Apple presents the new iPad Pro with M5 chip: more power, OLED screen and ultra-thin design that borders on the level of a Mac

Apple has presented the new iPad Pro with M5 chip. The leap is not measured only in benchmarks: there are changes in the chip architecture, in connectivity, in how it handles external screens and in iPadOS 26, which finally treats multitasking with the seriousness that professionals requested.

An M5 focused on AI… and graphics

The heart is the M5. Apple talks about a Faster Neural Engine and a 10-core GPU with a Neural Accelerator built into each core. The important fact for anyone who generates broadcast images or applies video masks with AI: the iPad Pro with M5 offers up to 3 times more AI performance compared to the M4 and up to 5 times more performance compared to the M1 under similar loads.

Besides, launches third generation of ray-tracing. The CPU can reach 10 cores (4 performance + 6 efficiency). In practice, video editors in Final Cut or engines like Octane X will see real reductions in export and render times.

The M5 comes with more unified memory bandwidth: about 30% more than the previous generation. In parallel, Apple doubles storage read/write speed and, finally, raises the base memory of the models of 256 GB and 512 GB to 12 GB. These are improvements that don’t show up on a slide, but are noticeable when you open heavy projects, train local models, or keep several professional apps operating in parallel.

C1X and N1: faster and more stable connectivity

Two new chips land in the iPad Pro. The C1X is its own modem: Up to 50% more mobile data performance and up to 30% less consumption for users who frequently use 5G, plus active GPS and eSIM to manage plans without going to the store.

He N1 is the internal network brain: WiFi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread, with specific improvements in 5 GHz networks and in the reliability of functions such as AirDrop or the personal hotspot. For those who work outside the office, they are changes that remove friction.

Design and screen: OLED tandem and sustained brightness

Apple maintains both sizes, 11 and 13 inchesbut squeeze the thickness: 5.3 mm for the small and 5.1 mm for the large. The screen Ultra Retina XDR with tandem OLED It retains its punch: 1,000 nits sustained in SDR and HDR with peaks of 1,600 nits in HDR.

For complicated environments there is a nano-textured glass option that reduces reflections without losing contrast. New key detail for creative flows: now can drive external monitors up to 120 Hz and adds Adaptive Sync to lower latency and smooth scrolling, something that is appreciated both in editing and in gaming.

The other half of the leap is in the software. iPadOS 26 introduces a more natural window system, menu bar and a strengthened Files app with an improved list view, folders in the Dock, the ability to define default apps for file types and also Preview (finally), among other things.

Fast charging and autonomy: practicality also counts

Without any big fireworks, there’s one handy tweak: fast charge up to 50% in about 30 minutes with a high-wattage USB-C adapter, like the new one 40W Dynamic Power Adapter (60W Max). For those who live with the iPad in their backpack, it means going from 20% to “I continue the day” in the time of a coffee.

Price and availability

For now, prices in the US are known: iPad Pro 11″ from $999 (WiFi) and $1,199; iPad Pro 13″ from $1,299 (WiFi) and $1,499. 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB configurations, in space black and silver.

If you come from an iPad Pro with M1 or earlier, the jump is evident: more muscle in AI, graphics with third-generation ray-tracing, better memory bandwidth, storage that does not create a bottleneck, and connectivity that gets you out of trouble when there is no good network.

It is not the cheapest iPad, but it is intended to fit the discourse of “tablet that replaces the laptop” for a broad profile of creators and mobile professionals. If you fit there, the iPad Pro with M5 is no longer a promise: it’s a tool ready to work.

iPad Pro M5 specifications