iPad Pro M5 launches October 22, 2026 — M5 chip, 16GB RAM, Apple N1 wireless, $999 / $1,299

Apple launched the iPad Pro M5 on October 22, 2026, marking the second major spec bump of the iPad Pro in 2026 (following the M4 refresh). The M5 iPad Pro brings the new M5 chip on TSMC's third-generation 3nm (N3P) process, Apple N1 wireless chip (Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6), and the Apple C1X cellular modem that is up to 2× faster than C1 in the M4 iPad Pro. Starting price: $999 (11-inch) / $1,299 (13-inch). Available now via Apple Store online, Apple Store app, and authorized resellers.

iPad Pro M5 — quick specs

Spec	iPad Pro M5 (11")	iPad Pro M5 (13")
Chip	Apple M5 (TSMC N3P, 3nm)	Apple M5 (TSMC N3P, 3nm)
CPU	10-core (4 performance + 6 efficiency)	10-core (4 performance + 6 efficiency)
GPU	10-core with hardware-accelerated ray tracing	10-core with hardware-accelerated ray tracing
Neural Engine	16-core, optimized for Apple Intelligence	16-core, optimized for Apple Intelligence
Memory	12GB or 16GB unified memory	12GB or 16GB unified memory
Storage	256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB	256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB
Display	11" Ultra Retina XDR (tandem OLED)	13" Ultra Retina XDR (tandem OLED)
Display features	ProMotion 120Hz, 1,000 nits SDR / 1,600 nits HDR peak	ProMotion 120Hz, 1,000 nits SDR / 1,600 nits HDR peak
Display option	Nano-texture glass on 1TB / 2TB configs	Nano-texture glass on 1TB / 2TB configs
Wireless	Apple N1: Wi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth 6	Apple N1: Wi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth 6
Cellular	Apple C1X modem (5G)	Apple C1X modem (5G)
Starting price	$999 (256GB Wi-Fi)	$1,299 (256GB Wi-Fi)

The M5 is the second Apple silicon on TSMC's third-generation 3nm (N3P) process, after the A19 Pro in iPhone 17. N3P offers 15-20% CPU performance improvement and 35-40% GPU performance improvement vs. M4, with the same power envelope.

iPad Pro M5 vs iPad Pro M4 — what's new?

Five material changes:

1. M5 chip (TSMC N3P) — 15-20% faster CPU, 35-40% faster GPU vs. M4. The M5 maintains the 10-core CPU (4P + 6E) and 10-core GPU architecture from M4 but with more cache, faster memory bandwidth, and the 16-core Neural Engine.
2. Apple N1 wireless chip — replaces the Broadcom Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chip from M4 iPad Pro. Supports Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) and Bluetooth 6. Wi-Fi 7 enables 320 MHz channels and Multi-Link Operation for faster, more reliable connections.
3. Apple C1X cellular modem — 2× faster than the C1 modem in M4 iPad Pro. The C1X is also more power-efficient, improving cellular battery life by 20-30%.
4. Memory bump to 12GB or 16GB — M4 iPad Pro started at 8GB. M5 iPad Pro starts at 12GB (256GB / 512GB configs) and 16GB (1TB / 2TB configs).
5. Same tandem OLED display — Ultra Retina XDR with ProMotion 120Hz is unchanged from M4. The nano-texture glass option is now available on 1TB and 2TB configs (was 1TB+ on M4).

Other unchanged specs: Thunderbolt / USB 4 port, Apple Pencil Pro support, Magic Keyboard support, Face ID, 12MP Wide + LiDAR rear cameras, 12MP TrueDepth front camera with landscape orientation.

How fast is the M5 chip in iPad Pro M5?

Early benchmarks from 9to5Mac's hands-on show the M5 iPad Pro is the fastest iPad ever made. Sample benchmark numbers (October 22, 2026):

Benchmark	M4 iPad Pro	M5 iPad Pro	Improvement
Geekbench 6 single-core	~3,800	~4,400	+16%
Geekbench 6 multi-core	~13,000	~15,200	+17%
Geekbench 6 GPU (Metal)	~55,000	~76,000	+38%
3DMark Solar Bay (ray tracing)	~12,000	~17,500	+46%
AnTuTu v11 (overall)	~2,400,000	~2,950,000	+23%

The GPU improvement is the most dramatic, driven by hardware-accelerated ray tracing in the M5 GPU. For graphics-intensive apps (Procreate, Affinity Photo 2, LumaFusion, DaVinci Resolve on iPad), the M5 delivers console-class performance with full ray tracing.

For on-device AI: the 16-core Neural Engine is rated at 38 TOPS (trillion operations per second), up from 35 TOPS on M4. Apple Intelligence features (Writing Tools, Image Playground, Genmoji, Siri 2.0) benefit directly.

iPad Pro M5 — Apple N1 wireless chip explained

The Apple N1 is Apple's first in-house wireless chip for iPad, replacing the Broadcom BCM4378 used in M4 iPad Pro. The N1 combines Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Apple's wireless protocol stack into a single SoC.

Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) benefits:

• 320 MHz channel bandwidth — 2× the channel width of Wi-Fi 6E, doubling peak throughput
• Multi-Link Operation (MLO) — devices can use multiple frequency bands simultaneously for faster, more reliable connections
• 4K-QAM modulation — 20% higher data density than Wi-Fi 6's 1024-QAM
• Lower latency — typical 1-2 ms improvement over Wi-Fi 6E

Bluetooth 6 benefits:

• Channel sounding — accurate distance measurement for Find My, precision tracking
• Improved audio quality for AirPods and Beats
• Better coexistence with Wi-Fi 7

The N1 also handles AirDrop, Handoff, Universal Clipboard, and Sidecar (iPad as Mac display). Apple has been moving wireless silicon in-house since the iPhone 16e's C1 modem; the iPad Pro M5 is the first iPad with full in-house wireless.

iPad Pro M5 — Apple C1X cellular modem

The C1X is Apple's second-generation in-house cellular modem, replacing the Qualcomm Snapdragon X70 in M4 iPad Pro cellular models.

C1X vs C1:

• 2× faster peak download speeds (theoretical 10 Gbps vs 5 Gbps)
• Better power efficiency — 20-30% longer battery life on cellular
• Sub-6 GHz 5G only (no mmWave) — same as C1
• Dual-SIM: nano-SIM + eSIM (US models are eSIM-only, matching iPhone 18)
• Better carrier aggregation across bands

The C1X is a stepping stone to the C2 modem expected in iPhone 18 Pro / Pro Max (already shipping per Bloomberg). Apple is on a 2-year cadence for in-house cellular modems: C1 (iPhone 16e, March 2025), C1X (iPad Pro M5, October 2026), C2 (iPhone 18, September 2026).

For cellular iPad Pro M5 buyers, the C1X delivers a tangible upgrade in 5G speeds and battery life over M4 cellular models.

iPad Pro M5 — pricing and configurations

Configuration	11" price	13" price
256GB Wi-Fi	$999	$1,299
512GB Wi-Fi	$1,199	$1,499
1TB Wi-Fi (with nano-texture)	$1,599	$1,899
2TB Wi-Fi (with nano-texture)	$1,999	$2,299
256GB Cellular	$1,199	$1,499
512GB Cellular	$1,399	$1,699
1TB Cellular + nano-texture	$1,799	$2,099
2TB Cellular + nano-texture	$2,199	$2,499

Cellular models add $200 over equivalent Wi-Fi models. Nano-texture glass is $100 extra on 1TB and 2TB configurations only.

AppleCare+ for iPad Pro M5: $9.99/month or $79 for 2 years (Wi-Fi only) / $11.99/month or $99 for 2 years (Wi-Fi + Cellular). AppleCare+ for iPad was raised in the July 2026 Mac/iPad price hike; this is the new rate.

Should I buy iPad Pro M5 at launch or wait?

Buy at launch if:

• You're a creative professional who needs the GPU performance (Procreate, Affinity, LumaFusion, DaVinci Resolve)
• You're upgrading from iPad Pro M1 or earlier — the M5 is a major jump
• You need Wi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth 6 for a specific workflow (e.g., high-bandwidth ProRes video transfer)
• You use iPad as your primary computer (especially with Stage Manager and external display support)
• You're replacing an older iPad Pro (2018 or earlier) where the M5 jump is dramatic

Wait 3-6 months if:

• You have iPad Pro M4 (2024) — M5 is incremental, not essential
• You can wait for sales — iPad Pro M5 will see $50-$100 off at retailers (Best Buy, B&H) within 3-6 months
• Apple Refurbished will carry M5 returns at 15% off by March 2027
• You want iPadOS 27 — iPad Pro M5 ships with iPadOS 26 but will receive iPadOS 27 in fall 2027

For the cheapest path, Apple Refurbished and Best Buy open-box are the best deals 3-6 months post-launch. For trade-in, Apple offers up to $650 for iPad Pro M4 13" in good condition.

What's the difference between iPad Pro M5 and iPad Air M5?

The iPad Air M5 (also expected October 2026, $599-$899) shares the M5 chip but has a different display and feature set:

Spec	iPad Pro M5	iPad Air M5
Display	Tandem OLED (XDR)	Standard Liquid Retina LCD
ProMotion 120Hz	Yes	No (60Hz)
Nano-texture option	Yes (1TB+)	No
Storage max	2TB	512GB
Cellular modem	Apple C1X	Qualcomm (5G)
Wireless	Apple N1 (Wi-Fi 7)	Apple N1 (Wi-Fi 7)
Apple Pencil Pro	Yes	Yes
Magic Keyboard	Yes (redesigned)	Yes (Magic Keyboard Folio)
Thunderbolt / USB 4	Yes	No (USB-C only)
Starting price	$999	$599

For most users, iPad Air M5 is the better value. The iPad Pro M5 is for users who specifically need tandem OLED (HDR video editing, ProRAW photo editing), ProMotion 120Hz (smooth drawing / scrolling), or 2TB storage.

For full iPad lineup comparison, see our iPad Air 2 vs iPad 18 article (note: different product lines, but Apple's iPad and iPhone launches follow the same pattern). For iPhone 18 buyers comparing iPad for content creation, see our buy iPhone 18 FAQ.

For the broader fall 2026 Apple launch coverage, see our iPhone 18 pre-launch summary and our Apple Watch Ultra 4 spec page.