IPad Pro 11-inch (M5), PRICED from Ksh.165000 in Kenya marks Apple’s boldest step into the world of specialized AI hardware. It keeps the sleek design and breathtaking Tandem OLED display that we loved in the previous model, but the internal setup has been completely revamped around the M5 chip. This chip comes with dedicated neural accelerators that are built to tackle “Apple Intelligence” tasks with desktop-level efficiency. With a boost in base memory to 12GB and the addition of Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, the M5 model is getting closer than ever to being a genuine modular workstation for professional creators and power users.

That’s a great comparison! The 11-inch iPad Pro M5 is an iterative update over the M4 model, focusing primarily on performance and connectivity improvements.¹ The M4 model, released in 2024, brought the major design change with the OLED Ultra Retina XDR display and the thinner chassis, so the M5 model, released in 2025, largely maintains that design.

Here are the key differences between the 11-inch iPad Pro M5 and the M4:

PERFORMANCE AND CHIP

The 11-inch iPad Pro is driven by the powerful Apple M5 chip, which is an advanced system-on-a-chip crafted using cutting-edge technology. This chip offers significant boosts in both performance and efficiency, especially for professional tasks and AI-driven workflows.

Depending on the storage option you choose, the M5 chip comes in different configurations: For the 256GB and 512GB models, you’ll find an M5 chip featuring a 9-core CPU (with 3 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores) and a 10-core GPU.

These versions are equipped with 12GB of Unified Memory (RAM). On the other hand, the 1TB and 2TB models boast an M5 chip with a 10-core CPU (4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores) and the same 10-core GPU. These higher-end models come with 16GB of Unified Memory (RAM). 🚀

M5 Chip Performance Highlights

The M5 chip marks a significant upgrade over its predecessors, raising the bar for tablet performance: CPU and Graphics: The multi-core CPU performance is a noticeable step up from the M4 chip, making it ideal for demanding tasks like intricate vector graphics, seamless multitasking across professional applications, and rapid file access. The 10-core GPU features a new architecture that includes a third-generation hardware-accelerated ray tracing engine, allowing for up to 1.5 times faster 3D rendering with ray tracing compared to the M4. This makes the iPad Pro perfect for visually demanding applications and high-quality gaming.

AI and Neural Engine: A major highlight is the focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) performance, powered by an upgraded 16-core Neural Engine and a Neural Accelerator integrated into each GPU core. This setup is designed to speed up on-device AI tasks and enhance Apple’s Intelligence features. Apple claims that AI performance is up to 3.5 times faster than the M4 chip, enabling features like on-device diffusion-based image generation and AI video masking in professional editing software.

Memory and Storage: The M5 chip boasts an impressive unified memory bandwidth of 153GB/s, which is nearly a 30% boost over the M4. This enhancement is vital for handling large AI models and ensuring smooth performance, even when multitasking heavily. On top of that, the internal SSD storage delivers read and write speeds that are up to twice as fast as the previous generation, making file transfers and app loading times quicker for a more seamless user experience.

M5 iPad Pro is closely linked to the storage capacity you choose, leading to two different memory setups: 12GB RAM: This level of unified memory comes with the 256GB and 512GB storage options. These models are powered by an M5 chip that has a 9-core CPU. 16GB RAM: This larger unified memory is available for the premium 1TB and 2TB storage models. If you go for one of these, you’ll also get an upgraded M5 chip with a 10-core CPU. This setup means that if you pick the highest storage options, you’ll also enjoy a more powerful CPU and a notable boost in RAM. This combination significantly improves performance for demanding professional tasks, advanced multitasking, and complex on-device AI operations.

