I'm not holding my breath for the M5 iPad Pro, here's why

Summary

The 2025 iPad Pro is rumored to be getting an M5 processor, but that alone could make for a boring, essentially pointless upgrade.
The limits of iPadOS deter powerful apps, so even five-year-old iPads remain very relevant.
It’s hard to see what Apple can do to spice up the next Pro short of a serious redesign.

In many respects, I’m a fan of iPads. When I’m working, I use my 11-inch, 2020 iPad Pro as a second screen — it lets me check notifications, control my music and lights, and respond to messages without having to switch away from writing tools on my laptop. Traveling, I’ll use my iPad as a compact laptop replacement, if mostly just for mid-flight entertainment. I started and finished all of the Apple TV+ show Masters of the Air during a trip back to Texas.

Apple is, of course, working on a next-generation iPad Pro, having just released an updated iPad Air and an 11th-generation base iPad. The update is rumored to center around an Apple M5 processor. That should, in theory, make me salivate as someone who’s overdue for an upgrade — but honestly, I don’t know if I’d buy one even with a sudden influx of cash.

Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M4)

The 13-inch iPad Pro packs its powerful M4 chip into a very thin, light, and portable design. It also offers a brighter, more vibrant OLED screen display.

Brand: Apple
Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
CPU: M4
Operating System: Apple iPadOS
Battery: 38.99-watt-hour battery. Up to 10 hours of surfing the web using Wi-Fi.
Display type: Ultra Retina XDR display (OLED)

An iPad Air mounted on a Magic Keyboard and showing Stage Manager.

Here’s why you should use Stage Manager on your iPad instead of split-screen

Your iPad can feel a lot more like a Mac if you embrace Stage Manager.

The perpetual problem with iPads

What is all this power for?

I hate to sound like a broken record, but it’s as true as ever that iPads are overpowered for most of the apps they’re running. Yes, you really should buy a recent Air or Pro if you expect to do video editing, 3D modeling, or complex audio production, but most people aren’t in those fields. If you’re just trying to browse the web, write, watch a movie, or play a 2D game like Stardew Valley, even the cheapest iPad is faster than you could possibly need. My 2020 Pro has an outdated A12Z processor — the 11th-gen iPad uses an A16 — and it still blazes through most apps.

Without a change in the kinds of apps an iPad can run, there’s essentially no point to the M5 iPad Pro, apart from keeping specs current.

That’s because Apple still treats every iPad like an oversized iPhone. Everything in iPadOS is sandboxed and standardized within an inch of its life, since Apple wants maximum consistency, as well as tight privacy and security. Those latter two things are welcome, but the level of control Apple exerts overall means that apps don’t have the same flexibility they do on a Mac or Windows PC. Many developers avoid creating anything explicitly for the iPad — they either stick to desktops, or develop hybrid apps in which the iPad interface is simply an extension of one they created for iPhones.

Without a change in the kinds of apps an iPad can run, there’s essentially no point to the M5 iPad Pro, apart from keeping specs current for the minority who really can exploit the Pro’s features, or who simply want the best iPad money can buy. Neither group is going to be very satisfied. The M4 iPad Pro is already a powerhouse, given that its processor is also used by the latest MacBook Pros — an M5 chip isn’t going to deliver that much more productivity, and barring some secret, revolutionary upgrade, an M5 iPad won’t stun anyone who’s already seen an M4 model in action.

27-inch iMac Retina 5K, 2020 with a thinking face.

Apple’s iMac hasn’t made sense for a long time

It does have its niches, but chances are, there’s a better Mac for what you’re trying to do.

How much further can the iPad Pro really go?

So thin, it snaps like a Ritz cracker

Speaking of revolutionary upgrades, it’s hard to fathom how Apple could even upgrade the 2025 Pro beyond adding the M5, at least without engaging in a massive redesign. It could add more RAM, and bump up default storage, but no one was really complaining (much) about those things prior. Likewise, it could upgrade the tablet’s cameras, but no one in their right mind is trying to shoot critical photos or video with an iPad. Support for Thunderbolt 5 accessories is possible, maybe even likely — yet only the most demanding storage needs can tap that much bandwidth.

Even thinness may be off the table. While Apple has revived an obsession with slim hardware in recent times, the current 13-inch Pro is already just 5.1mm deep, thinner than an iPod nano. There’s barely anything to hold onto, and I’m paranoid enough as it is about bending an iPad without a case. Hypothetically, a perfect iPad would feel like a piece of paper, but the tablet industry is nowhere near making something like that practical and durable. We’ve barely made it to what you’d see in a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode.

I’m predicting an interim update, in other words, while Apple considers a legitimate redesign a year or two from now.

If I were to bet on all the changes this year, I wouldn’t place money on much more than the M5, Thunderbolt 5, and refinements to OLED technology. There’s a chance Apple could decide to upgrade the rear camera sensor from 12 to 48 megapixels, if just for the sake of keeping parts and features consistent across product lines, and giving one more edge over the Air.

I’m predicting an interim update, in other words, while Apple considers a legitimate redesign a year or two from now. Who knows, maybe we’ll eventually see a foldable iPad that’s easier to stash in a backpack.

The iPad wants to replace your Kindle e-reader – but should it?

The answer is going to depend on how and what you want to read, not to mention your budget.

Should anyone pick up the new iPad Pro?

Putting pessimism in check

I don’t mean to discourage people from buying the 2025 Pro if it really appeals to them — when it’s announced this fall. It just doesn’t sound particularly exciting to me so far, based on rumors, my personal interests, and what can be surmised from Apple’s track record. It will inevitably be the “best iPad yet,” as Apple executives are fond of saying — but that’s par for the course, and I never buy something just because it’s the best. I could go into huge debt for the best possible car I could afford — but that wouldn’t be a wise use of my savings.

In fact, the absence of anything compelling has drawn my eye to the iPad Air. The only upgrades I really need over my 2020 Pro are an M-series processor and a 13-inch screen, and the 13-inch Air is a full $500 less than the newest 13-inch Pro. That’s cash I could put towards many other things, such as a Magic Keyboard, or those long-distance vacations I’ve been dreaming of. I’d get a lot more out of visiting friends and family in Texas again than slightly improving color and contrast on YouTube.