iPad Pro 13'' M5 - I am stunned 🥰

Hardware
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I have been using iPads since the first one was released.

When the first iPad Pro with 12.9’’ was launched, I bought it. My main reason to buy this particular device was the big display. I am an (amateur) brass band conductor and all my scores are inside of ForScore. In 2022, I bought the M2 model of the iPad Pro with 12.9’‘. In 2024, Apple did release the iPad Pro M4 at 13’', it was thinner, had a new Tandem OLED display and whatnot. I read the reviews and watched some YouTube videos: the M2 is just fine. Don’t upgrade. You’re fine. You will need to buy a new pencil, you will need to buy a new case and whatnot. Yes, I was fine. :slight_smile: The iPad M2 is a fantastic device, it still is working just fine.

Well, two weeks ago Apple did announce the M5 model. 100 Euro cheaper than the previous one. No significant changes, “just” a speed bump with the new M5 and some other stuff. No need to upgrade. I am fine. The M2 iPad Pro still is a fantastic device.

Today, I made the mistake to have my lunch break in a shopping mall. They had the iPad Pro M5 13’‘. I saw the display. And I was hooked. You know, all this Apple marketing. The reality distortion field (sounds nice, but when reality settles in…). Tandem OLED. Whatever! Boy, this is no marketing! I almost experienced the “Retina moment” all over again. The colors! Black is black.The brightness! How the picture feels to be on the glass and not underneath it (yes, I am weird). I bought an iPad Pro 13’’ 256 GB right there, on the spot. I will sell my M2 iPad. :slight_smile:

The iPad Pro 13’’ M5 is a beautiful device. And it is light (the M2 model is considerably heavier, those 100 grams more are not bad, but it feels nice to have a lighter M5. For more comparisons: iPad Pro 12.9‑in. (6th generation) vs iPad Pro 13‑in. (M4) vs iPad Pro 13-in. (M5) - Apple

If you are a sensible and rational person owning a M2 iPad Pro and have stopped yourself to buy the M5 model, better do not look at it in person. Yes, the M2 is sufficient, but man, the iPad Pro M5 with the tandem OLED display and its slim form factor is just mind-blowing. :joy:

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This is one of the things that keeps driving me from the my M4 14” MBP to the M4 13” iPad. The M4 MBP screen is dull in comparison. :grinning:

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Step away from the blubonium! (those who’ve watched Escape from Planet Earth with their kids)

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Come on, this kind of post isn’t helping me to continue to resist an upgrade for my iPad Pro M1 12.9" :wink: :wink: :wink:

Everything you said is calling from that bit of my brain that desires the new and shiny. I do wish that the M1 was less capable, sadly it’s quite a workhorse still to this very day.

My main use case for the larger iPad (I do have a M4 11" Pro, that is for personal use only) is so I can have an Apple ecosystem device for work. I’m forced to use Windows at work, they don’t have a MacBook alternative or support BYOD at this point (for good reasons sadly), however I’m able to get my iPad working via MDM and it can do most of the things on a daily basis I need.

Also I can hand my M1 iPad Pro down through the kids…
And I do like the sound of that screen…
And the lighter weight (140g including the Magic Keyboard)

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Agreed 100%.

This is the rare device in my life I still marvel at regularly. I like to take it out of the case and use it frequently, which is why that happens so often. The screen is incredible and the form and feeling is delightful.

That said, I upgraded from the M4 and perceive no difference whatsoever. I’d highly recommend a refurbished or lightly used M4 to get this same experience at a nice discount.

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Yes and yes! I am fighting off the M5 siren song but know I will give in soon.

Am currently running a 12.9 M1 for work and M4 11” for personal use. Occasionally I break out an an iPad mini 6. However, I find the Mini not quite flexible enough when you want to do anything more complicated than watching YouTube or reading a book, so it will be rarely used until unsupportable and then retired.

I am also a work prisoner of a corporate windows laptop aka “Continual System Update Device” which uses 55%+ of RAM just to sit their idling…

Fortunately, I can do 95% of my work on my 12.9 Ipad Pro. So on that basis, it’s important I upgrade…. :roll_eyes: :smiley:

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I think I’m safe here. I got the M2 iPad Pro 13’’ because I thought it would be useful to have the bigger screen for reading sheet music and whatnot. Turns out my eyesight has not precisely improved and I also need to pinch-to-zoom even with at 13’’ screen. That’s to the point that I prefer to use my 32’’ screen monitor for reading and use the iPad Pro with the pencil to annotate the music.

