M5 iPad Pro: Everything you need to know

Macworld

While the iPad update schedule is somewhat unpredictable, Apple has established an 18-month cycle with the iPad Pro, and the current M4 iPad Pro was released in May 2024. Several reports state that Apple is scheduled to release an M5 iPad Pro in the fall, which would be right on schedule.

That means we’re going to start seeing more reports about the new iPad Pro as the release date approaches. 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: When will the new iPad Pro be released?

The M5 iPad Pro is expected to arrive in September 2025 or later in the year

On March 31, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that the M5 iPad Pro is on schedule to ship in the second half of the year.

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

Here’s when the past five iPad Pro models have launched:

M4 iPad Pro: May 2024

iPad Pro (6th gen): October 2022

iPad Pro (5th gen): April 2021

iPad Pro (4th gen): March 2020

iPad Pro (3rd gen): October 2018

M5 iPad Pro: How much will the new iPad Pro cost?

Prices are likely to stay the same, starting at $999/£999 (11-inch) and $1,299/£1,299 (13-inch), but…

With the M5 iPad Pro, Apple increased the price by $100/£100 across the different storage configurations. (Apple redefined the M5 iPad Pro base model with 256GB of storage, instead of 128GB that was in the M4 iPad Pro. When comparing prices, we start with the 256GB models.)

Apple rarely increases prices two years in a row, but there are ongoing talks by the Trump administration in the U.S. of implementing tariffs on chips not made in the U.S. Apple’s M5 chip is made in Taiwan by TSMC, and could be subjected to a tariff. Should it go into effect, it could raise the price of the M5 iPad Pro in the U.S.




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

M5 iPad Pro tech specs: What upgrades will the new iPad Pro have?

An M5 chip

That’s about it

On March 31, Mark Gurman reported that the M5 iPad Pro will be a “chip and ship” product. That means it will get the new M5 chip and no other new features.

The M4 iPad Pro from 2024 had several major upgrades to components and features that don’t typically change from generation to generation, including:

New OLED displays

An option for nano-texture glass ($100/£100)

Moving the front-facing camera to the longer side

Upgrade to the main camera to 12MP with True Tone flash and a LiDAR scanner

Eliminating the 128GB storage option and setting the base level to 256GB

Those features aren’t expected to change with the M5 iPad Pro, so the only major component to change will be the chip from the M4 to the M5. Apple’s new C1 modem is unlikely to make an appearance until a model with mmWave arrives, likely in 2026.

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.