Apple iPad Pro 13" 13-inch M5 chip Space Black 2025 Review

This is Apple's best iPad Pro yet, and it's not even close. That new 13-inch OLED screen is stunning, with perfect blacks and crazy brightness. It's paired with the new M5 chip, which is more than enough power for anything you'd do on a tablet.

But it's still an iPad. You get iPadOS, which is slick and fast but has its limits compared to a full laptop. For drawing, watching movies, or just browsing, it's incredible. For serious work, you might still feel a bit boxed in.

The M5 chip is a monster. It scores in the 94th percentile for both CPU and GPU, so it'll handle 4K video editing or 3D modeling without breaking a sweat. The real star is the screen, though. That OLED panel is in the 98th percentile, and you can tell. Colors pop, HDR content looks amazing, and the 120Hz scrolling is buttery smooth. The only real letdown is the battery, which lands right in the middle of the pack. It's fine, but not great for a device this expensive.

At $1399, this is a premium price for a premium device. You're paying top dollar for that unbeatable screen and the Apple ecosystem. If your main thing is media consumption, digital art, or note-taking, it's worth it. If you need a laptop replacement for heavy work, you might get more for your money elsewhere, even within Apple's own lineup with a MacBook Air.

Compared to the Microsoft Surface Pro 11, the iPad Pro wins on screen quality and app optimization for touch, but the Surface runs full Windows, which is better for real work. Next to the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, the iPad's software and processor are smoother, but Samsung's device is better for multitasking and file management. The Lenovo Legion Go is a different beast entirely, focused on gaming. For pure tablet duties, the iPad Pro is the king, but the 'pro' part is still held back by its OS.

Buy this if you're an artist, a designer, or someone who just wants the absolute best media consumption tablet money can buy. The screen and performance are that good. Skip it if you need a true laptop replacement for coding, complex spreadsheets, or any work that needs more flexible software. It's a nearly perfect tablet, but it's still just a tablet.