Apple continues to impress us with its professional tablets, and the latest iPad Pro with the M5 chipset is another recent example. This upgrade to the iPad Pro lineup improves performance by a mile and also boosts performance. Some other improvements include faster memory, better screen mirroring, and more.
However, little has changed from the previous iPad Pro M4 model, which is essentially the same tablet, with a slightly “older” chipset that’s not quite as fast but still outperforms the competition in the tablet space.
Should professionals who use the iPad Pro M4 consider the new M5 refresh? We spent some time with Apple’s latest performer and also put it through our in-house graphics, performance, battery life, and display speed tests to see if you should upgrade.
| iPad Pro 13-inch M5 | iPad Pro 13-inch M4 |
|---|---|
| New M5 chipset | Apple M4 chipset on deck |
| 12GB RAM in 256/512GB model | 8GB RAM in 256/512GB model |
| External display up to 120 Hz | External display up to 60 Hz |
| Apple N1 Chip (WiFi 7 + Bluetooth 6) | Broadcom Chip (Wi-Fi 6E + Bluetooth 5.3) |
| Apple C1X cellular model | Qualcomm Snapdragon 5G modem |
| Able to charge quickly | Regular charging speed |
Table of Contents:
Design and display
Consistency is the key
No visual changes, and none are needed (image phonena).
The new and old iPad Pro tablets are similar in terms of design language.
We get the same stunning and attractive full aluminum body with flat sides and display, with the usual curved corners and fairly thin bezels. Both the old and new iPads measure 281.6 x 215.5mm, which is decent considering their sheer size, especially on the 13-inch models we have here. The most impressive aspect of the design here is the extraordinary thinness of just 5.1mm, which is less than the plug of a USB-C cable.
(Photo by Phonerina)
As a result, the iPad Pro is a joy to handle, and the relatively low weight of 582 grams helps too. It’s still a huge tablet that can look comical in certain situations, but at least it’s delightfully thin and light.
In our tests, apples iPad Pro M5 And the M4 features similar display specs, which is normal considering the lack of changes. Very high peak brightness and comparable minimum brightness, along with the best preset color calibration you’ll find.
Both use facial recognition as their biometrics of choice, and the system works flawlessly and intuitively here.
Keyboard and stylus
We love all of these accessories because they greatly enhance the functionality of the iPad Pro. With the keyboard, the iPad becomes a very suitable laptop alternative, especially considering the latest improvements to desktop mode in iPadOS 26. On the other hand, the Apple Pencil is still the undeniable sidekick to anyone remotely interested in sketching and drawing.
Performance and benchmarks
A burst of changes
The latter is really the only reason the iPad Pro exists alongside the M5. Apple’s latest chipset is a desktop-grade powerhouse that gives this mobile device great performance, improving on the already fast iPad Pro with the M4.
Like the previous iPad Pro M4, it also offers two versions of the M5 chip. The entry-level 256GB and 512GB versions come with a Nanacore M5 chip, which combines three performance and six performance cores, while the 1TB and 2TB versions come with a proper DecaCore M5 chip with four performance and six performance cores.
The Apple M5 is based on TSMC’s N3P process and equipped with a neural accelerator in each core, gets second-gen dynamic caching, score-enhancing shader cores, unified memory bandwidth of 153 GB/s (up from 120 GB/s) and more. Filtering out the lackluster specs list, it’s a fast chipset, even more impressive than its predecessor.
CPU Performance Benchmark:
In the Geekbench 6 tests, the M5 chip decisively beats the M4 in both single-core and multi-core tests. That’s a healthy improvement, but you’re only likely to experience the extra performance in redundant workflows like video export.
However, while peak graphics performance in the 3dmark extreme stress test is impressive on the iPad Pro with the M5, the M4 model still surprises in terms of consistent performance and actually beats the M5 in long-term graphics crunching performance.
In terms of memory, Apple has updated both the 256GB and 512GB models with 12GB of RAM, while the old model only had 8GB of RAM. The 1TB and 2TB versions still feature 16GB of RAM for the most demanding users.
Software
Both tablets come with iPadOS 26, the latest software update for Apple tablets that features a liquid glass redesign. But visuals certainly aren’t everything: iPadOS 26 also gives us an improved Stage Manager that now supports proper window management, even borrowing from the Mac’s essential traffic light buttons, which improves the overall usability of the tablet. However, the experience is still inferior to a proper MacBook, but the iPad 26 is still closer than ever.
The best thing here is that you get the standard lifestyle items that are usually associated with desktop computers. When you open and resize an app, the next time you open it, it will remember its last position and size. App Expose lets you quickly see all your open apps at once, just like on a Mac. In fact, the pair iPad Pro M5 With the Magic Keyboard, and using it will now feel even more similar to a MacBook. You can now also run external displays at up to 120Hz (compared to 60Hz on the iPad Pro M4), so the desktop experience is even better.
both iPad Pro M5 And the M4 has quad speakers that sound amazing. However, due to the ultra-slim design tongue, there simply isn’t as much physical space inside the tablet, so the speakers are small and produce a sound that isn’t as loud as previous iPad Pro generations. Audio quality is still excellent, but we’ve heard boomier and louder sound from an iPad Pro before.
Battery and charging
Both the iPad Pro M4 and M5 come with either an 8,160 mAh battery in the 11-inch or a 10,290 mAh one in the 13-inch version. Despite the lack of improvements in battery capacity, the new iPad Pro offers better battery life, which can be traced back to a more efficient chipset. The difference is obvious and definitely a huge improvement over the old generation.
Phonerina Battery Test Results:
Charging is faster, as Apple now allows the tablet to charge faster with a 60W+ charger. A full charge for the M5 model takes two hours, but a 30-minute one gets you to 49% battery, which is pretty good. The older M4 model only receives up to 30% in the same time.
Camera
The basics are covered
Both tablets share the same specs: a 12MP wide-angle camera on the back with a TOF sensor, plus a 12MP center-stage camera up front that’s great for FaceTime calls and video conferencing.
There is no difference in quality between the M5 and M4 generations.
The iPad can shoot 4K60FPS videos, and the quality is good. On the odd occasion you have to take a video, you won’t be disappointed.
Video quality
Image quality
The same applies to photos, where both tablets achieve similar dynamic range, sharpness and color. Not bad
Which one should you buy?
The iPad Pro 13-inch (M5) is not intended for users of the older M4 variant. Absolutely not!
Upgrading makes zero sense here, as some of the improvements a new device isn’t able to get. Sure, you might get better battery life and faster charging, as well as better performance for some edge scenarios, but overall, we can’t see how the iPad Pro can be considered slow or outdated with the M4.
This new iPad Pro is aimed here at users of very old iPad Pro tablets, perhaps those using the M1 chip or older units. Upgrading will make a lot of sense in these cases, and if you’re still using one of them, consider getting Apple’s latest performer.
