When the really big sales events of the year get close — Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Amazon Prime Day, etc., one of the big questions is always “What’s Apple going to do?” If this new Amazon deal on the brand-new M5 iPad Pro is any indication, Apple’s going to be dipping at least a toe in the Black Friday pond in the weeks to come. For the first time, the 11-inch M5 iPad Pro is taking a price drop — it’s $949 right now, down by $50.
Apple fans and creative pros in particular are going to be all over this one, because the new M5 iPad Pro comes closer to full high-end laptop power than any tablet yet. The M5 chip is a game changer in terms of speed and pure power, and the newly released iPadOS 26 is a massive leap forward. The two combine with Apple Intelligence to create a tablet that can do nearly everything a powerful laptop can, especially if you add the Magic Keyboard to complete the experience.
Faster, Thinner, Better
Strangely enough, the new IPad Pro is lighter than the iPad Air — 0.98 pounds, which speaks to just how much size and weight Apple has cut from their latest tablet design while amping up its power and ability. The M5 chip gets the lion’s share of attention, and deservedly so, but don’t sleep on the N1 wireless chip that’s also in the new iPad Pro, because it makes Wi-Fi 7, Thread, and Bluetooth 6 connections happen.
As with all things Apple, the screen on the M5 iPad Pro is best-in-class. It’s an Ultra Retina XDR tandem OLED screen with anti-glare treatment and an oleophobic coating that cuts down on fingerprints — an essential feature for an elite tablet. The ProMotion adaptive refresh rate ranges from 10Hz to a blistering 120Hz, and the peak performance of 1,600 nits delivers all of the exceptional quality of the screen in its full glory.
All About the Images
The M5 iPad Pro’s cameras and what it can do with the images are where this tablet really shines. The 12MP Wide camera at the rear of the tablet can shoot 4K ProRes video, and also be used as a powerful document scanner and AR code unlocking device. The front of the tablet has a powerhouse 12MP landscape Center Stage camera for pristine video calls and conferencing. When you shoot your videos or stills, Apple Intelligence takes over to deliver the best and most powerful range of editing and creative options of any tablet on the market.’
The first price break on this brand-new tablet is definitely an occasion, even if it’s just 5%. That might not be the case with other tablets, but the M5 iPad Pro was a lot of tablet at its full $999 price, and now that it’s down to $949 at Amazon, it’s a more impressive deal yet.
