Android tablets stand no chance against the new iPad Pro with M5

Apple launched the iPhone 17 series last month, and the company is back this month to launch a refresh of the iPad Pro, now with the newer and more powerful M5 processor, alongside Apple’s N1 and C1X chips. Thanks to these upgrades, Apple is doubling down on performance on the most powerful iPad. Android tablets could barely compete with the iPad Pro in terms of pure performance, and with this upgrade, it doesn’t look like any of them stand a chance of usurping the throne.

The big highlight of this year’s iPad Pro refresh is the new Apple M5 processor. This is a 3nm processor available with up to 10-core CPU configurations (four performance cores and six efficiency cores), as well as a 10-core GPU and a 16-core “Neural Engine” NPU.

When compared to the M4 processor, users can get up to 15% faster multi-threaded CPU performance, 4x the peak GPU compute performance, 30% more unified memory bandwidth of 153GB/s, and 3.5x the AI performance. All these numbers are great for power users who can push the iPad Pro to its limit — most average users should already be satisfied with the M4.

The iPad Pro with M5 also bumps up the 256GB and 512GB variants to 12GB of RAM from 8GB RAM on last gen, though the 1TB and 2TB models continue with 16GB RAM. The 256GB and 512GB variants also feature one less performance core, resulting in a nine-core CPU.

The next key upgrade for the iPad Pro with M5 is that it comes with Apple’s C1X cellular modem instead of the Qualcomm modem present in the M4 iPad Pro. The C1X made its debut with the iPhone Air. On the iPad Air, Apple claims users can achieve up to 50% faster cellular data performance and up to 30% lower power usage compared to the previous generation iPad. The C1X continues to support 5G and eSIMs.

Rounding out the upgrades on the iPad Pro is the Apple N1 wireless networking chip, which enables Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread connectivity. N1 claims to deliver better performance when connected to 5GHz networks and is said to enhance the overall performance and reliability of features like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop.

Thanks to the new M5 chip, the iPad Pro with M5 can now drive external displays at up to 120Hz with support for Adaptive Sync, enabling the lowest possible latency in external display performance. This results in smoother motion and fewer perceived glitches, making it particularly useful for low-latency use cases like gaming.

The rest of the iPad Pro package remains unchanged from the last generation. This means users can purchase it in 11-inch and 13-inch models with a tandem OLED display that supports full-screen brightness of 1,000 nits and peak brightness of 1,600 nits for HDR. There’s also a nano-texture display glass option for reduced glare on the 1TB and 2TB storage options.

Contrary to rumors, there’s no second front-facing camera on the portrait edge. The iPad Pro sticks with its 12MP camera on the landscape edge and its 12MP rear camera.

The new iPad Pro with M5 is available to pre-order starting today, and will be available in stores beginning Wednesday, October 22. You can buy it in silver and space black at the same prices as last year, meaning the base 11-inch iPad Pro with M5 (Wi-Fi) starts at $999 for 256GB, while the 13-inch model starts at $1,299, and you can add $200 for cellular connectivity and $100 for Nano-texture glass.

While the iPad Pro is certainly not cheap, it is the most powerful tablet you can buy — it literally features the same processor as the MacBook, which is known to demolish Windows laptop competitors. Over the past few generations, the iPad Pro has retained its crown, and even the most powerful Android tablets haven’t been able to rub shoulders against it. With the M5 processor, Apple looks set to widen its lead over the M4, and there’s no indication that Android tablets have any aces up their sleeves at this stage.