those editing 4K video, working with complex 3D models, or experimenting with AI.

Display: Ultra Retina XDR with Tandem OLED

One of the standout features of the iPad Pro in 2024 was the upgraded Ultra Retina XDR display, which uses tandem OLED technology. This brought a leap in brightness, contrast, and colour accuracy over the previous mini-LED panels. And the same technology is used in the M5 iPad Pro.

Key specs include:

• Up to 1,600 nits peak brightness
• A 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio
• 10Hz–120Hz adaptive refresh rate
• True Tone and P3 wide colour gamut support

Last generation: M4 iPad Pro review

The 11-inch and 13-inch models maintain the same pixel density (264 ppi), and for the first time, Apple is offering a nano-texture glass option to reduce glare on the 1TB and 2TB versions for those working in brightly lit or colour-critical environments.

Design: No change from a winning formula

The M5 iPad Pro matches the M4 iPad Pro in terms of dimensions, meaning it remains incredibly thin and light for such a powerful device. The 13-inch model measures just 5.1mm thick, making it the thinnest product Apple has ever shipped (yes, even thinner than the iPhone Air). The 11-inch model comes in at 5.3mm.

Weight has also been kept the same:

• 11-inch Wi-Fi model: 444g
• 13-inch Wi-Fi model: 579g

Check out my guide to the best iPad accessories!

Both are available in Silver and Space Black, with a recycled aluminium chassis.

iPadOS 26: More Multitasking

The software powering all of this is iPadOS 26, which Apple has used to bring in more macOS-esque elements to the iPad after years of demands from consumers.

There’s now a redesigned windowing system, which allows users to open multiple apps in overlapping windows, similar to macOS, and arrange them freely into thirds or quarters of the screen. Background Tasks also allow intensive processes, like video exports or downloads, to run behind the scenes while you continue working.

Guide: Best iPad for you!

In practice, this makes the iPad Pro feel much closer to a traditional desktop setup, especially when paired with a keyboard, mouse, and external monitor. It’s not a perfect solution, but in all, it should feel far closer to using a laptop.

Apple Intelligence

Of course, the M5 iPad Pro comes with Apple Intelligence capabilities.

Features include:

• Image Wand, for turning sketches into illustrations
• Live Translation, with real-time multilingual subtitles
• Writing tools, offering text rewriting, summarising, and formatting
• Siri with ChatGPT integration
• Clean Up tool in Photos for removing objects from images

Cameras, Audio, and Connectivity

While not a photography-first device, the iPad Pro still packs a capable camera setup. There’s a 12MP rear camera with Smart HDR and 4K video capture, and a 12MP front-facing Center Stage camera that’s now placed in landscape orientation. This means you no longer need to crane your arm into uncomfortable positions to take a good selfie.

Audio remains strong, with a four-speaker system delivering spatial audio and what Apple calls a studio-quality microphone array for podcasts and voice recordings.

iPad alternative: Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review

On the connectivity front, Apple has added a new N1 wireless chip, enabling Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread for wider smart home integration. Cellular models also include a second-generation C1X modem for improved 5G performance.

Battery Life and Charging

Battery life is unchanged from the previous model, with up to 10 hours of web or video use on Wi-Fi and around 9 hours on cellular.

The good news is that the M5 iPad Pro now supports fast charging, delivering up to 50% charge in around 30 minutes with a 60W USB-C adapter (sold separately).

Configurations and Storage

The iPad Pro is available in both 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, with the following storage tiers:

• 256GB
• 512GB
• 1TB
• 2TB

OnePlus Pad 3 review

As mentioned earlier, the top two configurations come with more RAM and are the only ones that support the optional nano-texture glass display.

Final Thoughts

The M5 iPad Pro represents a modest step in Apple’s long-standing effort to make the iPad the ultimate productivity all-rounder. With a powerful chip, class-leading display, and a more capable iPadOS, this is the most pro iPad Apple has ever made.

However, questions remain. Many of the new features, particularly around Apple Intelligence, are still far from being useful. And with accessory costs added on, the total package begins to rival or exceed that of a MacBook Pro.

Still, for those who rely on the iPad for creative work or who want the flexibility of a tablet without compromising on power, the M5 iPad Pro is an incredibly capable device. It’s just one that makes more sense for certain users than others.