Apple has unveiled updates to the iPad Pro, MacBook Pro and Vision Pro headset, injecting all three models with a new M5 Apple Silicon chip that’s designed to allow them to run faster than their previous iterations. While not exactly a shadow drop, these low-key product refreshes were done with a nonchalance that contrasts to last month’s slew of high-profile iPhone announcements. All three products are available for pre-order on Apple’s website now and will hit stores on October 22nd.
iPad Pro
The iPad Pro was already Apple’s most superpowered ultraportable machine. Impossibly thin yet sturdy enough to throw around or toss in a bag, the iPad Pro retains last year’s refreshed form factor but now packs the M5 chip, making it more capable than ever for creative professionals or business travelers. Couple these new guts with the recently released iPadOS 26, the software that finally allowed Apple’s tablet to realize its complete potential with window tiling and robust multi-tasking, and this iPad Pro is more than capable of staying relevant into the next decade. Available in space black and silver, the 11” model starts at $999 for the base model with 256GB of storage. The 13” model starts at $1299 with similar specs.
MacBook Pro 14”
Apple’s Pro line of laptops are still some of the best on the market and never show up without a surplus of horsepower but the 14” model appears to be the chosen one to get the M5 treatment, at least for now. The latest Apple Silicon is complemented with new 24-hour battery life, a staggering spec that means users will need a recharge before it does. Still sporting its sleek and thin aluminum form factor in space black and silver but now boasting even faster storage, the 14” MBP with M5 chip is set to shred through heavy duty creative tasks, multitasking and the most intensive local AI computing anyone can throw at it. As the future of artificial intelligence continues to become clear and requires intense power to support it, this new MacBook Pro stands at the ready. Starting at $1599, the same as the previous model, it can be spec’d up to fit any user’s needs.
Apple Vision Pro
Apple’s future-forward spatial computing headset gets a renewed vote of confidence from Cupertino with today’s M5 update. It’s a heartening sign for the innovative piece of tech that debuted to mixed reviews and lack of support from third-parties that Apple assumed would flock to developing for the platform. This refresh with the latest Apple Silicon also comes on the heels of an ever-growing catalog of immersive video and Apple’s recent announcement of support from the NBA to allow owners of the headset to watch live Laker’s games streaming this season, like they were sitting courtside. Live immersive sports streaming is, for many, the holy grail of the AR/VR space and the combined might of Apple’s partnerships with the incredibly high quality visual delivery of content in the Vision Pro could be the tipping point to make fans seriously consider plunking down the hefty entry price of the Vision Pro. The refreshed Vision Pro still carries a $3499 price tag but, with the M5 chip inside and a new Dual Knit band for maximizing comfort during long sessions–like the 2-3 hours it would take to watch a full NBA game–Apple is clearly angling to imbue the Vision Pro with new capabilities as it continues to find its audience.
