Apple’s gone and refreshed two of its pro-level workhorses, the iPad Pro and the MacBook Pro, and the headline act is the new M5 chip that’s now powering both.
M5 iPad Pro
Starting with the iPad Pro, both the 11-inch and 13-inch models are getting the M5 treatment. Alongside the new silicon, they’re also kitted out with a new N1 WiFi chip and an updated C1X 5G modem for those on the go. Under the hood, the M5 boasts a CPU with up to ten cores – four for performance and six for efficiency – with Apple once again claiming the performance cores are the fastest in the world. It’s paired with a new ten-core GPU that includes dedicated neural accelerators in every core. Memory bandwidth gets a boost to 153GB/s, and ray tracing performance has seen a welcome lift.
So, what does that mean in practice? Well, Apple says the new neural accelerators give the M5 up to 3.5 times the AI performance of the M4. 3D rendering with ray tracing is now 1.5 times faster, and you can expect video transcoding in Final Cut Pro to be about 1.2 times quicker. The M5 also brings better video out, allowing the new iPad Pros to output to an external display at up to 120Hz, and for the first time, they support Adaptive Sync (VRR) if you have a compatible monitor.
There’s a bit more memory in the lower-tier models now, too. The 256GB and 512GB configurations now come with 12GB of RAM as standard, up from 8GB, while the 1TB and 2TB models stay at 16GB. Charging has also been sped up to match the latest iPhones; if you have a compatible charger like Apple’s curiously named 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max, you can get to 50% charge in about 30 minutes on the 11-inch model and 35 minutes on the 13-inch.
Otherwise, the new iPad Pros are virtually identical to their M4 predecessors, keeping the same gorgeous Tandem OLED Ultra Retina XDR displays, 12MP rear and front cameras, four-speaker audio, and Thunderbolt/USB 4 connectivity.
M5 MacBook Pro
As for the MacBook Pro, the M5 chip is currently exclusive to the 14-inch model. The most significant upgrade here, aside from the raw power of the M5, is the battery life. Apple is claiming up to 24 hours on a single charge, which is quite the jump, especially considering it still uses the same 72.4Wh battery cell as the M4 model. This feat is thanks to the M5’s optimisations, and it still ships with a 70W USB-C power adapter.
Beyond the new chip and the stellar battery, the hardware remains unchanged from the previous model. You still get that brilliant 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with ProMotion, the same peak brightness, and the 12MP Center Stage webcam. For ports, you’re looking at MagSafe, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI, an SDXC card slot, and a headphone jack, with wireless connectivity staying at Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
Pricing and Availability
In Malaysia, the 11-inch iPad Pro starts at RM4,499, with the 13-inch model starting at RM5,799. The new M5 MacBook Pro 14-inch will set you back at least RM6,999. At the moment, Apple is only saying that orders will open “soon,” so it’s a bit of a waiting game for now.