So I don’t think my eyes would notice the difference with the OLED display :stuck_out_tongue:

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I’m still using my a 2nd generation iPad Pro 11. So when your M4 is hand me down, I’m in line for it.

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I bought the 11 and love the smaller form factor, whilst having pangs of regret for not going 13…

The 120hz screen and ability to run my external 4k display at that is a big win, as is how fast the on device dictation works! Which is another reason I want the 13 for more screen so I can read/watch something and dictate to my note taking app.

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Noted. :grinning: 2ocharacters

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Small update: Stuck with the 11 and happy with it. The form factor fits my needs better. No longer debating if I should have opt’d for the 13.

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I went from an M1 13” iPad Pro to the M5 version. But the key I think is that I upgraded the whole iPad setup, Magic Keyboard and Appley Pencil Pro. All three combined it’s a really great upgrade. The decreased weight is the first thing I noticed and loved. The M1’s mini-led display was a great, but this tandem OLED :drooling_face: - I absolutely love it. The deeper black levels make every other aspect pop that much more. - The front facing camera is where it belongs finally. Although I was disappointed that they didn’t equip it with the new 18mp square sensor from the iPhone 17. The Magic Keyboard is improved all the way around. Its lighter, better build materials and the touchpad is larger and it’s a force-touch pad like they use on the MacBooks. And of course, function buttons! I thought the Pro part of the Apple Pencil marketing silliness, and it is, but I’ve really love the new squeeze feature to bring up menus in various apps. - When added all together it made for a really enjoyable upgrade.

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Ok, whilst I want to dislike this thread, but I can’t. Yesterday I purchased a new M5 iPad Pro 13" with Magic Keyboard, and it is quite a magical upgrade from my M1.

Weight and balance, whilst a modest difference on paper, the difference in the real world is game changing, especially holding the iPad in tablet mode.

Screen, as noted here, content leaps off the screen, it is fantastic.

Magic Keyboard, big upgrade from the old one, function buttons, better typing experience, more aluminium edging to avoid the damage that I’ve seen on my M1 keyboard.

Apple Pencil is great, new features are very good.

However one of the biggest upgrades for me, is the camera placement, far better for calls, however for left handed people FaceID is far more reliable because my writing hand doesn’t get in the way. This last point is far much more of a big deal that you might think.

The speed update is noticeable in terms of the combined experience of the processor, RAM bandwidth etc. Big leap forward.

My biggest issue with the upgrade, my 12.9" iPad Pro M1 is still capable (I got the 1TB version), so I’m now exploring how I might still get value out of it, or pass along to my family (or sell it). It’s really been the best iPad that I’ve owned (and I’ve had most of them) and without question the longest period of constant use (over 4 years, and happy with it all the way through).

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I went from an M1 iPad Air to an 11” M5 iPad Pro.

How different could it be?

How wrong I was! Stunning device and thoroughly enjoy every minute of using it.

This is the first iPad I’ve bought the Magic Keyboard for also. I must say in some ways it’s transformed the iPad and the amount of use it gets!

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After two months, I am still blown away.

I got myself the Magic Keyboard, too - a reseller had it available at a crazy discount of 150 Euro because it was “used”, a returned keyboard, perfectly fine, no difference to a new one. It is very expensive, but very good, even better than older models.

The reason for this post is:

This is my “case” most of the time when I do not want the unavoidable bulkiness of the Magic Keyboard. It is a long time since I last bought Apple’s Folio for an iPad. I love how the new one is able to adapt to different angles, and it stands rock solid, even on my lap. And yes, it is quite expensive in comparison to the knock-offs. But the knock-offs I owned in recent years do not come close to the Smart Folio.

Sorry, I did it again. :joy: If you live in Germany, the shops close in a few hours for Christmas only to open on December 27th again. So, you are safe over here. :santa: In the States: not so much. Move along, nothing to see - and merry Christmas! :christmas_tree:

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