Apple iPad Pro (M5, 13-inch) — Advanced Review
The best tablet money can buy for creatives and power users who want a gorgeous, ultra-portable powerhouse.
The verdict
The 13-inch iPad Pro (M5) earns its high score as the most capable tablet ever tested, with reviewers singling out its tandem-OLED Ultra Retina XDR display as a standout. Lab measurements confirm exceptional peak brightness, deep blacks and color accuracy, while independent reviewers praise its laptop-class M5 performance, remarkably thin and light build, and the polished tablet experience. Expert and owner consensus align strongly on it being the premium tablet to beat, with the major reservation being that iPadOS still limits how fully it replaces a laptop. It lands just shy of perfect because that software ceiling and the high cost of accessories temper an otherwise stellar verdict.
Rated by category
- Display. Tandem OLED Ultra Retina XDR with ProMotion — the best display on any tablet, inky blacks and 1,600-nit HDR peaks.
- Performance. M5 makes it faster than most laptops; genuinely overkill for tablet software.
- Software & Versatility. iPadOS still caps how far the hardware goes for real pro multitasking, the perennial iPad Pro ceiling.
- Value. Starts at $1,499 for the 13-inch and the essential keyboard + Pencil push it well past a capable laptop.
What reviewers praise
- stunning tandem-OLED XDR display
- laptop-class M5 performance
- remarkably thin and light
- premium build and finish
Worth knowing
- iPadOS limits full laptop replacement
- keyboard and pencil accessories are expensive
Price and value
At $1,499 for the 13-inch (after Apple's June 2026 $200 hike), plus a near-essential Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro, it's a very expensive tablet that only creative pros and drawing-first users truly justify.
How it compares
No rival tablet — Samsung Galaxy Tab S-series included — comes close on display or silicon, so it's the undisputed premium-tablet pick; but for the all-in price, a MacBook Air M4 does more actual work, which is the value asterisk.
The bottom line
The best tablet money can buy for creatives and power users who want a gorgeous, ultra-portable powerhouse.
How this review works
This isn't one editor's opinion. MyBase's Advanced Review is our own AI-synthesized editorial assessment: it draws on the published verdicts of the industry's most trusted independent expert reviewers and testing publications, alongside large pools of verified-owner reviews, and weighs them together into a single clear verdict. Expert testing is weighed alongside real-world owner consensus, so the rating reflects how a product actually performs — not how it's marketed.
MyBase is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by any third-party publication. Advanced Reviews are MyBase's independent editorial synthesis and may not reflect the opinion of any single source.