DISPLAY

The display on the iPad Pro 11-inch (M5) is truly impressive, showcasing Apple’s cutting-edge Ultra Retina XDR display technology. This feature is a game-changer for the device, built on Tandem OLED technology that combines two OLED panels to produce stunning brightness and sharp contrast. It can reach up to 1000 nits of full-screen brightness for both SDR and HDR content, with a peak HDR brightness of 1600 nits, and boasts an incredible contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1. On top of that, the display includes ProMotion technology, which allows for adaptive refresh rates that can smoothly adjust from a low 10Hz all the way up to a buttery-smooth 120Hz. This means you get fantastic responsiveness for activities like drawing with the Apple Pencil Pro, while also conserving power when you’re just looking at static images. Plus, it supports features like Wide color (P3) and True Tone, ensuring color accuracy and a comfortable viewing experience. If you choose the 1TB or 2TB storage options, Apple even offers a Nano-texture display glass, specially etched at a nanometer scale to reduce glare in tricky lighting situations.

CONNECTIVITY

The iPad Pro 11-inch, powered by the M5 chip, comes packed with top-notch connectivity options, featuring both cutting-edge wireless capabilities and robust wired connections. This powerful combination guarantees quick data transfers and versatile peripheral support, making it perfect for professionals and power users alike.

Wireless Connectivity

The wireless features have seen a major upgrade, thanks to Apple’s cutting-edge radio chips. The iPad Pro M5 now boasts the latest Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) standard, complete with 2×2 MIMO and simultaneous dual-band support, all made possible by the Apple N1 wireless networking chip. This means you can enjoy incredibly fast and secure connections, perfect for heavy tasks like transferring large files, streaming in 4K, or working in the cloud. Plus, it supports Bluetooth 6 and Thread networking technology. For those opting for the Wi-Fi + Cellular models, connectivity reaches lightning-fast 5G (sub-6 GHz) with 4×4 MIMO and Gigabit LTE, all managed by the Apple C1X cellular modem.

Just a heads up, these cellular models only use an eSIM for network connections, so there’s no slot for a physical SIM card.

Wired Connectivity and Ports The iPad Pro M5 comes equipped with a speedy Thunderbolt / USB 4 port featuring a USB-C connector. This one port packs a punch, offering a range of functionalities, including: – Charging the device. – DisplayPort for seamless video output. – High-speed data transfer through Thunderbolt 3 (up to 40Gb/s) and USB 4 (also up to 40Gb/s). – USB 3 (up to 10Gb/s) for compatibility with a variety of peripherals. This wired port can power an external display with stunning 6K resolution at 60Hz or 4K resolution at 120Hz with Adaptive Sync.

Accessory Connectors
Beyond the primary USB-C port, the device includes two dedicated connectors for accessories:

The Smart Connector is located on the rear of the device and provides power and data connection for accessories like the Magic Keyboard.

The Magnetic Connector is found on the side, designed specifically for charging and pairing the Apple Pencil Pro and the Apple Pencil (2nd generation).

CAMERA

The camera system on the 11-inch iPad Pro, powered by the M5 chip, is truly impressive, catering to both creative pros and everyday users alike, especially for video calls. Rear Camera System On the back, you’ll find a 12MP Wide camera with an f/1.8 aperture. This camera shines when it comes to snapping high-quality photos, scanning documents, and diving into augmented reality (AR) apps. It boasts a five-element lens, an adaptive True Tone flash, and can handle up to 5x digital zoom. When it comes to video, this rear camera is a real champ, capable of recording stunning 4K video at various frame rates up to 60 fps, plus it supports ProRes video recording up to 4K at 30 fps (or 1080p at 30 fps for the 256GB model). With advanced features like Cinematic video stabilization, Smart HDR 4, and Autofocus with Focus Pixels, you can expect nothing short of professional-quality results. To top it off, there’s a LiDAR Scanner that significantly boosts depth sensing for quicker autofocus in both photos and videos, unlocking amazing AR experiences.

