Apple’s M5 iPad Pro launched last month, and I upgraded from an M4 iPad Pro. My first impressions of the new model were positive, but here’s how my 13-inch M5 iPad Pro has held up after a full month of use.

M5 iPad Pro: The little things really do add up

Looking at a side-by-side comparison of the M5 iPad Pro and the M4 model, the changes can seem pretty incremental.

There’s no big external redesign, and not many flashy upgrades beyond the M5 chip.

Here’s a full rundown of what’s actually new:

1. M5 chip
2. faster RAM, and more of it
3. C1X 5G modem
4. N1 wireless chip
5. fast charging
6. battery gains on cellular
7. 120Hz external display support

New M5 and C1X chips bring performance and efficiency gains

Apple put its new C1X modem in the iPad Pro, and so far it’s offered excellent performance.

Apple technically doesn’t advertise better battery life on the M5 iPad Pro’s specs page, but its announcement press release says C1X offers active cellular users “up to 30 percent less power usage than iPad Pro with M4.”

Outside of C1X, the new M5 chip and RAM upgrades have absolutely made iPadOS 26 feel snappier and smoother than before.

Gone are the stutters and performance slowdowns I sometimes encountered on my M4. This iPad feels better optimized for Apple’s iPadOS upgrades than last year’s model.

Future proof, but not like prior iPad Pro models

One common theme with reviews of prior iPad Pro models was that the hardware was so far ahead of the software, it was “future proof.”

The same term applies to the M5 iPad Pro, but in a more positive and unique way.

iPadOS 26 finally matches the power of the iPad Pro’s hardware, and 26.1 and 26.2 take things even further.

If you’re coming from an older iPad, the M5 iPad Pro is a fantastic upgrade. If you already own the M4, you probably want to pass on the M5 to get more value out of your current model.

Source: 9to5mac