Apple iPad Pro Apple 11" iPad Pro M5 Chip (Standard Glass, 256GB, Review

So you're looking at the new 11-inch iPad Pro with the M5 chip. It's Apple's latest and greatest tablet, and it's aimed squarely at people who want a super portable creative studio or a powerhouse for getting work done. With that gorgeous 11-inch OLED screen, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage, it's built to handle everything from digital art to heavy-duty multitasking. If you're searching for 'best tablet for artists' or 'most powerful 11-inch tablet,' this is the one to beat right now. The price is steep, hovering around $900 to $950, but you're paying for top-tier performance in a sleek package.

Let's talk speed, because this thing is a rocket. The M5 chip puts up numbers in the 94th percentile for both CPU and GPU performance. That means it absolutely flies through tasks. Rendering a complex illustration in Procreate? It's instant. Editing a 4K video in LumaFusion? No sweat. The 12GB of RAM keeps dozens of Safari tabs and apps open without a hiccup. In practice, it feels like using a high-end laptop, but in tablet form. The only real performance question mark is the battery, which lands right in the middle of the pack at the 50th percentile. It'll get you through a day of mixed use, but heavy creative work will see it drain faster.

This is a premium product with a premium price tag. At $900 to $950, it's one of the most expensive tablets you can buy. You're paying for that cutting-edge OLED screen and the raw power of the M5. The value really depends on your needs. If you're a digital artist, designer, or someone who needs a super-portable creative tool, it's worth the investment. But if you just want a tablet for media consumption and light work, there are much cheaper iPads and Android tablets that will do the job just fine.

How does it stack up? The most direct competitor is its bigger sibling, the 13-inch iPad Pro M5. You get more screen real estate for multitasking and art, but it's heavier and more expensive. For Windows users, the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is a compelling alternative. It runs full desktop Windows 11, has great accessories, and might be better for specific business software, but its ARM chip still can't match the raw app performance and optimization of the M5 iPad. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is the Android king. It has a massive, beautiful screen and great multitasking features like DeX, but the app ecosystem for professional creative work still lags behind iPadOS. The Lenovo Legion Go and Panasonic Toughbook are for very different, niche audiences (gaming and rugged use).

So, should you buy the 11-inch iPad Pro M5? If you're an artist, designer, or creative pro who needs the best portable tool, and you're already invested in the Apple ecosystem, then yes, absolutely. It's the best tablet for digital art and design, scoring a 92.5 in that category. It's also a fantastic productivity machine. But if you're on a budget, or if you need to run specific desktop applications for work, the value proposition gets shaky. For everyone else, the standard iPad or even last year's model will save you a lot of money. This is a no-compromise device for people who need the absolute best in a small form factor.