The front camera system, known as the TrueDepth Camera, is a standout feature, particularly for video calls. It boasts a 12MP Center Stage camera with an f/2.0 aperture, cleverly placed on the landscape edge of the iPad. This positioning is perfect for video chats, especially when you’re using the iPad with a keyboard. The camera’s Center Stage capability automatically pans and zooms to keep you and anyone else in the frame nicely centered during video calls, like on FaceTime. Plus, this TrueDepth camera system allows for Face ID, ensuring secure authentication, and it comes with cool features like Portrait mode with Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, and support for Animoji and Memoji. When it comes to video recording, the front camera captures at 1080p HD and includes Cinematic video stabilization for smooth footage. In short, the camera setup on the 11-inch iPad Pro M5 is a fantastic blend of hardware and smart photography features, making it perfect for everything from scanning documents and creating AR experiences to high-quality video conferencing and casual photography.

APPLE Intelligence

The 11-inch iPad Pro (M5) The 11-inch iPad Pro, now equipped with the cutting-edge Apple M5 chip, is designed to be a powerhouse for Apple Intelligence, which is Apple’s personal intelligence system. The M5 chip takes the device’s capability to handle demanding AI tasks to a whole new level, thanks to its next-gen 10-core GPU that features a Neural Accelerator in each core, along with an upgraded 16-core Neural Engine. This impressive hardware combo boosts AI performance significantly, making the M5 chip up to 3.5 times faster for AI tasks compared to the previous M4 model. This enhanced speed ensures that generative AI features operate swiftly, efficiently, and with a strong emphasis on keeping your data private on the device. The advanced silicon accelerates key Apple Intelligence features that are woven throughout iPadOS 26 and its built-in apps. Users can tap into this power for tasks like Smart Reply and summarization in Mail and Messages, as well as Live Translation in various communication apps. Creative workflows get a major boost from features like Image Playground, which allows users to explore visual styles and quickly generate images right on the device, and Clean Up in Photos, which utilizes the neural engine to instantly spot and remove unwanted distractions from images. Plus, the M5 chip’s higher unified memory bandwidth (up to 7 GB/s) enables the running of larger, more complex AI models directly on the device, ensuring that your intelligence remains personal and private. The design of the 11-inch iPad Pro, featuring the Ultra Retina XDR (Tandem OLED) display and support for the Apple Pencil Pro, creates an engaging experience for these new intelligent features. The precise input from the Apple Pencil is integrated into AI tools like Clean Up for enhanced accuracy, and the stunning display quality makes the generated content, such as images from Image Playground, look absolutely breathtaking. This blend of the M5’s raw AI processing power, the professional-grade display, and the intuitive touch-and-pencil interface positions the 11-inch iPad Pro as a true game-changer.

BATTERY AND CHARGING

The 11-inch iPad Pro (M5) comes packed with a built-in 31.29-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery, giving you a dependable power experience that lasts all day. Apple claims that you can expect up to 10 hours of web surfing on Wi-Fi or watching videos with all models. If you opt for the Wi-Fi + Cellular versions, that drops to about 9 hours when using a cellular data network. While these official ratings are in line with previous models, actual performance can differ, with some users noting it might be a bit less under heavy, mixed usage. One of the standout features of the M5 iPad Pro is its enhanced charging capabilities, thanks to the introduction of Fast Charging. With a compatible USB-C power adapter that delivers 60W or more, you can get up to 50% battery in roughly 30 minutes. Included with the iPad Pro (M5) is a 20W USB-C Power Adapter and a USB-C Charge Cable. While this adapter works fine for regular charging, it won’t give you the fastest charging speeds. To hit that maximum fast-charging performance of 50% in about 30 minutes, you’ll need to grab a higher-wattage adapter, like the Apple 40W Dynamic Power Adapter (60W Max) or any other USB-C power adapter rated at 60W or above. Charging is done through its Thunderbolt / USB 4 port, which not only supports high-speed data transfer but also power delivery. With a solid 10-hour battery life and the new fast-charging feature, the 11-inch M5 iPad Pro is incredibly portable, ensuring you spend less time tethered to a charger, even during demanding professional tasks.