The Apple iPad Pro 11-inch with M5 chip is the smaller of the two iPad Pro models Apple released in October 2025, replacing the M4 generation from the year prior. The 11-inch Ultra Retina XDR display uses tandem OLED technology with a 2420 x 1668 resolution, 1000 nits of sustained brightness, and ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate. Base storage starts at 256GB with 12GB of RAM, with the 1TB and 2TB tiers stepping up to 16GB of RAM and a 10-core CPU instead of a 9-core CPU. Face ID, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Thunderbolt/USB 4, Apple Pencil Pro support, and Magic Keyboard compatibility are also included.
An excellent tablet at an even better price that can do anything
The M5 chip is the main upgrade over the previous M4 iPad Pro. Apple cites about 3.5x faster AI performance than the M4, helped by the new Neural Accelerators in each of the 10 GPU cores. CPU and GPU gains over the M4 are smaller but still measurable. The improvements are most apparent in on-device AI tasks via Apple Intelligence, faster app launches, and improved performance for video editing or 3D work in apps like Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve.
The 11-inch Ultra Retina XDR display uses Apple’s tandem OLED technology, which stacks two OLED panels to deliver higher peak brightness than a single panel can. It tops out at 1000 nits of brightness for both SDR and HDR content, with HDR peaks at 1600 nits for compatible content. ProMotion provides a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz for smoother scrolling and a more responsive Apple Pencil. The nano-texture display glass option at higher storage tiers reduces glare in bright environments at a small cost to sharpness.
The iPad Pro 11-inch weighs 0.98 pounds and measures 5.3mm thick, making it among the thinnest iPad models Apple has ever shipped. The aluminum unibody chassis comes in Silver and Space Black. Face ID through the landscape-mounted TrueDepth camera handles authentication and unlocks the iPad in both portrait and landscape orientations. The four-speaker audio system and four-mic array carry over from the M4 generation, both still rated for studio-quality recording and stereo playback.
Wi-Fi 7 runs on Apple’s new N1 wireless chip, which replaces the third-party wireless silicon Apple previously used. Bluetooth 6 handles wireless audio and peripherals. Cellular models get the new C1X modem with 50% faster cellular data than the previous generation. Thunderbolt/USB 4 supports external displays up to 120Hz with Adaptive Sync for high-refresh-rate gaming monitors or studio displays.
At $899, the M5 iPad Pro 11-inch is $100 below its $999 list price. The 10% discount applies to the 256GB Wi-Fi base configuration, which features the same M5 chip, Ultra Retina XDR display, ProMotion, Apple Pencil Pro support, and Magic Keyboard compatibility as the higher-tier storage models. The only differences at the higher tiers are the storage capacity itself, a bump from 12GB to 16GB of RAM, and the step up from a 9-core to 10-core CPU on the 1TB and 2TB models.