Apple iPad Pro 11" M5 Silver 2025

The iPad Pro M5 is a beast with a best-in-class OLED screen and performance that tops our charts. It's the ultimate creative tool, but iPadOS holds it back from being a true laptop killer. Buy it for the hardware, but make sure you can live with the software.

The M5 chip is an absolute monster. In our database, its CPU and GPU scores sit in the 97th percentile, which is just a fancy way of saying it's one of the best on the market. Apps open instantly, the 16GB of RAM in this 1TB model keeps everything in memory, and the 10-core GPU chews through rendering tasks without breaking a sweat. The 120Hz ProMotion display makes every swipe and scroll feel like butter. The only real head-scratcher is the 31Wh battery. It's efficient, sure, and lands in the 97th percentile for battery life in our rankings, but that's compared to other tablets. Push it hard with a demanding game or a long video export and you'll still be hunting for a charger by the end of the day.

Stacked against the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11, the iPad Pro wins on raw power and app polish for creatives, but Samsung's DeX mode offers a more desktop-like experience that some power users will prefer. The Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition is the real rival here, running full Windows 11, which makes it a genuine laptop replacement, though its screen and battery life can't touch Apple's OLED. The Xiaomi Pad and Lenovo Idea Tab Pro are solid mid-range alternatives, but they're playing a different game entirely. They're great for media consumption, but they lack the sheer horsepower and premium accessory ecosystem of the iPad Pro. If your workflow isn't chained to iPadOS, the Surface Pro is the smarter buy for getting real work done.

Value is a tricky word here. This specific 1TB cellular model sits at the top of a price range that spans from $1000 to $2000 across different vendors. You're paying a massive premium for the best screen, the most storage, and the cellular radio. Is it worth it? If you're a creative pro who can write this off as a business expense and needs that 16GB of RAM for massive art files, then yes, absolutely. For everyone else, the base model gets you the same M5 chip and that killer display for a lot less cash. Shop around, because a $1000 price spread is wild, and finding the best deal from a retailer like Best Buy can save you a serious chunk of change.

The iPad Pro M5 is basically a supercar in tablet form. Apple took their already ridiculous M-series chip, gave it another shot of espresso, and slapped it behind the most stunning OLED screen we've ever tested. It's thin, it's light, and it absolutely screams through anything you throw at it, from 4K video edits to heavy Procreate canvases. If you want the best tablet money can buy right now, this is it. No contest.

But let's be real for a second. This thing runs iPadOS, which means it's still a tablet first and a laptop replacement second. The hardware is begging to run MacOS, but it's locked into an app ecosystem that can feel restrictive if you're a power user who lives in a real file system. For artists, note-takers, and mobile warriors, it's a dream. For developers or anyone needing specific desktop software, it's a compromise wrapped in a gorgeous aluminum shell.

Skip this if you need a real computer. If your day involves coding in Xcode, running virtual machines, or using niche Windows-only software, just get a MacBook or a Surface Pro. This much power is wasted if you're constantly fighting iPadOS to do simple desktop tasks. Also, if you're just streaming shows and browsing the web, save your money and get a regular iPad. You don't need a Formula 1 car to go grocery shopping.

The iPad Pro M5 is the best tablet on the planet for a very specific, very lucky person. That person is a creative professional who lives in the Apple ecosystem and wants the absolute pinnacle of portable display and performance technology. It's a flawless piece of hardware held back by software that still treats it like a giant iPhone. If you can live within iPadOS's walls, you'll love it. If you can't, you'll be constantly frustrated by what this machine could be.