Apple continues to throw performance at us with its professional tablets make sense, and the latest iPad Pro with the M5 chipset is another fresh example. This upgrade to the Pro iPad lineup improves the performance by a mile and also boosts the efficiency. Some other improvements include faster memory, better screen mirroring, and more.
However, little else has changed from the previous iPad Pro M4 model, which is basically the same tablet, just with a slightly “older” chipset that’s not as fast but still above and beyond the competition in the tablet space.
Should professionals that use the iPad Pro M4 consider the new M5 refresh? We spent some time with Apple’s latest top performer and also ran it through the paces of our in-house graphics, performance, battery life, and display tests with the goal of reaching a verdict on whether you should upgrade.
iPad Pro 13-inch (M5) vs iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) differences explained:
iPad Pro 13-inch M5iPad Pro 13-inch M4New M5 chipsetApple M4 chipset on deck12GB RAM in 256/512GB models8GB RAM in 256/512GB modelsExternal displays up to 120HzExternal displays up to 60HzApple N1 chip (Wi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth 6)Broadcom chip (Wi-Fi 6E + Bluetooth 5.3)Apple C1X cellular modelQualcomm Snapdragon 5G modemFast-charging capableRegular charging speed
Table of Contents:
Design and Display
Consistency is key
No visual changes, and none are needed (Image by PhoneArena)
The new and old iPad Pro tablets are identical in terms of design language.
We get the same spectacular and alluring full aluminum body with flat sides and display, with ever-so-slightly curved corners and fairly thin bezels. Both the old and new iPads measure 281.6 x 215.5 mm, which is decent given their sheer size, especially on the 13-inch models we have here. The most impressive aspect of the design here is the exceptional thinness of just 5.1 mm, less than the plug of a USB-C cable.
Thin is in (Image by PhoneArena)
As a result, handling the iPad Pro is a joy, and the relatively low weight of 582 grams helps as well. It’s still a large tablet that might look comical in certain situations, but at least is pleasingly thin and lightweight.
The iPad Pro M5 can be yours in the same colors as its predecessor: Silver and Space Black. That’s okay, as the livelier color options are reserved for Apple’s lower-tier tablets; a professional user would have no issue with these two conservative but classic colors.The display up front hasn’t changed: it’s still the same 13-inch Ultra Retina XDR one that uses a double-stacked OLED panel. The screen supports 1-120Hz ProMotion and comes in the classic 4:3 aspect ratio. This aspect ratio is very functional and handy, as it provides just the right amount of screen real estate both horizontally and vertically. However, the 16:9 screens on Samsung’s top tablets are better for consuming media, as you don’t have nearly as much letterboxing as on the iPad, where large black bars will fill a large portion of the screen when watching 16:9 shows or 21:9 movies.
In our tests, the Apple iPad Pro M5 and M4 showcase similar display properties, which is normal considering the lack of changes. Very high peak brightness and comparable minumum brightness, along with excellent default color calibration is what you get.
Both use Face ID as their biometrics of choice, and the system works flawlessly and intuitively here.
Keyboard and Stylus
Apple didn’t release any new accessories for the iPad Pro M5. The new tablet fully supports the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro and both the Apple Pencil Pro and the more affordable Apple Pencil with USB-C.
We love all of these accessories as they greatly expand the functionality of the iPad Pro. With the keyboard, the iPad becomes a very adequate laptop alternative, especially considering the latest improvements to the desktop mode in iPadOS 26. The Apple Pencil, on the other hand, is still that indispensable sidekick to anyone remotely interested in sketching and drawing.
Performance & Benchmarks
The brunt of the changes
The only reason for the existence of the iPad Pro with M5 is the latter indeed. Apple’s latest chipset is a desktop-grade powerhouse that delivers outstanding performance to this mobile device, improving on the already plenty-fast iPad Pro with M4.
Just like the previous iPad Pro M4, this one offers two versions of the M5 chip. The entry-level 256GB and 512GB versions come with a nonacore M5 chip, combining three efficiency and six performance cores, while the 1TB and 2TB versions come along with the proper deca-core M5 chip with four efficiency and six performance cores.
