iPad Pros M5 iPad Pro with Riley Hill (iPad Pros - 0235)
Oct 23, 2025
Join technology writer Riley Hill from SlatePad.org as he shares his hands-on experience with the M5 iPad Pro. He discusses purchasing decisions, real-world battery life, and the improvements from slide over in iPadOS 26.1. Riley critiques the iPad Pro’s pricing and RAM options while revealing his two-iPad workflow. Key features like Adaptive Sync, fast charging, and new cellular modem efficiencies are explored. The conversation also touches on the frustrations of Stage Manager and the M5's hardware limitations, all while maintaining a focus on tablet usability.
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11-Inch M5 Upgrade Story
- Riley upgraded his 11-inch iPad Pro from M4 to M5 in space black with 512GB and cellular.
- He kept a prepaid eSIM approach and currently uses AT&T for flexibility.
Premium Features Locked To High Tiers
- Apple ties premium features (nanotexture, RAM) to higher storage tiers, forcing costly upgrades.
- That pricing design nudges buyers toward expensive configurations even if they only want a single premium option.
External 120Hz Depends On Connection
- The M5 iPad Pro now supports up to 120Hz external display output with Adaptive Sync.
- Cable and adapter type (DisplayPort vs USB-C→HDMI) can limit achievable refresh rates in practice.