Apple’s ‘Awe Dropping’ event is just hours away, and while we were fairly certain the company would follow the usual pattern of revealing iPhone and Apple Watches at today’s showcase, it appears there could be more to come.
New rumors (via 9to5Mac) suggest that, alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and a trio of Apple Watch models, the iPad Pro could make a reappearance.
What’s more, this new iteration of Apple’s best iPad could also debut a new M5 chip, marking the second time a chip has debuted on an iPad after last year’s M4-powered iPad Pro 13-inch (2024).
M5 iPad Pro to debut today?
It would perhaps make some sense to reveal the latest iPad Pro today, given that the product line itself was revealed in September 2015, meaning we’ve been living with Apple’s high-powered tablet for a decade now. Not only that, but the exact date was (you guessed it!) September 9.
9to5Mac reports that an anonymous leaker’s account shared device details ahead of today’s event, with Apple Watch information and M5 iPad Pro models mentioned in the last-minute tip.
Now, the original iPad Pro didn’t go on sale until November 2015, so there’s every chance that, even if we do get a reveal of the new model today, it won’t go on sale until later in the year. But between the rumored iPhone 17 models, new Apple Watch devices, AirPods Pro 3, and now the new iPad Pro, this could be a pretty packed event.
And that’s saying nothing of new operating systems for all of Apple’s platforms, which are expected to land today following a beta rollout since WWDC.
I’m ready to upgrade
While I tend to work on a MacBook Air 15-inch (M3), I’ve always had a soft spot for the iPad Pro, as ridiculously expensive as it is.
I’ve still got the M2 version, and I love the modularity of it: when I travel, it can be my reading companion, somewhere to catch up on my favorite shows or movies, or a place to play games. And, when I arrive at my destination, I can hook up a keyboard to get some work done, or use it as an extra display for my Mac.
None of this is exclusive to the Pro, though, but with iPadOS 26 finally taking the shackles off of Apple’s ‘Sleeping Giant’ of a tablet, I feel like the iPad Pro will finally come into its own – especially with a new generation of Apple Silicon under the hood.
I’ve been glancing enviously at iPad Pro M4 users, but wanted to bide my time until the M5 version arrived. Now that it could be closer than we thought, I think the time has come – not just for me, but for iPad Pro in general.
iPadOS 26 could unlock the iPad Pro
For years (well, a decade really), the iPad Pro has been seen as Apple’s premier tablet, but what does that really mean?
It used to be the only way to get a larger tablet, for example, but that’s not been the case for some time. It’s never been a slouch in the performance stakes, and yet many (myself included) are still reaching for the Mac over a device so universally praised for being the best example of what iPad can be.
Every few years, Apple does its best to revamp something within iPadOS, like the multi-window paradigm. But invariably, I’d wager the iPad Pro becomes more and more of a consumption device. Thankfully, this year could be different.
While I can take or leave the Liquid Glass design shift and can’t see myself getting particularly excited about a dedicated gaming app, I do think the new approach to multi-windowing and the Mac-like menu bar are colossal shifts for the platform.
Stage Manager always felt like a band-aid to a much deeper issue, trying to paper over cracks that, after a decade, I honestly didn’t see being fixed.
Imagine my surprise at WWDC 2025, then, when Apple confirmed that windows can not only be freely adjusted, but also controlled by a menu bar that helps keep settings for the active window within reach. “No more Stage Manager reshuffles!” I cheered to myself (internally, I hope), and that’s not all.
I’ve not recorded a podcast in some time, but with iPadOS 26 finally able to handle inputs from multiple sources, I’m tempted to dust off the mic and give it another go, especially in the current super-thin design.
The other (minor) issue with the M2 version is that its display tech is great until you see an M4 iPad Pro up close. That tandem OLED really is like looking into space at times, and there’s a mystifying beauty to it that really has to be seen. The screen on my M2 model is good, but the M4’s equivalent makes it feel not good enough.
Will this finally be the year that the iPad Pro comes into its own? Fresh software and rumors of the kind of hardware upgrade that serves only to extend the gap to the competition have me thinking that it just might be.
