"Visually, the iPad Pro is sleek and appealing. It features a thin, unassuming build that makes it almost unsettling when you consider how much power is packed into something so light -- especially when testing the 11-inch variant. Apple also offers the 12.9-inch iPad Pro if you need the extra screen real estate, but the 11-inch size is just right for everything I need on a tablet."
"I used the 13-inch iPad Air with the Magic Keyboard for most of last year, which was impressive enough to replace my MacBook Pro for most tasks, though not all. The iPad Pro with the M5 chip and iPadOS 26, however, got me the closest to the laptop experience than any iPad, often even surpassing my MacBook's performance, even in the 11-inch form factor."
"My biggest gripe with Apple's claim that an iPad can replace a laptop in a pinch has always been that the mobile experience inherent in the iPad interface simply can't beat MacOS -- or any laptop experience, for that matter. You could, with Samsung DeX, for example, enjoy a laptop-like experience on a Samsung Galaxy tablet, but the iPad just hasn't cut it -- until iPadOS 26."
The iPad Pro uses Apple's new M5 processor—the same chip in the latest MacBook Pro—delivering significant performance gains in an ultraportable form factor. The 11-inch model balances portability and power, while a 12.9-inch option provides more screen real estate. Months of testing show the M5 iPad Pro is the top performer across the iPad lineup. iPadOS 26 introduces an enhanced windowing system that narrows the gap with laptop workflows and enables a closer-to-MacBook experience. The combination of M5 hardware and iPadOS 26 often surpasses MacBook performance for many tasks. Incoming iPad refreshes expected in 2026 complicate the immediate buying decision.
Read at ZDNET
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