Can a single chip, a smarter OS, and a new charger push the iPad Pro closer to being a true laptop replacement? Apple’s 2025 iPad Pro makes its case with the M5 processor, iPadOS 26’s desktop-class upgrades, and a 40W charger that peaks at 60W output. While the design is unchanged from last year’s M4 model, the internal engineering tells a different story.
At the heart of the update is the M5 chip, fabricated on TSMC’s third-generation 3nm process (N3P) and featuring a 9‑ or 10‑core CPU, a 10‑core GPU with integrated Neural Accelerators, and a 16‑core Neural Engine. Benchmarks show up to 15% faster CPU performance and up to 35% faster GPU performance compared to the M4, with ray tracing seeing a 45% boost. In practice, GPU-bound tasks such as Blender ray-traced rendering or diffusion-based image generation feel markedly snappier, though everyday browsing and media playback remain similar to the M4 experience. Networking sees a strategic shift with Apple’s in-house radios. The N1 chip integrates Wi‑Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, and Thread, delivering higher throughput and lower latency. Jason Snell noted Wi‑Fi 7 speeds outpacing Wi‑Fi 6E in real-world tests, though Apple’s implementation caps channel bandwidth at 160MHz. The C1X modem handles sub‑6GHz and C‑band 5G, with Apple claiming up to 50% faster cellular data and improved efficiency. Upload speeds in some tests were dramatically higher Six Colors recorded a 6.8× improvement in upstream throughput on AT&T’s network though download performance varied by carrier and coverage.
The iPad Pro’s USB‑C connector preserves Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 compatibility at 40Gbps but can power external displays now at 4K120Hz with Adaptive Sync. Federico Viticchi confirmed silky smooth ProMotion animations on a non‑Apple OLED display using a common USB4 cable, and you don’t have to surrender refresh rate compromises upon docking.
IPadOS 26 makes the hardware’s possibilities real. Free‑form resize, stacking, and snapping of numerous app windows are possible under the new Windowed Apps mode, along with macOS‑like traffic light controls for close, minimize, and fullscreen. An adaptive menu bar varies by each app, and App Exposé provides an on‑screen overview of all open windows within a workspace. The new Files app gets resizable column List view, customizable folder color/icons, and the ability to define file type defaults. Background Tasks finally allow seamless processing for exports, batch imaging, or audio rendering long‑overdue pro workflow limitation on iPad.
Charging technology gets a rare leap forward. Apple’s new 40W Dynamic Power Adapter, supporting USB‑C PD 3.2 with SPR AVS, can briefly ramp to 60W to accelerate top‑up times. In tests, the M5 iPad Pro reached 50% charge in 30–35 minutes, compared to 33% for the M4 in the same interval. Despite matching the physical size of Apple’s 20W charger, the new adapter’s thermal design manages short bursts of high output without overheating, making it a compelling upgrade for mobile professionals. For creative experts, the combination of M5’s GPU acceleration, fast I/O, and iPadOS 26’s new multitasking redesign makes the iPad Pro an even better MacBook alternative for specific tasks. Video editors, e.g., render in the background while they annotate PDFs in the new Preview application; photographers batch-process RAWs without window-management tedium; designers switch to external, high-refresh monitors without giving up responsiveness. However, as Federico Viticci notes, iPadOS lacks the full range of macOS AI tools, leaving some of M5’s AI capabilities underutilized.
The 2025 iPad Pro isn’t a radical transformation its body, Ultra Retina XDR dual OLED display panel, and accessory support are all the same as last year’s but the engineering on the inside provides quantifiable velocity, deeper connectivity, and desktop-like command. For those on older M-series generations, the upgrade represents a big jump; for M4 owners, the question comes down to whether those shorter AI pipelines, wireless improvements, and charging come close to satisfying their everyday needs.
