Is An Ipad Pro Still Worth It In 2025? I Tested The M5 Model For Weeks, And Here's My Advice

Apple iPad Pro (M5, 2025)

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The M5 iPad Pro is now disposable for purchase, starting astatine $999 for nan 11-inch and $1,199 for nan 13-inch variant.
• It features Apple's astir powerful processor yet, promising faster speeds, improved AI workflows, and amended efficiency.
• It besides runs connected Apple's astir updated connectivity chipsets.

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Apple recently announced its fastest and strongest processor: nan M5. The caller spot powers nan latest iPad Pro and MacBook Pro, some of which are now disposable for purchase. The iPad Pro is renowned for being Apple's astir cutting-edge tablet, designed for powerfulness users and, according to nan company's claims, moreover tin of replacing a laptop. 

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I've utilized each nan latest iPads, from nan iPad Mini to nan iPad 11, nan iPad Air, and nan iPad Pro pinch M1. Based connected a fewer weeks of use, nan iPad Pro pinch M5 is already nan champion performer of each - and it's not moreover close.

Visually, nan iPad Pro is sleek and appealing. It features a thin, unassuming build that makes it almost unsettling erstwhile you see really overmuch powerfulness is packed into thing truthful ray -- particularly erstwhile testing nan 11-inch variant. Apple besides offers nan 12.9-inch iPad Pro, successful lawsuit you require nan other surface existent estate, but nan 11-inch size is conscionable correct for everything I request connected a tablet.

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I'd been utilizing nan 13-inch iPad Air pinch nan Magic Keyboard for a fewer months, which was awesome capable to switch my MacBook Pro for astir tasks, but not each of them. The iPad Pro pinch nan M5 spot and iPadOS 26, however, sewage maine nan closest to nan laptop acquisition than immoderate iPad, often moreover surpassing my MacBook's performance, moreover successful nan 11-inch shape factor. 

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

My biggest gripe pinch Apple's declare that an iPad tin switch a laptop successful a pinch has ever been that nan mobile acquisition inherent successful nan iPad interface simply can't hit MacOS -- aliases immoderate laptop experience, for that matter. You could, pinch Samsung DeX, for example, bask a laptop-like acquisition connected a Samsung Galaxy tablet, but nan iPad conscionable hasn't trim it -- until iPadOS 26.

With iPadOS 26, nan enhanced windowing strategy (which allows you to freely arrange, resize, and furniture aggregate apps, entree your paper bar, and position docked folders, among different things) has fixed Apple's ultraportable shape facet much functionality that not only makes nan iPad that overmuch much for illustration a laptop but besides much intuitive.

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There are ever immoderate hits and misses pinch each interfaces, particularly pinch caller releases, and iPadOS 26 is nary exception. While much of a package rumor and not an iPad Pro problem, resizing, stacking, and arranging windows to your liking is easy and intuitive, but doesn't ever activity retired arsenic expected. 

While iPadOS 26 lets you easy resize windows, you person to hold a fewer seconds for nan model to drawback up to your ministrations. 

Still, iPadOS 26 has been rather a refreshing return connected nan tablet's interface, which is frankly astonishing to spot from Apple, fixed its peculiarly rigid attack to innovation. It's yet made nan iPad nan intuitively responsive tablet I've ever wanted from Apple.

The powerfulness of nan M5 successful nan iPad Pro, mixed pinch iPadOS 26 and a keyboard (in this case, nan Magic Keyboard), makes this tablet nan closest acquisition to a MacBook I've ever had. After penning a afloat caller connected nan iPad Air pinch its respective Magic Keyboard, I became rather accustomed to nan consciousness of typing connected it, quirks and all. 

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The Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro has precocious received an upgrade, featuring a stronger building and an aluminum thenar remainder on some sides of nan wider trackpad. Opening nan Magic Keyboard lawsuit to usage nan iPad Pro connected your thigh aliases a array is conscionable arsenic comfortable arsenic utilizing your laptop. 

The Magic Keyboard is sturdy and stiff, and doesn't springiness aliases consciousness wobbly for illustration different tablet cases can, which checks different constituent for Apple's declare that nan iPad Pro tin switch a laptop.

