(Bloomberg/Chris Welch) — Apple Inc. updated its top-of-the-line iPad Pro, Vision Pro headset and 14-inch MacBook Pro, rounding out a series of product refreshes ahead of the crucial holiday-shopping season.
The new products, announced Wednesday, all use Apple’s latest in-house chip, called the M5. With the exception of a new headband for the Vision Pro, the devices don’t offer major exterior design changes. They are available to preorder now and will arrive in stores on Oct. 22. Prices remain unchanged from previous models.
iPad Pro
Across the board, Apple is touting the M5’s faster artificial intelligence processing capabilities, saying in a press release that it delivers “3.5x the AI performance” of the previous iPad Pro. The more powerful chip should help Apple’s tablet surpass many high-end laptops in performance. Combined with long-overdue multitasking improvements that were introduced with iPadOS 26 last month, iPad owners will finally be able to put that horsepower to more practical use.
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Besides the M5, the company is outfitting the latest iPad Pro with other in-house components as well. The new tablets feature Apple’s N1 networking chip and support the latest Wi-Fi 7 wireless data speeds. Cellular-enabled versions of the iPad Pro will include the C1X chip that first debuted in the iPhone Air in September.
Apple is betting that the new models will bolster demand after disappointing iPad sales in the June quarter. Some shoppers may have been waiting for the updated version before making purchases.
Like its direct predecessor, the M5 iPad Pro has a thin design and includes a multilayered “tandem” OLED display — an approach that offers more brightness and efficiency, according to Apple. The company stuck with the 11-inch and 13-inch sizes offered on recent models, and the starting prices are the same: $999 and $1,299, respectively.
With iPadOS 26, Apple overhauled its approach to multitasking with a new system that more closely resembles the way users interact with software on a Mac. Many different apps can now be used on the iPad’s screen at once, with more intuitive controls for resizing and rearranging windows.
Other improvements include a Mac-like menu bar at the top of the screen when working inside apps and the ability to place folders directly in the home screen dock. All recent iPad models can take advantage of the revamped windowing interface, but the iPad Pro is able to juggle the most apps simultaneously.
Vision Pro
For the Vision Pro in particular, the shift to the M5 chip should bring a big jump in overall processing power, given the original launched with the aging M2. The company’s latest silicon should let the Vision Pro handle advanced augmented reality experiences, as well as processing-heavy artificial intelligence features. The expected battery life is also slightly longer here.
The new band, called the Dual Knit Band head strap, is designed to reduce fatigue and discomfort that can result from wearing the Vision Pro for an extended period of time. It includes both upper and lower straps that provide extra cushioning, Apple said.
Since its release in early 2024, the Vision Pro has been viewed as too heavy and expensive to become a hit product. But it’s still an impressive technology showcase. The device’s displays are top-notch and offer a better movie-watching experience than other headsets. Even so, Apple has been slow to roll out immersive 3D videos that play to the device’s strengths.
With many consumers unwilling to splurge on a $3,499 product, Apple has increasingly been touting the Vision Pro as a good fit for businesses or organizations.
Even as it introduces a slightly updated model of the Vision Pro, Apple has already shifted its priorities to smart glasses, a category that consumers have shown far greater interest in.
The company recently shelved a planned overhaul of the Vision Pro that would have brought a lighter design and more affordable price, Bloomberg has reported. Instead, it’s racing to catch up with Meta Platforms Inc. in the glasses market. The company’s just-released Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses are an impressive demonstration of the progress it’s made in the category.
14-inch MacBook Pro
Apple’s base-level MacBook Pro is the first in the company’s laptop lineup to receive the M5 chip. The new model offers as much as 24 hours of battery life and delivers faster graphics performance, Apple said.
Here, too, the company in its statement highlighted the M5’s ability to run large language models and other AI-related tasks at faster speeds than its past chips. The performance gains will be most noticeable to consumers still using M1-series MacBooks and even older Intel-based machines, Apple said.
As before, the 14-inch MacBook Pro is available in either silver or black and can be configured with an anti-glare display.
The Mac range was a highlight in Apple’s most recently reported quarter, and the company is looking to maintain the momentum. The line generated sales of $8.05 billion in the June period, easily beating Wall Street expectations of $7.3 billion.
(Updates with more details starting in the third paragraph.)
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