Apple just revealed the 2025 iPad Pro, which gets a speed boost from the new M5 processor, and some variants get 50% more RAM. The premium tablet includes an OLED screen in both the 13-inch and 11-inch versions.
“Powered by the next generation of Apple silicon, the new iPad Pro delivers our most advanced and versatile iPad experience yet,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. “iPad Pro with M5 unlocks endless possibilities for creativity and productivity — with a huge leap in AI performance and a big boost in graphics, superfast wireless connectivity, and game-changing iPadOS 26 features, it pushes the boundaries of what iPad can do yet again.”
Many previous features carry forward
This is the first new iPad Pro version since spring 2024, but that’s normal — Apple typically upgrades its premium tablets every year and a half. The previous model brought in an OLED screen, and the 13-inch variant boasts an exceptionally slim chassis.
The 2024 model was well received by reviewers and the public, which is important because the new iPad Pro is essentially a “chip and ship” upgrade. The primary change is the inclusion of the M5 chip. The rumored second front-facing camera did not materialize.
With no external changes, cases designed for the M4 iPad Pro are compatible with the new M5 version, including the Apple Magic Keyboard.
Latest iPad Pro gets speed boost from Apple M5 chip
Photo: Apple
While Apple promises that the CPU cores in the M5 processor offer a performance boost, it focuses on improvements to graphics and AI.
M5 in the iPad Pro includes up to a 10-core CPU, with four performance cores and six efficiency cores. And Apple brags that this is “the world’s fastest CPU core.” Expect a 15% improvement in multithreaded performance over the M4.
Note that variants with 256GB or 512GB of storage include nine CPU cores — there’s one less performance core. Getting 10 cores requires paying more for additional storage.
“M5 is ideal for visually intensive applications and gaming,” says Apple, noting that a third-generation ray-tracing engine offers 1.5x faster 3D rendering with ray tracing than the previous-generation iPad Pro. That means more realistic lighting, reflections and shadows.
The 10-core GPU introduces a new architecture that puts a Neural Accelerator in each core. The result is artificial intelligence performance that’s up to 3.5x faster than an M4. That’s important for an iPad Pro, and nearly all of Apple’s AI features run locally, not on a remote server.
More unified memory and faster storage access
Apple took the unusual step — for Apple — of announcing how much RAM is included in its newest tablets. Variants with 256GB and 512GB of storage now come with 12GB of unified memory — a 50% increase. Paying for more storage also gets more RAM: 16GB.
And the M5 iPad Pro offers over 150 GBps of unified memory bandwidth — a nearly 30% increase compared to the previous generation.
Storage options remain the same. There’s the aforementioned 256GB and 512GB variants, plus 1TB and 2TB configurations. But access is faster, with the new tablet offering up to 2x faster storage read and write speeds.
N1 and C1X: More Apple silicon
The tablet features the N1, a new Apple-designed wireless networking chip that enables Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread. Apple promises that N1 brings better performance when connected to 5GHz networks, and improves the overall performance and reliability of features like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop.
M5 iPad Pro variants configured with cellular-wireless connectivity use the C1X, a cellular modem designed by Apple. A highlight is up to 30% less power drain than iPad Pro with M4.
Power matters
Apple says the both the 13-inch and 11-inch variants of the M5 iPad Pro are good for up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi or watching video on a single charge. That’s unchanged from the M4 version.
But, for the first time, the 2025 iPad Pro supports fast charge, enabling up to a 50% charge in around 30 minutes. That requires a high-wattage power adapter.
So much unchanged
The list of features that didn’t change between the M5 and M5 versions of the iPad Pro is lengthy. Screen sizes and resolutions remain the same. The USB-C port continues to support Thunderbolt 3 and USB4 for 40 Gbps data transfers.
As noted, the rumor of an additional front-facing camera didn’t pan out. Apple didn’t even put in the 18megapixel front facing camera from the iPhone 17 series.
Order M5 iPad Pro today
Apple began taking pre-orders for the M5 iPad Pro as soon as the tablet was announced on Wednesday. The tablet will begin arriving in stores on October 22.
Order from: Apple
The prices remain the same, so the 13-inch model starts at $1,299, while the 11-inch one starts at $999. Configuring the tablets with additional storage increases the prices.
Color options are silver and space black.
Meet the new iPad Pro. Furiously fast with M5, making it even more powerful for all of your creative ideas. pic.twitter.com/EowZJ7hAt3
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) October 15, 2025
