Apple iPad Pro Apple 11" iPad Pro M5 Chip (Standard Glass, 512GB, Review

The new 11-inch iPad Pro with the M5 chip is here, and it's basically a desktop computer crammed into a tablet. You get that blazing-fast Apple silicon, a stunning OLED screen, and 512GB of storage right out of the gate. It's built for creatives and power users who want the ultimate portable canvas.

The M5 chip is a monster, landing in the 94th percentile for both CPU and GPU power. It'll handle 4K video editing, complex 3D modeling, and any game you throw at it without breaking a sweat. The 12GB of RAM keeps things smooth, though it's not class-leading. The big trade-off is battery life, which sits in the bottom half of tablets, so you'll be charging it more often than you might like.

At $1099, this isn't a casual purchase. You're paying a premium for that Apple ecosystem, the M5 performance, and the best-in-class display. If you're an artist, designer, or someone who needs a powerful portable device for media consumption and light creative work, it's worth it. But if you just want a tablet for Netflix and web browsing, it's massive overkill.

Compared to the 13-inch iPad Pro, you're saving money and getting a more portable size, but you lose some screen real estate. Against the Microsoft Surface Pro 11, you get a much better screen and faster chip, but you lose the full Windows desktop OS and its flexibility. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra offers a bigger AMOLED screen and better multitasking with Android, but its chip can't touch the M5's raw power. This iPad Pro wins on pure hardware polish and performance.

Buy this if you're a creative professional or a power user who wants the absolute best tablet hardware money can buy and you're locked into the Apple ecosystem. Don't buy it if you need long battery life, a true desktop operating system, or you're on any kind of budget.