Reviews arrived today for Apple’s M5 iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, and new Vision Pro. When comparing the new M5 iPad Pro and MacBook Pro models especially, one historic trend is clearly continuing: iPad hardware innovation keeps outpacing the Mac.
M5 iPad Pro gains cutting-edge new tech while the MacBook Pro lags behind
Let me be clear up front. This article is not intended to bash the Mac and praise the iPad. Both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses.
On the software side, iPadOS has been playing catch-up to macOS for years. And even though iPadOS 26 is a huge leap forward, macOS still has plenty of its own advantages.
On the hardware side though, it’s pretty hard to deny that the iPad is where Apple tends to innovate more.
That’s not new with the M5 line, rather it’s a trend that’s continued for years.
Here’s are some examples of differing hardware features in Apple’s latest M5 products:
M5 iPad Pro M5 MacBook Pro Tandem OLED Ultra Retina XDR non-OLED Liquid Retina XDR Touch support No touch support Face ID Touch ID Ultra thin, 1-year-old design Ultra bulky, 4-year-old design Apple’s N1 wireless chip Standard third-party wireless chips Apple’s C1X modem No cellular option
Is there a good reason for the M5 MacBook Pro to lag behind in these areas?
Apparently not, as most (or all) of these iPad Pro advantages are expected to arrive in the Mac too—eventually.
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