**Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M5, 2025) Review**
**Price When Reviewed:** $999
**Best Prices Today:** [Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M5, 2025)](https://www.apple.com/ipad-pro/)
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### Introduction
When Apple introduced the iPad Pro M4 just over a year ago, it came packed with new features and a completely revamped design. This premium tablet clearly stood out from the iPad Air with its thinner build, stunning OLED display, and faster chip. Now, Apple has upgraded the iPad Pro by replacing the M4 chip with the new M5 chip, delivering modest yet meaningful improvements overall.
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### Design and Display
Apple has achieved an elegant and thin design with the iPad Pro, while maintaining a robust and high-quality build. The 13-inch model is remarkably thin at just 5.1 millimeters, while the 11-inch version measures 5.3 millimeters thick. The device’s first-class workmanship combined with a sturdy aluminum housing ensures it remains visually appealing even after years of intensive use.
Interestingly, the only way to distinguish the M4 and M5 iPad Pro models physically is a small detail: the M4 model features a model label on the back, whereas the M5 model lacks this serial and model number detail.
Note that Apple’s Smart Keyboard for iPad Pro, released back in 2015, is not compatible with the M4 and M5 models. Users with older accessories will need to purchase a newer keyboard cover (available in two colors) and a protective case.
The switch to OLED display technology has helped Apple save significant space in the iPad Pro. For instance, the 13-inch iPad Air, equipped with an LED screen, is a full millimeter thicker and noticeably heavier at 682 grams compared to the iPad Pro M5’s lightweight 579 grams. This makes the iPad Pro more portable and practical as a mobile device.
Apple equips the iPad Pro with a top-tier Tandem OLED panel featuring brightness up to 1,000 nits—roughly twice as bright as the iPad Air—and an impressive peak of 1,600 nits for HDR content. This is a significant advantage for viewing HDR photos or videos. The display supports an adaptive refresh rate from 1Hz to 120Hz with ProMotion technology, delivering smooth scrolling and responsiveness.
The OLED panel impresses with vibrant colors and sharp image quality, making the IPS panels on other iPads appear somewhat outdated. For professional users engaged in color-critical tasks like image or video editing, the iPad Pro offers a dedicated “reference mode.” This mode utilizes reference colors for common color standards and video formats, automatically disabling color adjustments like Night Shift and True Tone to maintain color accuracy. External calibration is also supported.
Unlike the iPad Air, the iPad Pro supports Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG color profiles. Additionally, 1TB and 2TB models offer an optional nano-textured glass screen for an extra $100/£100, which dramatically reduces reflections but makes the display slightly more vulnerable to scratches.
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### CPU and GPU Performance
At the heart of the iPad Pro is Apple’s latest M5 chip, offering several noteworthy enhancements over the M4. The memory bandwidth has increased from 120GB/s to 153GB/s, alongside improvements in dynamic caching and faster ray tracing capabilities. This translates to smoother gaming and more realistic visual effects.
Benchmarks reveal the M5 CPU performs slightly better than the M4, with Geekbench scores of 4144 (single-core) and 16,503 (multi-core)—almost 12% higher. While this is a commendable upgrade, it may not be immediately noticeable in everyday use.
Apple often compares performance gains relative to the older M1 chip, found in the 2021 iPad Pro. The M1’s Geekbench scores of 2253 (single-core) and 8135 (multi-core) represent roughly half the power of the M5. This is a great reference point for users considering upgrading after five years.
Another significant change is that the 256GB and 512GB models now come with 12GB of RAM, up from 8GB in the previous generation. This boost improves multitasking and overall performance, making it a smart investment for the long term. The larger storage options maintain 16GB RAM as before.
Additionally, the M5 chip includes a 16-core Neural Engine. Notably, the GPU now features neural accelerators in each graphics core, which are designed to accelerate certain AI functions up to four times faster.
In GPU performance tests, the M5 iPad Pro scored 74,786 in the Geekbench Compute Metal benchmark, marking a 26% increase over the M4. The Solar Bay benchmark also showed a 22% improvement, while the Wild Life Extreme benchmark recorded nearly 12% higher performance. These results demonstrate that the new GPU’s strengths lie particularly in Metal API optimizations and ray tracing.
Thermal management remains excellent, with no overheating issues under continuous loads. CPU performance shows a moderate reduction to 81% under sustained load (compared to 86% on the M4), while graphics performance stabilizes around 79% after extended stress tests like Wild Life Extreme. This makes the iPad Pro suitable for lengthy gaming sessions and intensive graphics work. The graphics clock is throttled more quickly than on the M4, but it still maintains very high performance levels.
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### Improved AI Performance
The M5 chip’s AI performance improvements are substantial. Apple claims up to four times faster AI processing—but this applies only when the GPU, rather than the CPU, is utilized for AI tasks.
Benchmarks like Geekbench AI confirm that CPU and Neural Engine improvements are modest. However, when leveraging the GPU, the M5 offers more than double the AI performance of the M4.
In practice, many AI operations—such as generating graphics with Image Playground, object cropping in Final Cut Pro, or website summarization—are handled by the efficient but slower Neural Engine. The system automatically selects hardware for tasks, without user input.
Certain applications, like video scaling in DaVinci Resolve or specific Final Cut Pro functions, benefit from GPU acceleration. Apple highlights the AI image generation app Draw Things, claiming it creates AI images up to 3.5 times faster.
