Apple brings new M5 chip to iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, and Vision Pro
Image provided by Apple
The following report was written by Gemini AI and reviewed by an editor at Sypnotix.
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA – October 16, 2025 – Apple announced a wave of major product updates, headlined by the introduction of the new M5 chip, a breakthrough in performance and artificial intelligence capabilities for Apple silicon. The announcement arrived through a series of press releases yesterday, confirming significant upgrades across the company's professional and spatial computing lineups, including the 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Apple Vision Pro.
The M5 chip, built on third-generation 3-nanometer technology, delivers what Apple calls "the next big leap in AI performance." Key advancements include a new 10-core GPU architecture featuring a Neural Accelerator in each core, which allows for GPU-based AI workloads to run dramatically faster—up to 4x the peak GPU compute performance compared to the M4.
New Products and Performance Highlights:
14-inch MacBook Pro with M5: The base-model 14-inch MacBook Pro is the first Mac to feature the M5 chip. Users will see a significant uplift in performance for demanding applications and AI tasks, supported by a 10-core CPU and faster unified memory bandwidth of 153GB/s. The new model retains its $1,599 starting price and is available in Silver and Space Black.
iPad Pro with M5: The already powerful iPad Pro gets a massive boost with the M5 chip, making it the most advanced iPad experience ever. The update brings over 2x faster SSD speeds, an increase in minimum unified memory to 12GB on 256GB and 512GB models, and new advanced networking capabilities like Wi-Fi 7 via Apple's custom N1 chip and an integrated C1X modem for cellular models. It also gains fast-charging support, achieving a 50% charge in approximately 30 minutes. Pricing starts at $999 for the 11-inch model.
Apple Vision Pro Update: Apple's spatial computer also receives a major performance overhaul, jumping from the M2 to the M5 chip. This upgrade promises a smoother, more fluid experience with faster web browsing and app loading. Furthermore, the updated Vision Pro features a new Dual Knit Band and a higher refresh rate of up to 120Hz for crisper visuals.
In addition to the hardware updates, the company also confirmed the forthcoming availability of a dedicated Apple Vision Pro app for the iPad as part of the iPadOS 26.1 update, allowing iPad users to browse and queue Vision Pro content directly from their tablet.
All new products powered by the M5 chip—the 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and updated Apple Vision Pro—are available for pre-order starting today and are scheduled to begin shipping on Wednesday, October 22.
"The M5 chip ushers in the next big leap in AI performance for Apple silicon," said Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Technologies. "With a big increase in graphics performance, the world's fastest CPU core, and even higher unified memory bandwidth, M5 brings far more performance and capabilities to the MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Apple Vision Pro, allowing each device to excel in its own way."
