Apple iPad Pro Apple 13" iPad Pro M5 Chip (Standard Glass, 256GB, Review

The 13-inch iPad Pro with the M5 chip is Apple's latest attempt to convince you that a tablet can be your main computer. It's got that stunning new OLED screen, the latest processor, and all the polish you expect. But it's still running iPadOS, and that's the big question mark hanging over the whole thing.

The M5 chip is predictably fast. It scores in the 94th percentile for both CPU and GPU, so it'll handle anything you throw at it, from 4K video editing to complex 3D modeling. The real star is that 13-inch Ultra Retina XDR OLED display, which lands in the 98th percentile. It's incredibly bright, with perfect blacks and vibrant colors. The battery life is just average, though, sitting right at the 50th percentile mark. And while WiFi 7 and 5G are great, the 256GB storage and 12GB RAM are middle-of-the-pack specs.

Let's be real, you're not buying this for value. You're buying it because you want the absolute best tablet screen and performance Apple makes. If that's your goal, and you're locked into the Apple ecosystem for creative work, it justifies its premium. For everyone else, the price is a tough pill to swallow, especially when you add the necessary keyboard to make it a laptop replacement.

Against the Microsoft Surface Pro 11, you're choosing between iPadOS and full Windows 11. The Surface is a real laptop replacement. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra has a bigger screen and more flexible software with Dex mode, but its raw power and app ecosystem can't quite match Apple's. The Lenovo Legion Go is a different beast for gaming. If you need a pure tablet for drawing and media with blistering speed, the iPad Pro wins. If you need to run desktop software or do serious multitasking, the Surface Pro is the smarter buy.

Buy this if you're an artist, designer, or creative pro who lives in Apple's ecosystem and values that incredible OLED display above all else. It's the best drawing and media consumption device money can buy. But if you need a true laptop replacement for spreadsheets, coding, or any real 'work' work, the iPadOS limitations will frustrate you. Look at a Surface Pro or a MacBook Air instead.