Apple today announced new iPad Pro models powered by its new M5 chipset, with the tablet once again available in 11-inch and 13-inch variants.
As the name may suggest, the big change with the iPad Pro with M5 is the new chip. Apple says the M5 can offer up 1.5x faster graphics performance when compared to last year's iPad Pro with M4, or up to 1.2x faster video transcoding.
Apple has also kitted cellular variants of the new iPad Pro with M5 with its C1X modem, as seen in the iPhone Air. Apple says this offers 50% faster mobile data performance than last year's models, while using 30% less power. Cellular models are eSIM only.
The iPad Pro with M5 also has Apple's N1 networking chip, which enables WiFi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread.
Both the 11-inch and 13-inch models also support fast charging for the first time. With a 60W USB-C charger, they can go from flat to full in just half an hour.
Otherwise, the iPad Pro with M5 hasn't changed too much. Both variants still have the same ultra-thin design introduced last year, with the 11-inch measuring in at 5.3mm and the 13-inch at 5.1mm. There's a single rear camera on the back, and you can configure them with anti-reflective nano-texture displays.
On the software side, the latest version of iPadOS - iPadOS 26 - may help power users get more out of the latest Pro iPads. While Apple has stopped short of putting macOS on iPad, the new operating system takes many cues from Apple's desktop software. This includes windowed multi-tasking, macOS-style menu bars, and the ability for tasks to run in the background.
Pricing for the 11-inch iPad Pro with M5 still starts at $1,699 for a 256GB model, while you're looking at a minimum of $2,199 for a 13-inch iPad Pro with M5.
On top of new iPads, Apple also refreshed its entry-level MacBook Pro and Vision Pro with its M5 chipset. The MacBook Pro is largely a chipset upgrade, but Apple has also increased the speed of the SSD storage. Prices start at $2,499.
The Vision Pro is also a chipset-focused refresh, but the display now also has 10% more pixels and can achieve refresh rates as fast as 120Hz. This should reduce motion blur when looking around. Battery life also gets a slight upgrade to between two and a half hours and three hours per charge, and the headset comes with a new strap. Pricing still starts at $5,999.
Pre-orders for all of Apple's new devices start today, ahead of an October 22 release date.
Alex Choros
