M5 iPad Pro: Everything you need to know

Macworld

M5 iPad Pro: In summary

The next iPad Pro will get a processor upgrade with Apple’s next-gen M5 processor.

The M5 iPad Pro is expected to have an identical design to the current model.

We expected the M5 iPad Pro to arrive in fall 2025.

We expect the on-sale date to come after Apple’s Back to School deal ends in the U.K. and Europe: which happens on October 21.

While the iPad update schedule is somewhat unpredictable, Apple has established an 18-month cycle with the M-series iPad Pro. Several reports state that Apple is scheduled to release an M5 iPad Pro in fall 2025, which would be right on schedule.

The iPad Pro with M5 chip is expected to launch in October 2025. With Apple currently running its Back To School deal in the U.K. and Europe, which includes free AirPods or a free Apple Pencil with the purchase of a new iPad Pro or iPad Air, it is likely that the new iPad Pro on sale date will come after that deal ends. However, the launch of the iPad Pro M5 could be delayed until spring 2026.

This article keeps track of all the rumors so you can keep up with what’s going on and make a proper decision if you’re in the market for a new iPad Pro.

M5 iPad Pro: At a glance

Identical design to the M4 iPad Pro.

Upgraded processor.

Expected in fall 2025.

M5 iPad Pro features and specs

M5 chip.

N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.

C1X cellular modem in cellular models.

In March, Mark Gurman reported that the M5 iPad Pro will be a “chip and ship” release, meaning the only major upgrade will be the processor. That makes sense, since the M4 iPad Pro was a major upgrade with several new features, including a new OLED display and a new front camera design.

Other smaller internal updates are possible, such as Apple’s new Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chip, the N1.

On September 30, YouTuber Wylsacom posted a video (in Russian) that he claims is an M5 iPad Pro. He unboxes the iPad Pro, turns it on and sets it up, and looks at the device’s specifications.

M5 iPad Pro display

Larger display rumored.

The display isn’t expected to change from the M4 model.

You may have read a report that Apple is considering a new LX Semicon display driver that could then allow for smaller bezels, which could allow for a slightly larger display: 11.5-inch and 13-inch, respectively. However, we don’t expect this until the M6 or M7 model arrives in 2027.

M5 iPad Pro camera

18MP Center Stage front camera.

The iPad Pro will likely get the same front camera updates as the iPhone 17 series, including the 18MP Center Stage front camera and the new square sensor that allows for landscape or portrait selfies to be taken without changing the camera orientation.




The M4 iPad Pro’s 12MP camera with a LiDAR scanner is expected to carry over to the M5 iPad Pro.Brady Snyder / Foundry

M5 iPad Pro release date

Apple has established an 18-month update cycle for the M-series iPad Pro, with the M1 launching in April 2021, followed by the M2 in October 2022, and the M4 in May 2024. Based on this schedule, we expect the M5 model to arrive in October or November 2025.

This has been backed up by analyst reports. In December 2024, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that the M5 iPad Pro will “enter mass production” in the second half of 2025. In January 2025, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that the M5 iPad Pro won’t ship until late 2025 or early 2026.

In April 2025, Gurman reported that iOS 19 (now known as iOS 26) will be ready “around the time new iPad Pros with M5 chips are likely to be ready.” And in September 2025 a video unboxing of an apparent iPad Pro M5 appeared on YouTube, posted by a Russian YouTuber, and Mark Gurman of Bloomberg seemed to think it was credible. 

At the beginning of October the FCC published documents relating to unreleased Apple devices with the following model numbers that are thought to represent versions of the iPad Pro: A3357, A3358, A3359, A3360, A3361, A3362, and A3434. This suggests that the new models are nearing mass production.

Apple’s Back to School deal for 2025 ends on October 21 in U.K. and Europe (it has already finished in the U.S. and Canada). Apple may be timing the on sale date for the new iPads to come after this deal ends.

M5 iPad Pro price

With the M4 iPad Pro, Apple increased the price by $100/£100 across all configurations due to the new tandem OLED display. Like the iPhone 15 Pro Max, it also eliminated the 128GB storage option, so pricing for the 11-inch model starts at $999, while the 13-inch model starts at $1,299.

Apple rarely increases prices two years in a row, especially without any major new features. The uncertainty surrounding U.S. tariffs on chips made overseas may affect some higher-end models, but that is also unlikely.

We’ll keep updating this article as more information becomes available. Until then, you should check out our best iPad Pro deals to see if you can bag yourself a bargain on the current range.