Testing this claim:
– Using the lightweight ‘Waifu’ model, the M4 iPad Pro took 50 seconds to generate a portrait, while the M5 completed it in 29 seconds—an improvement factor of 1.7, which is less than the promised 3.5.
– Using the complex ‘Qwen’ model (also used by Apple), the M4 took nearly 34 minutes, but the M5 finished in just 13 minutes and 31 seconds—a 2.5 times speed-up, much closer to Apple’s figure.
Performance gains depend heavily on the task and the AI model employed.
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### Faster Storage
Apple claims the iPad Pro’s SSD is twice as fast as its predecessor in reading and writing data, but the complex caching in iPadOS complicates consistent measurements.
Using Jazz Disk app benchmarks:
– M5 iPad Pro achieved 5,626 MB/s read and 1,925 MB/s write speeds.
– M4 iPad Pro measured 3,362 MB/s read and 2,017 MB/s write speeds.
Antutu’s memory benchmarks showed even higher figures on the M5:
– 6,289 MB/s write and 7,239 MB/s read speeds.
For comparison, the M4 scored 3,078 MB/s read and 3,505 MB/s write.
Besides the SSD, the Pro models include a fast USB-C interface. Testing with a 34GB LaCie Rugged external SSD yielded 2,594 MB/s transfer rates to the iPad Pro and 1,190 MB/s when copying back—similar to M4 performance and excellent values overall.
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### Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 Support
The new iPad Pro M5 supports the latest Bluetooth 6 and Wi-Fi 7 (IEEE 802.11be) standards, enabled by Apple’s new N1 chip. This upgrade brings meaningful benefits, significantly speeding up functions like AirDrop and improving hotspot connectivity.
In practical tests, transferring a 2.6GB file from an iPhone 17 Pro Max took 54 seconds via the M4 iPad Pro on Wi-Fi 6e, compared to only 34 seconds on the M5 iPad Pro with Wi-Fi 7. This translates to a transfer speed increase from 49 MB/s to 78 MB/s—a real performance leap.
Apple also claims a 50% boost in 5G performance with its self-developed C1X modem. However, cellular versions now require eSIM support only, which could be a drawback for users needing physical SIM cards.
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### Camera and Audio
The M5 iPad Pro retains a front and rear camera setup and remains the only iPad model equipped with a rear flash and LiDAR scanner.
– The flash is optimized for document photography, enabling photo and video capture even in low light.
– Video recording supports up to 4K resolution at 60 fps, including ProRes format through specialized apps.
– The LiDAR sensor enables precise measurements for surroundings and enhances AR experiences.
Image quality is acceptable but doesn’t match current iPhone camera standards. The front camera, located on the landscape-oriented side, offers a wide-angle lens but produces mediocre results in poor lighting. Thanks to digital zoom, it maintains center framing during video calls and can provide a wider viewing angle as needed.
Audio performance is a standout feature: four loudspeakers and four microphones deliver clear, high-quality sound during calls and media playback—even at high volumes. The Pro models continue to outperform competitors when playing music and videos.
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### Battery Performance
Battery capacity remains unchanged from the previous generation:
– 13-inch model: 38.99 watt-hours
– 11-inch model: 31.29 watt-hours
Apple rates both for approximately 10 hours of video playback and web surfing, which our tests confirm, with video playback extending even up to 14 hours.
Charging speed has improved—when empty, the battery can reach 50% in just 30 minutes. The previous generation only achieved about 30% in the same time frame. Note that fast charging requires a 60W charger.
Battery life tests involved looping a video playback at full brightness, with the device powering off after 14 hours—matching M4 performance. The OLED display helps conserve battery by turning off pixels in dark areas, meaning the iPad can last even longer when using dark mode.
However, battery consumption increases rapidly under full CPU and graphics load. During intense tasks like the Wild Life Extreme benchmark or AI image rendering, the battery can drop by 20% in just 20 minutes. This contrasts with energy-efficient models like the iPad 11, which drain battery more slowly under heavy use.
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### Should You Buy the M5 iPad Pro?
The new iPad Pro M5 is arguably the best tablet currently available. Its OLED display far surpasses those on other iPads, and Apple’s excellent keyboard case can make a MacBook unnecessary for many users.
It delivers stronger AI application performance, increased RAM on entry-level models, faster storage, and improved connectivity. However, upgrading from the M4 isn’t essential, given the incremental nature of improvements.
For users who don’t rely on professional apps, the much more affordable M3 iPad Air represents a compelling alternative worth considering.
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### Technical Specifications Summary
– **Display:** 11-inch or 13-inch Tandem OLED, up to 1,600 nits HDR brightness
– **Processor:** Apple M5 chip with 16-core Neural Engine and enhanced GPU with neural accelerators
– **RAM:** 12GB (256GB & 512GB models), 16GB (1TB & 2TB models)
– **Storage:** SSD with read speeds exceeding 5,600 MB/s
– **Wireless:** Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, 5G with eSIM only
– **Camera:** Rear flash, LiDAR scanner, up to 4K/60fps video recording
– **Battery:** 38.99 Wh (13-inch) / 31.29 Wh (11-inch), ~10-14 hours playback
– **Charging:** Up to 50% in 30 minutes with 60W charger
– **Audio:** Four speakers and four microphones
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**Overall Verdict:** The M5 iPad Pro is a powerful, premium tablet offering excellent performance, a stunning OLED display, and solid build quality. It stands out as a top choice for professional users and creatives, while casual users may find the M3 iPad Air sufficient.
https://www.macworld.com/article/2953912/ipad-pro-m5-review.html