At a glance
Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Stunning display
- Superb performance
- Gorgeous slim and lightweight design
- Fast charging
Cons
- Very expensive
- Nano-texture coating only available on some models
- Accessories not included
Our Verdict
Apple’s iPad Pro is an exceptional tablet with great performance, a stunning display, a super slim and lightweight design, and a decent battery life. However, given how expensive it is and with no accessories in the box, make sure there isn’t a cheaper alternative that will suit you just as well.
Price When Reviewed
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Price When Reviewed
$999
Best Prices Today: Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M5, 2025)
$949
$989
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$999.99
Apple’s iPad lineup is the most extensive it’s ever been. There’s the cute and compact iPad mini (A17 Pro), the excellent everyday iPad (A16), the powerful and portable iPad Air (M3) and at the top, you have the iPad Pro.
Until recently, that was the iPad Pro (M4), but Apple has now introduced a more advanced processor to this slab in the M5, whilst also improving connectivity and adding, for the first time on iPad, fast charging.
If you have the iPad Pro (M4), it’s highly unlikely you’ll be upgrading, but if you have an older iPad Pro, another iPad, or you’re new to iPad entirely, there’s a lot to love in the iPad Pro (M5). Having used it since it was announced, here’s why it cements itself as best in class, as well as what to consider before you hit buy.
Design & Build
- Same design as iPad Pro (M4)
- Two colours
- Aluminium build
There’s just something about slim devices. I’m not even sure we’ve all noticed as phones and tablets have increased in thickness over the last few years. Compare the iPhone 6 to the iPhone 17, though, and there is a noticeable difference. When the iPad Pro (M4) was revealed in May 2024, its 5.1mm build was as noteworthy as it was impressive.
Britta O’Boyle
At that point, we hadn’t seen the iPhone Air or the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, so phones weren’t anywhere near that slim, let alone tablets. It was so light and portable, even in the 13-inch size, and its design was a real delight.
The iPad Pro (M5) thought it best to keep things exactly how they were, and that’s something I won’t fault in this case. There are two sizes again – 11 inches and 13 inches – with the smaller model fractionally thicker at 5.3mm. That’s still thinner than the iPhone Air, and just like that phone, get this tablet in your hand and you’ll really appreciate how lovely it is.
Britta O’Boyle
At 444g on the 11-inch model, it’s nearly a third of the weight of a MacBook Air, while the 13-inch model (and my review unit) is just 580g – still pretty much half the weight of Apple’s cheapest laptop.
The aluminium frame comes in two boring yet classy colour options – Silver and Space Black – with the latter being my preference. All models have a small camera housing on the rear, a Smart Connector for attaching accessories and uniform bezels around the display.
Get this tablet in your hand and you’ll really appreciate how lovely it is
Screen & Speakers
- 11- or 13-inch options
- Tandem OLED, 120Hz refresh rate
- Apple Pencil Pro support
- Quad speakers
The display on the M5 iPad Pro is also the same as the M4 version. Again, this is by no means a bad thing.
Apple is continuing with what it calls a Tandem OLED display, which effectively means two OLED panels on top of each other to deliver a brighter screen overall. As a result, there’s a peak brightness of 1,600 nits on the iPad Pro (M5), which not only makes it usable outside on a sunny day but also ensures HDR photos and videos look superb.
