While some optimistic rumors pointed to a potential reveal, the absence of an M5-powered iPad Pro at yesterday’s event was one of the day’s most predictable outcomes. Apple’s product cycles are deliberate and well-established, and a new iPad Pro simply didn’t fit into the timeline or the strategic focus of the September keynote.
The most straightforward reason for its absence is timing. Apple launched the revolutionary M4 iPad Pro in May 2024, introducing a radical redesign with a tandem OLED display and a major leap in processing power. Apple often follows a predictable release pattern, and based on past trends, a new M5 iPad Pro released in October 2025 seems very plausible.
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Furthermore, an M5 chip, while undoubtedly in development, would represent an evolutionary step, not a revolutionary one, over the already powerful M4. Such an incremental upgrade is not enough to warrant an entirely new iPad Pro model so soon after a landmark redesign.
This decision aligns with Apple’s broader event strategy. The September keynote is the company’s flagship event, reserved for its highest-volume and most impactful products: the iPhone and Apple Watch. Off-cycle professional hardware, no matter how powerful, rarely makes the cut. This is a consistent pattern, seen in the absence of other anticipated but non-essential updates, like a new Apple TV or the next-generation AirTag 2.
Like the development of a foldable iPhone or the wait for a Vision Pro 2, the M5 iPad Pro’s release is a matter of when the technology and the product cycle are perfectly aligned. For now, the M4 iPad Pro remains the pinnacle of Apple’s tablet lineup. Expect to see the M5 chip debut in a Mac first, with a new iPad Pro likely arriving in late 2026 at the earliest.
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