Apple's 2025 iPad Pro Introduces M5 Chip and iPadOS 26 Enhancements

"...I called it the best iPad ever...."

"...I also wondered how it could even get much better...."

"...I’m more compelled by it than I expected to be...."

"...The biggest reason by far is not the new hardware but iPadOS 26, which finally imbues the iPad with some PC-like powers...."

"...Liquid Glass remains a mistake...."

"...Apple has clearly decided that iPads should just be more like Macs...."

"...I don’t know why you’d get this device unless you’re also getting an Apple Pencil or a Magic Keyboard or both, and at that point this is at least a $1,500 expense...."

"...If you need a computer, I’d still recommend a Mac to most people...."

"...But if you want an iPad, and you want the best iPad, there’s no other choice...."

"...I put the M5 Pro on the charger dead, and exactly 30 minutes later it was at 50 percent...."

"...I did the same with the M4 Pro, and it was at 33 percent after half an hour...."

"...Good stuff in either case!..."

"...This charger’s going everywhere with me from now on...."

"...This is a chip bump through and through...."

"...Apple wants you to think that every bit of performance gain matters, because AI workflows are becoming ubiquitous and Foundation Models are part of everything you do...."

"...Whether you think slightly faster AI image generation is a killer app is between you and your god, but so far, Image Playground isn’t tempting me to upgrade...."

"...If you’re shopping for an iPad Pro, I’d tell most people to see if you can get a good deal on an M4 Pro, which remains plenty good and plenty powerful for almost everything...."

"...But if you are on the absolute bleeding edge of the iPad, I struggle to find a reason you won’t love the M5 Pro...."

"...It’s the best, even better...."

"...I worried with last year’s model that the iPad Pro was almost too good a piece of hardware, given how limited iPadOS continued to be...."

"...Those shackles aren’t all the way off with iPadOS 26, but they’re getting there...."

"...The M5 Pro now feels a lot like a super-fast laptop that never seems to slow down, even when I have 10 overlapping apps open just because I can...."

"...It’s more intuitive to navigate, especially with a trackpad and keyboard...."

"...You can find things in Files now!..."

"...We’re still a lot of desktop-class apps away from a full “what is a computer” crisis, but iPadOS 26 makes clear that Apple thinks of the iPad as more or less just a laptop...."

"...And the M5 Pro is one of the best and best-looking laptops I’ve ever used...."