iPad Pro (M5, 2025) review: amazing performance, hardware remains unbeaten, and iPadOS is getting more Mac-like, but still too pricey for a secondary computer
What do you get the tablet that has everything? Last year, Apple debuted a massive overhaul to the iPad Pro, with a thin new design …
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple’s prior iPad Pro refresh was already praised for its thin design, display, and fast M4 chip, while the review found that iPadOS still lagged the hardware. The new assessment suggests software is moving closer to Apple’s Mac interaction model without fully resolving the product’s role.
The tension is longstanding: earlier iPad Pro coverage also paired capable hardware with high pricing and accessory costs, including the 10.5-inch model’s expensive keyboard-and-pencil proposition. That makes the secondary-computer value question more persistent than this generation’s chip upgrade.
First-order effects
- Buyers get class-leading iPad Pro hardware and a more Mac-like iPadOS experience, but the review’s price assessment limits its appeal as an additional computer rather than a primary one.
- Apple gains a stronger premium-tablet proposition, while its own Mac lineup remains the more natural comparison point as iPadOS adopts more desktop-like behavior.
Second-order effects
- Premium-tablet rivals face a higher hardware and performance benchmark, but Apple’s unresolved value proposition leaves room for alternatives positioned around lower total cost or clearer laptop replacement utility.
- More Mac-like iPadOS can raise expectations for keyboard, pointer, multitasking, and professional workflows; shortcomings in those areas become more consequential when the device is priced as a premium computer.
Third-order effects
- If iPadOS continues to converge with Mac-like workflows while iPad Pro pricing stays elevated, Apple may further segment tablets as premium companion devices rather than force a direct replacement for Macs.
- The recurring gap between iPad Pro hardware and its perceived computer value indicates that platform capability, not silicon performance alone, will determine whether premium tablets expand beyond a specialist market.
The trend: Premium tablets are advancing through desktop-style software and leading hardware, but their growth depends on proving a distinct computing role at laptop-like prices.