iPad Pro (M5) Review: Faster Than Ever, Still Held Back by iPadOS
The Verdict
The M5 iPad Pro is thinner, lighter and dramatically more powerful than it needs to be — the bigger question is whether iPadOS can keep up.
Tandem OLED display is gorgeous for media and art
iPadOS multitasking still trails macOS
On pure hardware terms, the M5 iPad Pro is hard to fault. The tandem OLED display is the best screen on any tablet, the M5 chip makes short work of 4K video editing in LumaFusion or Final Cut, and the new Magic Keyboard with a larger trackpad and function row makes the case for the iPad as a laptop replacement stronger than ever. Apple Pencil Pro's squeeze gesture and haptic feedback continue to make this the best tablet for illustrators and note-takers by a wide margin.
The catch, as always, is iPadOS. Multitasking with Stage Manager is more capable than it used to be, but it still doesn't match the flexibility of a traditional desktop OS, and the M5's power is frequently wasted on an interface that was designed for a much less capable chip a decade ago. If your workflow lives comfortably within Apple's app ecosystem, the M5 iPad Pro is a joy to use. If you need desktop-class multitasking, a MacBook Air will serve you better for less money.
Pros
- Tandem OLED display is gorgeous for media and art
- M5 chip is massive overkill in the best way
- Thinner and lighter than the previous generation
- Magic Keyboard and Pencil Pro feel more refined
Cons
- iPadOS multitasking still trails macOS
- Accessories add significant cost
- Storage upgrades remain expensive
Specifications
Where to buy
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