Apple just released its new M5 iPad Pro, which is available for pre-order now and ships next week. Is the new M5 iPad Pro worth the upgrade from an M4 model? Here’s everything new in the latest model.
New M5 chip
Apple’s new iPad Pro is one of its first devices to feature the next-generation M5 chip.
The biggest gains touted for M5 come with the GPU, which now features Neural Accelerators just like iPhone 17’s A19 chip.
Apple says M5’s Neural Accelerators enable GPU-based AI workloads to perform at up to 4x the peak performance of last year’s M4 chip.
The CPU in M5 is faster too, but seemingly only moderately so. Leaked benchmarks estimate about 15% speed gains.
Depending on which storage option you choose, the M5 iPad Pro offers up to a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU. But you’ll lose a performance core and just get 9 CPU cores if you opt for a lower-cost model.
The 16-core Neural Engine is also faster than last year’s M4 version, but Apple doesn’t specify exactly how much faster.
More and better RAM than before
The M5 iPad Pro comes with solid upgrades to unified memory, especially for entry models.
- 256GB and 512GB storage models include 12GB of RAM (50% more than M4’s 8GB)
- 1TB and 2TB storage models include 16GB of RAM (same as equivalent M4 models)
Apple says that memory bandwidth is also faster this year:
With over 150GB/s of unified memory bandwidth — a nearly 30 percent increase compared to the previous generation — the new iPad Pro helps users multitask across more apps, process AI models faster, play demanding games, and more. The new iPad Pro offers up to 2x faster storage read and write speeds
Apple specifically highlights iPadOS 26’s windowing system as benefiting from these gains: “iPad Pro users will experience more seamless multitasking, enhancing even the most complex workflows.”
Fast charging support
For the first time, the M5 iPad Pro introduces fast-charging support. Per Apple’s website:
Up to 50% charge in 35 minutes with the 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max or other USB-C power adapter capable of providing 60W or higher
There is no fast charging offered by the M4 iPad Pro or prior models.
You can buy Apple’s 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max on Amazon for $39. It also provides the best fast charging for iPhone 17 and iPhone Air models.
C1X 5G modem
Last month, the iPhone Air arrived with a brand new Apple-designed cellular modem: the C1X.
Now, iPad Pro becomes just the second Apple product to boast a C1X modem.
C1X delivers, per Apple, “up to 50 percent faster cellular data performance than its predecessor with even greater efficiency.”
Though it’s unclear from that quote whether the “50 percent” improvement is compared to C1 or the previous iPad Pro modem, it seems the latter is intended. Separately in the M5 iPad Pro press release, Apple says simply that C1X “brings users up to 50 percent faster cellular data performance.”
Battery life gains for heavy cellular users
Officially, Apple quotes the same battery life estimates for M5 iPad Pro and M4 models.
Both offer the typical “Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi or watching video” and “Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using cellular data network.”
However, thanks to the C1X modem, heavy cellular users will actually find that the M5 iPad Pro offers better battery life overall. From Apple’s press release:
and for active cellular users, up to 30 percent less power usage than iPad Pro with M4
How much difference will that make overall in battery life? It’s hard to say. Apparently not enough for Apple to change its official estimates. But if, like me, you use the iPad Pro on cellular often, it’s worth considering.
N1 wireless chip
The M5 iPad Pro comes equipped with Apple’s new N1 wireless chip.
N1 first debuted in the iPhone 17 line, and now it’s part of the high-end iPad Pro.
Wi-Fi 7 support is enabled by N1, while the M4 iPad Pro was limited to Wi-Fi 6E. N1 also features Bluetooth 6 (up from 5.3) and Thread support.
Apple says that N1 provides better performance when connected to 5GHz networks, and “improves the overall performance and reliability of features like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop.”
To learn more about N1’s unique benefits, see this interview with Apple execs.
External display support at 120Hz
You may have heard that Apple has a new Studio Display coming soon. The company’s M5 iPad Pro announcement might have just revealed a key feature that’s coming.
Per Apple’s press release:
The new iPad Pro adds the ability to drive external displays at up to 120Hz — ideal for creative workflows like video editing as well as gaming. And for users with a 120Hz external display, iPad Pro also brings new support for Adaptive Sync, which provides the lowest possible latency in external display performance, resulting in smoother motion and fewer perceived glitches, useful for low-latency use cases like gaming.
Is this a guarantee that the new Studio Display will feature 120Hz refresh rate? No, but it sure seems likely.
What isn’t new with M5 iPad Pro vs M4 model
There’s a lot that remains identical about the M5 iPad Pro vs its M4 predecessor.
- Sizes: You get the same 11-inch and 13-inch sizes with identical dimensions in every way.
- Display: It’s the same Ultra Retina XDR display on both models.
- Cameras: Despite rumors of a second front-facing camera, both M5 and M4 iPad Pros have the same camera setups.
- Prices: The iPad Pro got significant price increases when the M4 models arrived, and those prices are the same with M5 models: $999 starting price for the 11-inch model and $1,299 for the 13-inch.
- Accessories: Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard accessories remain unchanged.
You can buy the M5 iPad Pro 11-inch model here and the 13-inch model here for delivery on Wednesday, October 22.
Are you considering an M5 iPad Pro upgrade from an M4 model? Let us know in the comments.
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