That doesn’t mean it’s the iPad you should reach for first.
I can’t think of another tablet I would prefer to use over the iPad Pro, at least not one of those wonky devices sporting a shelf with a full speaker setup or a tiny projector for some reason. That doesn’t matter if I’m using last year’s iPad Pro with M4 chip or Apple’s new refresh with M5 chip powering this light, slim, and still-powerful tablet. It’s prettier than the rest. It’s more portable than most other devices with its thin frame (and yes, it’s still a slimmer frisbee than the iPad Air). And to hell with it, is there really any competition for tablets at this point that isn’t some oversized Samsung Galaxy device?
Apple’s 2025 iPad Pro is everything I said about last year’s model. So what’s truly changed other than the new GPU capabilities of the M5 chip? A new wireless modem, while a nice little upgrade (one that cements Apple’s demand for all in-house hardware), surely doesn’t change when and how you use the iPad Pro on the go. Neither does fast charging or enhanced storage read and write speeds. Well, all iPads now run on an updated operating system, iPadOS 26, which finally has app windowing support. There are even smaller upgrades that matter, like 12GB of RAM in the base iPad Pro models. Even if we didn’t see those small enhancements, this is the best the iPad has ever been, and one that’s infinitely more usable.
That still doesn’t mean everybody needs the iPad Pro model. The big upgrade in the M5 chip compared to the previous M4 is its more powerful graphics performance. How much that matters depends on the app. Based on my experience, if you’re thinking about upgrading from the iPad Pro with M4 chip, you really don’t need the new model.
If you’re thinking of moving up from a 5-year-old device, the real selling point is still that better-looking screen. The iPad can only ever be an iPad; it shouldn’t be your only device. It starts at $1,000 for the 11-inch model and $1,300 for the 13-inch version, both with 12GB of RAM. But as soon as you start configuring for more storage and more RAM (available with higher storage options), the “Apple tax” for upgrades starts adding up real fast. Cellular models with Apple’s new 5G modem are an extra $200. 1TB of storage will have you spending an additional $600 over the base 256GB.
At the point where you’re spending thousands on an iPad, I would suggest you check your priorities. You’ll want to make sure whatever you’re buying is actually worth it. You may end up much happier with an iPad mini, saving yourself hundreds of dollars just by scaling down.Tandem OLED is sublime
Apple’s messaging has changed. Whereas Apple once tried to use its near-annual iPad Pro refresh to entice users still beholden to their pre-M-series tablets, now the company wants to swing over everybody still using iPads with the M1 chip from 2021. The M5 chip is indeed leaps better in performance than the 5-year-old M1. But again, the performance only matters if the apps you’re planning to use your iPad Pro for benefit from it. Watching Netflix or reading ebooks isn’t worth forking over $1,000+ if that’s all you’re using a tablet for.
Whereas MacBooks and MacBook Pros are using the same mini LED screen every year, the switch to the new organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display technology was what truly sold me about the iPad Pros with M4 chip. The latest iPad Pro models use the same OLED, which has better contrast and black levels than you’re probably used to. The screen also uses two layers of OLED on top of each other—called tandem OLED—which pushes brightness to 1,600 nits of peak brightness in HDR, though in reality, you’re mostly going to be looking at content at just 500 nits. That’s good enough for both indoors and outdoors, so long as the sun isn’t shining directly on the display. The screen also isn’t as reflective as some other glossy OLED models I’ve used recently, like Lenovo’s Legion Pro 7i gaming laptop. I could sit by a window and feel perfectly fine browsing and testing. You can also spring for a matte “nano texture” display model that cuts down on glare, but reduces color vibrancy, though that’ll cost an extra $100.
As far as making your iPad your lone media and entertainment device, it’s capable enough despite its thin size. The tablet has a total of four speakers blasting out of the two shorter sides, so you should hear your content whichever way you hold it. The sound won’t make your jaw drop, but it’s plenty loud considering its skinny profile.
Apple made some major strides with the iPad Pros with M4 chip—ironically making its most expensive tablet thinner and lighter than an iPad Air and still packing a better OLED screen than any MacBook display. (The iPad Pro only makes me want an OLED MacBook even more.) The multitasking updates to iPadOS 26 make it easier to have a browser up alongside Instagram, but with the limitations of the screen size and support for only one external monitor, a 13-inch MacBook Air with an M4 chip at the same $1,000 starting price is a better value than an 11-inch iPad Pro on its own, no matter how you slice it. (Plus, you don’t need to pony up an additional $300 or $350 just to get a Magic Keyboard.)Same design with small feature tweaks
My review unit of the iPad Pro was the 13-inch model, complete with 5G connectivity and 1TB of storage. With the $350 Magic Keyboard attachment, my test combo costs $2,100. That’s a lot for a tablet. Hell, it’s a lot for any laptop with or without an Apple logo on it. At the very least, you can expect the new iPad Pro will feel very nice in hand. The iPad Pros with M5 chip are the same shape and weight as the 2024 models. The 13-inch iPad Pro is 5.1mm thick (the 11-inch is barely any thicker at 5.
