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Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation)
Apple

iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation)

The mini-LED iPad that made HDR look real on a tablet.

Tablets
8.3/10What the pros sayExcellentExpert consensusSee score breakdown ↓
Storage
Buying call

The 2021 12.9-inch iPad Pro debuted a Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED display with 2,596 dimming zones, 1,000 nits full-screen and 1,600-nit HDR peaks, driven by the desktop-class M1 chip with up to 16GB of memory. Thunderbolt/USB 4, 5G and a Center Stage front camera round it out. iPadOS still limits multitasking and external-display work, and at 682g it's heavy to hold.

Full verdict ↓
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Real-world useBased on everyday testing, not a spec sheet
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iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation)Check priceSee price
Key specs
Battery
Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi or watching video, Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using cellular data network
Display type
Liquid Retina XDR display
Rear camera
12MP, ƒ/1.8 aperture - Ultra Wide:
Weight
682 g
Highlights

Specs that matter

Display
Panel
mini-LED
Size
12.9" (328 mm)
Brightness
600 nits
Performance
Processor
Apple M1
GPU
8-core GPU
Storage
128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
Body
Dimensions
height: 11.04 inches (280.6 mm); width: 8.46 inches (214.9 mm); depth: 0.25 inch (6.4 mm)
At a glance

Product highlights

Verified attributes, grouped for quick scanning.

Display12.9" (328 mm)mini-LED
ChipsetApple M18-core GPU
RAM / storage128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
27 attributes · See all specifications
Price & availability

Where to buy

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Available in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB.
Buying decision

Should you buy it?

The 2021 12.9-inch iPad Pro debuted a Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED display with 2,596 dimming zones, 1,000 nits full-screen and 1,600-nit HDR peaks, driven by the desktop-class M1 chip with up to 16GB of memory. Thunderbolt/USB 4, 5G and a Center Stage front camera round it out. iPadOS still limits multitasking and external-display work, and at 682g it's heavy to hold.

Best for

Video editors, photographers and HDR film fans

Not for

Anyone who wants a light tablet or laptop-style multitasking

Main strengthLiquid Retina XDR mini-LED with 1,600-nit HDR peaks
Main weaknessiPadOS limits multitasking and external displays
Reasons to buy
Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED with 1,600-nit HDR peaks
M1 chip with up to 16GB memory
Thunderbolt/USB 4 and 5G
Center Stage front camera
Reasons to avoid
iPadOS limits multitasking and external displays
Heavy at 682g
Some blooming around bright objects
Measured view8.3/10What the pros say.
Head to head

How it stacks up

Open a comparison for the full side-by-side view.

Choose a gadget
Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation)
This deviceiPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation)
VS
iPad Air 13-inch (M4)
AlternativeiPad Air 13-inch (M4)
Display
12.9"13"
Chipset
M1M4
Full comparison
Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation)
This deviceiPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation)
VS
iPad Air 13-inch (M3)
AlternativeiPad Air 13-inch (M3)
Display
12.9"13"
Chipset
M1M3
Full comparison
Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation)
This deviceiPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation)
VS
iPad Air 13-inch (M2)
AlternativeiPad Air 13-inch (M2)
Display
12.9"13"
Chipset
M1M2
Full comparison
Same category

Alternatives worth a look

Other phones in the database, with their stored scores and prices.

All tablets →
iPad Air 13-inch (M4)8.6
AppleiPad Air 13-inch (M4)13" (330 mm) · M4 · 12 GB
iPad Air 13-inch (M3)8.9
AppleiPad Air 13-inch (M3)13" (330 mm) · M3
iPad Air 13-inch (M2)8.9
AppleiPad Air 13-inch (M2)13" (330 mm) · M2
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation)8.2
AppleiPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation)12.9" (328 mm) · A12
Product data

Full specifications

27 attributes, grouped for quick scanning. Spot a wrong value? Hit the next to it.

Display

Display type
Liquid Retina XDR display
Brightness
600

Performance

CPU
8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores

Battery & Charging

Battery
Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi or watching video, Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using cellular data network
Charging port
Thunderbolt 3 (up to 40Gb/s)

Camera

Rear camera
  • 12MP, ƒ/1.8 aperture - Ultra Wide:
  • 10MP, ƒ/2.4 aperture, and 125° field of view - 2x optical zoom out - Digital zoom up to 5x - Five-element lens (Wide and Ultra Wide) - Brighter True Tone flash - Panorama (up to
  • 63MP) - Sapphire crystal lens cover - Autofocus with Focus Pixels (Wide) - Smart HDR 3 - Wide color capture for photos and Live Photos

Connectivity

Wi‑Fi
  • Wi-Fi 6
  • simultaneous dual band (2.4GHz and 5GHz)
  • HT80 with MIMO
Bluetooth
5.0
Ports
Thunderbolt 3 (up to 40Gb/s)

Body

Dimensions
280.6 x 214.9 x 6.4 mm
Weight
682 g
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Community says

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Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation) | Gadget Clash