Apple has introduced a new iPad Pro powered by the M5 chip, positioning the device as its most advanced tablet yet for AI-driven workflows, graphics-heavy tasks, and professional multitasking. The new iPad Pro is available for pre-order starting today and will arrive in stores on Wednesday, Oct. 22, according to the company.
Apple is framing the M5 iPad Pro as a major performance jump over prior generations, particularly for AI and graphics applications, while also expanding connectivity capabilities through Wi-Fi 7 and a new Apple-designed cellular modem.
“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.
M5 Targets AI Performance and Graphics-Heavy Workflows
Apple says the M5 chip delivers up to 3.5x the AI performance of the M4-powered iPad Pro and up to 5.6x faster AI performance than the iPad Pro with M1. The company says the gains come from a redesigned GPU architecture that includes a Neural Accelerator in each core, alongside a faster CPU and Neural Engine.
Apple is positioning the new iPad Pro as capable of handling on-device AI tasks such as diffusion-based image generation and AI-powered video masking—use cases it connected to apps like Draw Things and DaVinci Resolve.
The M5 also introduces a third-generation ray-tracing engine, which Apple says supports more realistic lighting and reflections in visually demanding applications and games. The company claims iPad Pro delivers up to 1.5x faster 3D rendering with ray tracing compared with the previous iPad Pro generation, and up to 6.7x faster rendering performance than the iPad Pro with M1.
Faster Memory, Storage, and New Fast-Charging Support
Apple says the new iPad Pro increases unified memory bandwidth to more than 150GB/s, which it describes as nearly a 30% increase over the previous generation. Storage read and write performance is also claimed to be up to 2x faster.
Apple is also increasing baseline memory configurations, with the 256GB and 512GB models now starting at 12GB of unified memory, which Apple says is 50% more than before.
Fast-charging has also been added, with Apple saying the new iPad Pro can reach 50% charge in around 30 minutes when paired with a higher-wattage USB-C adapter.
Apple Debuts New Wireless Chip and Brings C1X Modem to iPad Pro
Beyond silicon performance, Apple is pushing deeper into vertical integration across connectivity components.
The new iPad Pro introduces N1, an Apple-designed wireless networking chip that enables Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread, which Apple says improves performance and reliability across features like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop.
On cellular models, Apple is also introducing C1X, its Apple-designed modem, which it says delivers up to 50% faster cellular data performance than the previous generation, with lower power usage for frequent cellular users. Apple is also emphasizing GPS and 5G support for mobile productivity.
Ultra Retina XDR Display, Thin Design, and External Display Enhancements
The new iPad Pro will continue to ship in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes in space black and silver, with Apple emphasizing industrial design as a differentiator. Apple says the 11-inch model is 5.3 mm thin, while the 13-inch model is 5.1 mm thin.
The device continues to feature Apple’s Ultra Retina XDR display with tandem OLED technology, including high brightness output and support for nano-texture glass as an option for glare reduction.
Apple also adds support for driving external displays at up to 120Hz, and introduces Adaptive Sync support for compatible displays—moves aimed at professional creative workflows as well as gaming performance.
iPadOS 26 Adds New UI, Windowing System, and Pro Features
Apple is pairing the new iPad Pro with iPadOS 26, which introduces a new visual design built around “Liquid Glass,” along with an overhauled multitasking experience.
The company says iPadOS 26 adds a new windowing system, a menu bar for app commands, and expanded file management tools through an updated Files app. Apple is also bringing the Preview app to iPad, enabling native PDF viewing and editing with features such as Apple Pencil markup.
Apple is also emphasizing pro-focused capabilities including Background Tasks and more advanced audio and recording features, alongside Apple Intelligence enhancements such as Live Translation and expanded automation functions.
Pricing and Availability
The new iPad Pro with M5 will be available in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB configurations.
Pricing begins at:
- $999 (U.S.) for the 11-inch Wi-Fi model
- $1,199 (U.S.) for the 11-inch Wi-Fi + Cellular model
- $1,299 (U.S.) for the 13-inch Wi-Fi model
- $1,499 (U.S.) for the 13-inch Wi-Fi + Cellular model
Apple says the device will be available in Apple Store locations and through Apple Authorized Resellers beginning Oct. 22.
With the launch, Apple is continuing to position iPad Pro as a laptop-adjacent productivity device, with an emphasis on AI acceleration, advanced graphics performance, and higher-end multitasking features that increasingly blur the line between tablet and traditional computing.
