Apple iPad Pro (M5, 2025)
ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The M5 iPad Pro is now available for purchase, starting at $999 for the 11-inch and $1,199 for the 13-inch variant.
- It features Apple’s most powerful processor yet, promising faster speeds, improved AI workflows, and better efficiency.
- It also runs on Apple’s most updated connectivity chipsets.
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Apple recently announced its fastest and strongest processor: the M5. The new chip powers the latest iPad Pro and MacBook Pro, both of which are now available for purchase. The iPad Pro is renowned for being Apple’s most cutting-edge tablet, designed for power users and, according to the company’s claims, even capable of replacing a laptop.
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I’ve used all the latest iPads, from the iPad Mini to the iPad 11, the iPad Air, and the iPad Pro with M1. Based on a few weeks of use, the iPad Pro with M5 is already the best performer of all – and it’s not even close.
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Visually, the iPad Pro is sleek and appealing. It features a thin, unassuming build that makes it almost unsettling when you consider how much power is packed into something so light — especially when testing the 11-inch variant. Apple also offers the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, in case you require the extra screen real estate, but the 11-inch size is just right for everything I need on a tablet.
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I’d been using the 13-inch iPad Air with the Magic Keyboard for a few months, which was impressive enough to replace my MacBook Pro for most tasks, but not all of them. The iPad Pro with the M5 chip and iPadOS 26, however, got me the closest to the laptop experience than any iPad, often even surpassing my MacBook’s performance, even in the 11-inch form factor.
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My biggest gripe with Apple’s claim that an iPad can replace a laptop in a pinch has always been that the mobile experience inherent in the iPad interface simply can’t beat MacOS — or any laptop experience, for that matter. You could, with Samsung DeX, for example, enjoy a laptop-like experience on a Samsung Galaxy tablet, but the iPad just hasn’t cut it — until iPadOS 26.
With iPadOS 26, the enhanced windowing system (which allows you to freely arrange, resize, and layer multiple apps, access your menu bar, and view docked folders, among other things) has given Apple’s ultraportable form factor more functionality that not only makes the iPad that much more like a laptop but also more intuitive.
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There are always some hits and misses with all interfaces, especially with new releases, and iPadOS 26 is no exception. While more of a software issue and not an iPad Pro problem, resizing, stacking, and arranging windows to your liking is easy and intuitive, but doesn’t always work out as expected.
While iPadOS 26 lets you easily resize windows, you have to wait a few seconds for the window to catch up to your ministrations.
Maria Diaz/ZDNET
Still, iPadOS 26 has been quite a refreshing take on the tablet’s interface, which is frankly surprising to see from Apple, given its particularly rigid approach to innovation. It’s finally made the iPad the intuitively responsive tablet I’ve always wanted from Apple.
The power of the M5 in the iPad Pro, combined with iPadOS 26 and a keyboard (in this case, the Magic Keyboard), makes this tablet the closest experience to a MacBook I’ve ever had. After writing a full novel on the iPad Air with its respective Magic Keyboard, I became quite accustomed to the feel of typing on it, quirks and all.
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The Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro has recently received an upgrade, featuring a stronger construction and an aluminum palm rest along both sides of the wider trackpad. Opening the Magic Keyboard case to use the iPad Pro on your lap or a table is just as comfortable as using your laptop.
The Magic Keyboard is sturdy and stiff, and doesn’t give or feel wobbly like other tablet cases can, which checks another point for Apple’s claim that the iPad Pro can replace a laptop.
Maria Diaz/ZDNET
The biggest benefit to using the iPad Pro like a laptop is that you also get iPad-exclusive perks, such as a touchscreen (which hasn’t been introduced on MacBooks yet) and the ability to use a stylus, like the Apple Pencil Pro. In this way, the iPad is an even better work machine than Apple’s laptops.
The drawback of this year’s iPad Pro model, like the ones before it, remains that it’s far from cheap, starting at just about $1,000 and quickly rising depending on storage and peripherals configuration. Most power users will likely want to add the Magic Keyboard, Apple Pencil Pro, and possibly even a screen protector. That all equates to a minimum spend of $1,500. So it boils down to how much you’re willing to pay for the benefit of the slim and thin, multitouch device.
Geekbench 6 scoresStarting priceSingle-Core CPU BenchmarkMulti-Core CPU BenchmarkGPU benchmarkiPad Pro (M5)$9994,15316,41475,259iPad Air (M3)$5993,09811,68944,406iPad 11$3492,5966,23719,848Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra$1,2002,6768,61821,859Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+$6501,3533,9236,982
Comparing the new iPad Pro with some of Apple’s other iPads that are currently available, as well as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra and S10 FE+, shows that the iPad Pro with M5 is about 1.5 times faster than the M3-powered iPad Air, and 2.5 times faster than the more expensive Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra in graphics.
That said, the iPad Air costs significantly less than the iPad Pro’s starting price and still offers approximately 70% of the Pro’s CPU performance, making it a compelling choice for some power users.
I used the iPad Pro with the M5 processor and cellular connectivity, taking it anywhere I could. I tested it to edit 4K resolution video on Final Cut Pro for iPad, which was far more seamless than editing on Premiere on my M1 MacBook Pro, and to transfer files to and from smartphones, tablets, and cloud services.
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Apple promises enhanced connectivity features with the C1X and N1 chips on the iPad Pro. The chips give the iPad Pro Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Thread, and faster 5G connectivity, all of which translate to faster downloads, a better and more reliable AirDrop experience, and smoother hotspot use.
In my tests, AirDrop performance was comparable to that on older devices, but cellular data performance was far better on the new iPad.
Maria Diaz/ZDNET
For a couple of days in my testing period, I either worked, read, or streamed content on the iPad Pro for most of a six-hour road trip along the southern US. I experienced no noticeable dead spots or slowdowns at any point — even when my phone did.
The iPad Pro was reliable like no other 5G tablet I’ve tested, which has been a few, and the connection was always fast, indicating that Apple has nailed the on-the-go computing experience with the iPad Pro.
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Thread connectivity doesn’t appear to be enabled for direct connection to smart home devices at this time, and it’s unclear whether Apple plans to utilize it for this purpose, as seen in the iPhone 15 Pro and newer models.
ZDNET’s buying advice
Maria Diaz/ZDNET
The iPad Pro, with the M5 chip and iPadOS 26, is the best tablet for power users I’ve tested — and one that is finally capable of replacing a laptop for everyday computing. The tablet is faster and more consistent in rendering graphics and loading assets than my M1 MacBook Pro, and is even noticeably snappier than my M3 iPad Air.
Yet, the iPad Pro isn’t the right iPad for most tablet users, who are unwilling to spend over $1,000 on a tablet. I’d still recommend the base model iPad 11 for most users, and the iPad Air for those who require a bit more power for more demanding tasks, such as occasional video editing, coding, or graphic work, but who don’t need it every day.
For power users, the iPad Pro is a better option than the high-end Tab S11 Ultra, for example, especially if you’re looking for the processing power that can only be achieved with a laptop or desktop computer on the go.
The iPad Pro can be expensive, especially if you opt for a Magic Keyboard, but I can confidently say that you could even do without a laptop if you wanted to — that’s how powerful this tablet is.
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