iPad Pro M5 vs M4: Should You Upgrade or Buy the Discount?
The iPad Pro M5 is now the current model — same stunning tandem-OLED design, same prices, faster chip. So is it worth buying over a now-discounted M4 iPad Pro? For most people, the answer is the same one we keep landing on this year.
Apple dropped the M5 chip into the iPad Pro while leaving everything else essentially untouched: the same impossibly thin chassis, the same Ultra Retina XDR tandem-OLED display, the same 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, and the same starting prices the M4 launched at. That makes this comparison short and clear.
The honest take: the M5 is a real but incremental upgrade. Buying new today? Get the M5 — it's the same price the M4 was. Already own an M4, or you can find one discounted? The M4 iPad Pro is still the most powerful tablet most people will ever need, and the smart-money pick.
At a Glance: iPad Pro M5 vs M4
| Feature | iPad Pro M5 | iPad Pro M4 |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | M5 | M4 |
| GPU / Neural Engine | Faster, more ML throughput | Still excellent |
| Display | Ultra Retina XDR (tandem OLED) | Ultra Retina XDR (tandem OLED) |
| Sizes | 11" / 13" | 11" / 13" |
| Memory | 8GB / 16GB (1TB+) | 8GB / 16GB (1TB+) |
| Accessories | Apple Pencil Pro, Magic Keyboard | Apple Pencil Pro, Magic Keyboard |
| Starting price | $999 (11") / $1,299 (13") | Discounted / refurb |
The design, the class-leading OLED display, the accessory ecosystem, the memory tiers — all identical. The M5's gains are concentrated in the chip: a faster GPU and a beefier Neural Engine for on-device AI.
What Actually Changed in the M5
Faster graphics
The M5's GPU pulls ahead of the M4's, which you'll notice in Procreate with huge canvases, GPU-accelerated video in LumaFusion or Final Cut for iPad, and demanding games. For sketching, notes, and media, the M4 was already overkill.
A stronger Neural Engine
More on-device machine-learning throughput means snappier Apple Intelligence features and faster AI tasks in creative apps. Genuinely useful over time, rarely a day-one difference.
What did not change
Same tandem-OLED Ultra Retina XDR display (still the best on any tablet), same thin-and-light design, same Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard support, same 8GB/16GB memory split, same prices. The M4 nailed all of it.
Which One Should You Buy?
✅ Buy the M5 if…
You're buying new (same price as the M4 was), you do GPU-heavy creative work, or you want the longest software runway. At matching prices, there's no reason to pick new M4 over new M5.
✅ Buy a discounted M4 if…
You want the best value. With the M5 out, M4 iPad Pros are surfacing new-old-stock and certified refurbished at real discounts — and they share the exact same screen and design.
❌ Don't upgrade M4 → M5 if…
You already own an M4 iPad Pro. A chip bump on an identical tablet isn't worth four figures for the vast majority of users. Keep it.
💡 Not sure you need the Pro at all?
Many people are better served by the iPad Air. See our iPad Air vs iPad Pro breakdown before spending Pro money.
Prices & Where to Buy
iPad Pro M5 — from $999
11-inch from $999 and 13-inch from $1,299, with 16GB memory on 512GB-and-up configurations.
Or see live pricing on our iPad Pro M5 tracker.
iPad Pro M4 — discounted & refurbished
No longer sold new by Apple, the M4 iPad Pro now appears discounted and certified-refurbished — the same screen and design for less.
Shop discounted iPad Pro M4 on Amazon →The Verdict
The iPad Pro M5 is the right buy new — it's the same price as the M4 with a faster chip and better on-device AI. But because the headline features (that tandem-OLED display, the thin design, the accessories) are identical, this is a year where buying the previous generation at a discount is the savvy move. The M4 iPad Pro remains the best tablet most people will ever touch.
Buying new? Get the M5. Chasing value, or already own an M4? Save your money — and check the whole lineup in our buying guides.
🔍 Ready to shop? Compare live iPad Pro prices on Amazon or the TheresMac price tracker — updated every few minutes so you never overpay.