The iPad Pro will be the first device to get the M5 chip treatment, but there will be a slight delay with mass production scheduled for the second half of 2025

The iPad Pro received its major redesign earlier this year with a new, slimmer profile and the powerful M4 chip. It was previously reported that Apple is eager to introduce the M5 chip, and we now hear that the company will take its time and delay the iPad Pro refresh until the second half of next year. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that Apple’s M5 iPad Pro will enter mass production in the second half of 2025, meaning the launch could come late next year.

The M5 iPad Pro is scheduled to enter mass production in the second half of 2025, but there will be no changes to the hardware

In one Medium contributionMing-Chi Kuo shared his expectations for Apple’s upcoming smart home device and the release of the M5 iPad Pro. The analyst did not share exact details about the iPad Pro refresh, but confirmed that the Cupertino giant will stick to its plans to update iPad Pro models annually. Apple launched the M4 iPad Pro in early April this year and based on the information from the report, the company may launch the M5 version of the OLED iPad Pro by the end of next year.

It was previously speculated that the company will upgrade iPad Pro models alongside the new M4 MacBook Air models at its spring event in March-April. However, it appears that the company’s spring event only affects the MacBook Air and iPad Air models. Kuo mentions that the OLED iPad Pro will be the first device to receive Apple’s M5 treatment, ahead of the MacBook Pro models.

If Kuo’s schedule is anything to go by, Apple could also announce the M5 iPad Pro models alongside the M5 MacBook Pro models. However, it is very likely that the company will keep its distance between the launch of the M5 and the higher-end versions of the chip. This means the company could announce the M5 MacBook Pro models at a later date, but since the final say lies with Apple, we should take the news with a grain of salt.

As mentioned, the OLED iPad Pro will enter mass production in the second half of 2025, but when it comes to external design, there will be very few reasons to upgrade from the M4 version of the device. Although there will be performance improvements, the device may look identical to the current version as the iPad Pro just received its long overdue redesign. Do you think the M4 iPad Pro will be a worthy upgrade over the M4 version? Let us know what you think in the comments.