The Apple M5 is based on TSMC’s N3P process and is equipped with a Neural Accelerator in every core, gets second-gen dynamic caching, scores enhanced shader cores, unified memory bandwidth of 153 GB/s (up from 120 GB/s), and so much more. Filtering out the soulless specs list, this is one fast chipset, even more impressive than its predecessor.
CPU Performance Benchmarks:
In the Geekbench 6 tests, the M5 chip decidedly beats the M4 in both the single- and multi-core tests. That’s a healthy improvement, but you’re only likely to notice the extra performance in excessive workflows like video export.
However, while the peak graphics performance in the 3DMark Extreme stress test is impressive on the iPad Pro with M5, the M4 model still surprises in terms of sustained performance and actually beats the M5 in long-term graphics-crunching performance.
Memory-wise, Apple has updated both the 256GB and 512GB models with 12GB of RAM, whereas the older models only had 8GB of RAM. The 1TB and 2TB versions still feature 16GB of RAM for the most demanding users.
Software
Both tablets come with iPadOS 26, the latest software update for Apple tablets that introduces the Liquid Glass redesign. But the visuals are definitely not all: iPadOS 26 also gives us improved Stage Manager that now supports proper window management, even borrowing the Mac’s essential traffic light buttons, which improves the overall utility of the tablet. However, the experience is still inferior to that of a proper MacBook, but iPadOS 26 is still closer to that than ever.
The best thing here is that you get quality-of-life goodies usually associated with desktop computers. When you open and resize an app, the next time you open it up, it will remember its last position and size. App Exposé lets you quickly see all of your open apps at once, just like on the Mac. In fact, pair the iPad Pro M5 with the Magic Keyboard, and using it would now feel even more similar to a MacBook. You can now also drive external displays up to 120 Hz (versus 60 Hz on the iPad Pro M4), so the desktop experience is even better.
Both the iPad Pro M5 and M4 have quad speakers that sound awesome. However, due to the super-thin design language, there’s simply not enough physical space inside the tablet, so the speakers are tinier and produce sound that’s not as big as the previous generations of the iPad Pro. The audio quality is still excellent, but we’ve heard boomier and louder sound out of an iPad Pro before.
Battery and Charging
Both the iPad Pro M4 and M5 come with either an 8,160 mAh battery in the 11-inch or a 10,290 mAh one in the 13-inch version. Despite the lack of battery capacity improvement, the new iPad Pro delivers better battery life, which can be traced to the more efficient chipset that’s ticking inside. The difference is palpable and definitely a big improvement over the older generation.
PhoneArena Battery Test Results:
Charging is faster, as Apple now allows the tablet to charge rapidly with a 60W+ charger. A full charge for the M5 model takes two hours, but a 30-minute one gets you 49% of battery, which is pretty good. The older M4 model only charges up to 30% in the same amount of time.
Camera
The basics are covered
Both tablets share the same specs: 12MP wide camera at the back with a ToF sensor, as well as a 12MP Center Stage camera up front that’s great for FaceTime calls and video-conferencing.
There’s no difference in quality between the M5 and M4 generations.
The iPad can take up to 4K60fps videos, and the quality is good. On the odd chance you have to take a video, neither will disappoint.
Video Quality
Photo Quality
The same applies to photos, where both tablets achieve similar dynamic range, sharpness, and colors. Not bad.
Which one should you buy?
The iPad Pro 13-inch (M5) is not aimed at users of the older M4 variant. Not at all!
Upgrading makes zero sense here, as the few improvements aren’t worth getting the new device. Sure, you might get slightly better battery life and faster charging, as well as better performance for some edge-case scenarios, but overall, we can’t see why the iPad Pro with M4 can be considered slow or deprecated.
This new iPad Pro here is aimed at users of much older iPad Pro tablets, maybe those using units with the M1 chip or older. Upgrading would make a lot of sense in those cases, and if you’re still using one of those, consider getting the latest Apple top performer.