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

The biggest use to utilizing nan iPad Pro for illustration a laptop is that you besides get iPad-exclusive perks, specified arsenic a touchscreen (which hasn't been introduced connected MacBooks yet) and nan expertise to usage a stylus, for illustration nan Apple Pencil Pro. In this way, nan iPad is an moreover amended activity instrumentality than Apple's laptops.

The drawback of this year's iPad Pro model, for illustration nan ones earlier it, remains that it's acold from cheap, starting astatine conscionable astir $1,000 and quickly rising depending connected retention and peripherals configuration. Most powerfulness users will apt want to adhd nan Magic Keyboard, Apple Pencil Pro, and perchance moreover a surface protector. That each equates to a minimum walk of $1,500. So it boils down to really overmuch you're consenting to salary for nan use of nan slim and thin, multitouch device.

Comparing nan caller iPad Pro pinch immoderate of Apple's different iPads that are presently available, arsenic good arsenic nan Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra and S10 FE+, shows that nan iPad Pro pinch M5 is astir 1.5 times faster than nan M3-powered iPad Air, and 2.5 times faster than nan much costly Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra successful graphics. 

That said, nan iPad Air costs importantly little than nan iPad Pro's starting value and still offers astir 70% of nan Pro's CPU performance, making it a compelling prime for immoderate powerfulness users.

I utilized nan iPad Pro pinch nan M5 processor and cellular connectivity, taking it anyplace I could. I tested it to edit 4K solution video connected Final Cut Pro for iPad, which was acold much seamless than editing connected Premiere connected my M1 MacBook Pro, and to transportation files to and from smartphones, tablets, and unreality services. 

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Apple promises enhanced connectivity features pinch nan C1X and N1 chips connected nan iPad Pro. The chips springiness nan iPad Pro Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Thread, and faster 5G connectivity, each of which construe to faster downloads, a amended and much reliable AirDrop experience, and smoother hotspot use. 

In my tests, AirDrop capacity was comparable to that connected older devices, but cellular information capacity was acold amended connected nan caller iPad.

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

For a mates of days successful my testing period, I either worked, read, aliases streamed contented connected nan iPad Pro for astir of a six-hour roadworthy travel on nan confederate US. I knowledgeable nary noticeable dormant spots aliases slowdowns astatine immoderate constituent -- moreover erstwhile my telephone did. 

The iPad Pro was reliable for illustration nary different 5G tablet I've tested, which has been a few, and nan relationship was ever fast, indicating that Apple has nailed nan on-the-go computing acquisition pinch nan iPad Pro.

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Thread connectivity doesn't look to beryllium enabled for nonstop relationship to smart location devices astatine this time, and it's unclear whether Apple plans to utilize it for this purpose, arsenic seen successful nan iPhone 15 Pro and newer models. 

ZDNET's buying advice

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

The iPad Pro, pinch nan M5 spot and iPadOS 26, is nan champion tablet for powerfulness users I've tested -- and 1 that is yet tin of replacing a laptop for mundane computing. The tablet is faster and much accordant successful rendering graphics and loading assets than my M1 MacBook Pro, and is moreover noticeably snappier than my M3 iPad Air. 

Yet, nan iPad Pro isn't nan correct iPad for astir tablet users, who are unwilling to walk complete $1,000 connected a tablet. I'd still urge nan guidelines exemplary iPad 11 for astir users, and nan iPad Air for those who require a spot much powerfulness for much demanding tasks, specified arsenic occasional video editing, coding, aliases schematic work, but who don't request it each day.

For powerfulness users, nan iPad Pro is simply a amended action than nan high-end Tab S11 Ultra, for example, particularly if you're looking for nan processing powerfulness that tin only beryllium achieved pinch a laptop aliases desktop machine connected nan go. 

The iPad Pro tin beryllium expensive, particularly if you opt for a Magic Keyboard, but I tin confidently opportunity that you could moreover do without a laptop if you wanted to -- that's really powerful this tablet is.

Looking for nan adjacent champion product? Get master reviews and editor favorites with ZDNET Recommends.