Apple’s Next iPad Pro May Use M5 Chip, Launch Expected This Year

Apple is reportedly working on the next iPad Pro model with an M5 chip. The next M-series chip is expected to bring performance boosts over the existing M4 iPad Pro as demand for artificial intelligence-based services grows significantly. The M5 iPad Pro will likely be announced sometime later this year.

The latest information comes from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who wrote in the fresh edition of his Power On newsletter that the M5 iPad Pro is in a “late testing” phase. He added the M5 iPad Pro has four codenames: J817, J818, J820, and J821, representing four variants of Apple’s next top-end tablet.

According to Gurman, the next iPad Pro will only feature performance improvements due to a new chip. Its design, however, may remain the same. The iPad Pro received a redesign last year, bringing an OLED display, thinner bezels, a slimmer profile, and a new front-facing camera suitable for landscape orientation.

The iPad Pro with the M5 chip, Gurman said, is “on track for production in the second half of this year.” Although a specific timeline is unclear, the launch may happen after the iPhone 17 series.

Gurman also claimed that Apple is working on a new M6-powered iPad Pro, which will be the first iPad to feature the company’s in-house radio chips. Apple launched C1 as its first modem on the iPhone 16e earlier this year as the company seeks to minimise reliance on Qualcomm and Broadcom. The M5 iPad Pro, however, is expected in 2027.

Apple is also purportedly working on new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models, featuring the M5 chip. These versions could benefit from the new chip in terms of performance upgrades, but a redesign is unlikely until 2026 when the MacBook Pro may bring cosmetic changes.

In his newsletter, Gurman also said Apple is reworking the Health app to integrate a new feature, health coach. Expected to arrive as part of the iOS 19.4 update next year, the health coach will provide users with AI-based recommendations based on their health data. It will be like talking to a real doctor, according to Gurman.

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