Apple has unveiled its latest iPad Pro, bringing the new M5 chip to the company's premium tablet around 18 months after we crowned the Apple iPad Pro 13-inch M4 version a five-star performer.
The 11-inch and 13-inch models retain last year's superb Ultra Retina XDR display – the tandem OLED screen that delivered such impressive contrast and cinematic picture quality in our testing – while cramming significantly more processing power under the hood.
The headline act is the M5 processor, which Apple claims delivers up to 3.5 times the AI performance of the M4 model we reviewed earlier this year, and 5.6 times the performance of the M1-equipped iPad Pro from a few years back.
That's a substantial leap, though whether most users will actually push these tablets hard enough to notice the difference is another matter entirely.
As we noted in our M4 review, the iPad Pro has long been overkill in terms of raw power for anyone primarily interested in watching films and listening to music.
The new chip features a 10-core GPU with what Apple calls a Neural Accelerator built into each core, which should benefit anyone using AI-powered creative applications.
Video editors working in DaVinci Resolve, for instance, can expect AI video upscaling that's 2.3 times faster than the M4 model, while 3D rendering in Octane X sees a 1.5x speed boost.
Apple could be positioning this as an upgrade for those still clinging to M1-equipped Pros rather than a must-have for recent adopters.
Though tech fans with deep pockets and a penchant for the Next Big Thing might still be tempted to upgrade their M4-toting iPad Pro.
Beyond the processor, Apple has also introduced its new N1 wireless chip, bringing Wi-Fi 7 support to the iPad Pro for the first time.
Cellular models also benefit from the C1X modem, which apparently delivers 50 per cent faster data performance than its predecessor – useful for those who regularly stream high-resolution content on the move.
Memory bandwidth has increased by nearly 30 per cent to over 150GB/s, while storage read and write speeds are now up to twice as fast.
The entry-level 256GB and 512GB models also start with 12GB of unified memory, a 50 per cent increase that should make multitasking smoother.
Fast charging support has finally arrived too, offering a 50 per cent charge in around 30 minutes with the right adapter.
The display itself remains unchanged from the M4 generation, which is actually good news. When we tested last year's model, we were suitably impressed by the move to tandem OLED technology.
The iPad Pro M4's screen combined the pixel-level contrast control and perfect blacks of OLED, with the brightness performance of the previous Mini LED panels.
It also hit 1600 nits for HDR highlights, while delivering richer colours and a more cinematic tonal balance than ever before.
We also found its motion handling to be superb, and blooming – that faint glow around bright objects against dark backgrounds – was completely eliminated.
If you're upgrading from an older LCD-equipped iPad, the visual improvement should be substantial.
What remains to be seen is whether the new processor brings any subtle refinements to the audio and video processing, as Apple sometimes slips in improvements that aren't headline features.
When we tested the M4 version with wired headphones, we noticed a touch more warmth, richness and weight compared to the previous generation, without sacrificing impact or dynamics. Whether the M5 pushes things further, will require hands-on testing.
The iPad Pro continues to feature four speakers positioned on the shorter edges, which produce a surprisingly open and spacious sound with excellent vocal clarity – provided you don't accidentally cover them with your hands.
For serious listening, though, you'll want to connect one of the best headphones to really elevate the tablet's cinematic and music listening credentials.
Elsewhere, the new iPad Pro arrives with iPadOS 26, which introduces a more capable windowing system that should make the tablet feel rather more laptop-like.
There's also a redesigned Files app and the Preview app making its debut on iPad. Apple Intelligence features continue to expand too, with Live Translation in Phone, FaceTime and Messages among the new additions.
Pre-orders open today, with devices arriving in stores from 22nd October. The 11-inch model starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1699, while the 13-inch version begins at $1299 / £1299 AU$2029. Add cellular connectivity and you're looking at an extra $200 / £200.
Whether this represents a worthwhile upgrade depends entirely on which iPad you're coming from.
If you bought the M4 version when we awarded it five stars last year, there's probably little reason to feel envious.
But for anyone still using an M1 or earlier model – particularly those with LCD screens – the combination of that stunning OLED display and significantly more power could be game game-changing upgrade.
We look forward to putting the new iPad Pro through its paces soon to see whether it maintains the benchmark-setting performance we praised in its predecessor. Watch this space.
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