Apple Pro 11-inch

Apple Pro 11-inch

By Apple · Tablets · Phones & Computers

  • 11-inch Ultra Retina XDR Tandem OLED, 2420x1668, 264 ppi
  • Apple M5 chip, 9-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
  • 12GB unified memory, 153GB/s bandwidth
  • 1000 nits SDR / 1600 nits peak HDR, 2,000,000:1 contrast
  • 0.98 lb (444 g), 5.3 mm thin

Lowest price seen
~$999.00 (approx.)
from $999.00 at Amazon

Prices are snapshots. Check the current price with the store.

Summary

Apple’s 11-inch iPad Pro with the M5 chip is a 444 g OLED tablet built for illustrators, photographers, designers and video editors who want Pencil Pro precision at a weight you can still hold one-handed. Check the battery reports below before you buy: owners disagree sharply on how long it lasts, and most independent tests used the pricier 1TB model.

Strengths

  • The tandem OLED panel is the draw: Apple rates it at 1,000 nits full-screen XDR, 1,600 nits for HDR peaks, with 2,000,000:1 contrast.
  • At 444 g and 5.3 mm, it stays genuinely handheld for reading, sketching and review work.
  • M5-class speed holds up in tested 1TB units: heavy photo editing, Final Cut Pro exports and Procreate run without obvious lag.
  • iPadOS 26’s improved windowing and multitasking make laptop-like workflows plausible, independent reviews say.
  • Fast charging is real with the right adapter: about 50% in 30 minutes on a 40W or better charger.

Weaknesses

  • Owner battery reports range from all-day use to about 4–5 hours of Netflix and web browsing, with strong standby drain when Stage Manager is in use.
  • Only one USB-C port, no headphone jack and no SD slot; wired audio plus charging needs a hub.
  • The Pro setup gets expensive fast: Magic Keyboard at $299 plus Pencil Pro at $129 adds $428 before tax.
  • This 256GB model has standard glass; nano-texture means stepping up to 1TB or 2TB.
  • Storage and RAM are fixed at 256GB and 12GB; external drives go through the one port.
  • iPadOS still isn’t macOS, so check that your exact pro apps run before treating it as a laptop replacement.

Verified specifications

Model11-inch iPad Pro with Apple M5, 2025 generation; Wi-Fi-only hardware family model A3357. US retail SKUs: MDWK4LL/A (Space Black) and MDWL4LL/A (Silver).
Chipthe 256GB configuration has a 9-core CPU (3 high-performance + 6 efficiency cores), 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, 12GB unified memory and 153GB/s memory bandwidth. The 1TB and 2TB versions use a 10-core CPU and 16GB.
Display11-inch Ultra Retina XDR tandem OLED, 2420 × 1668 at 264 ppi, ProMotion 10–120Hz, P3 wide color, True Tone; Apple rates it at 1,000 nits full-screen XDR, 1,600 nits peak HDR and 2,000,000:1 contrast.
Glassstandard glass on this 256GB model; the nano-texture option is offered only on 1TB and 2TB.
Dimensions249.7 × 177.5 × 5.3 mm; 444 g (0.98 lb).
Battery31.29Wh lithium-polymer; Apple claims up to 10 hours of Wi-Fi web or video. Charging via USB-C; roughly 50% in 30 minutes with a 40W adapter or suitable 60W+ USB-C adapter, both sold separately.
In the boxiPad, 1m USB-C cable, 20W USB-C charger.
ConnectivityWi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Thread support, one Thunderbolt / USB4 port up to 40Gb/s with external display output; Smart Connector and magnetic Pencil charging. No cellular on this model.
Cameras and audio12MP wide rear camera with LiDAR scanner, landscape 12MP Center Stage front camera, Face ID, four-speaker audio.
SoftwareiPadOS 26 with flexible windowing; Apple Intelligence-capable. Not macOS.
Pen and keyboardworks with Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C); the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro 11-inch M4/M5 attaches via Smart Connector. Accessories sold separately.
Warrantyone-year limited hardware warranty; accidental damage and normal battery depletion are not covered.
Full research notes and sources

Battery life and heat

Every independent battery number comes from a higher-storage model: Notebookcheck’s 11-inch 1TB unit ran 13h25m of Wi-Fi browsing at calibrated brightness but only 8h11m at maximum brightness, and TechRadar got through a full working day with around six hours of active screen time on another 1TB sample. Apple’s own claim is up to 10 hours.

Owner reports cut the other way. In r/iPadPro threads, a June 2026 owner of a new 11-inch M5 got about 4–5 hours of Netflix, web and Pages; a March 2026 512GB owner saw standby fall to roughly 74% in 24 hours on airplane mode; April 2026 threads describe strong drain with Stage Manager and multiple windows, sometimes across more than one unit. These are personal conditions with unknown battery health and software state, and nobody has published a failure rate, so treat this as a known annoyance rather than a defect.

Heat gets similar mixed signals. A September 2026 owner reported an uncomfortably hot casing and inconsistent battery percentages despite 95% battery health at 142 cycles, while Notebookcheck measured the 1TB’s back just above 40°C under full load and other owners said demanding gaming did not reproduce it. If yours runs hot or drains fast, get Apple diagnostics while the one-year warranty is active.

Accessories and running costs

The included 20W charger is fine for everyday top-ups; the roughly 50%-in-30-minutes fast charge needs Apple’s 40W Dynamic Power Adapter at $39, sold separately, or a suitable 60W+ USB-C adapter. The Magic Keyboard for the 11-inch Pro lists from $299 and Apple Pencil Pro is $129, so tablet plus keyboard plus pencil is $1,627 before tax; adding the fast charger makes $1,666.

Other running costs are close to zero. There are no consumables, no mandatory subscription on the Wi-Fi model, and 250 full charges a year at 85% efficiency and $0.20/kWh works out to about $1.84 a year in electricity, a hypothetical calculation rather than a meter test. Apple’s repair portal exists, but its pricing widget would not render during this research, so there is no verified US price for a battery or display replacement on this exact model.

Repairs and serviceability

iFixit describes the laminated, adhesive-sealed iPad structure as difficult to open without risking the display, and the 31.29Wh battery is internal rather than a user part. Apple offers a repair portal with estimates by inspection, but the cost selector would not load during this research, so treat any repair quote as device-specific. The one-year limited warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship; drops, liquid damage and normal battery depletion are not covered. Apple’s self-service parts store was not confirmed to stock parts for this exact M5 model.

Is it worth it?

At the October 2025 launch this tablet was $999; B&H listed the Space Black 256GB at $1,199 in October 2026, in stock, with the Silver model at the same $1,199 but out of stock until October 13, 2026. At $999 or less it makes sense if tandem OLED, Pencil Pro and M5-class editing matter to you. Between $1,000 and $1,099 it is acceptable for a professional who can use those features. From $1,100 to $1,199 it needs stronger justification: the 11-inch Air M4 starts at $699 at B&H and handles ordinary work. Above $1,200, compare the Air M4, or a desktop-class computer if a keyboard and full applications are the real priority. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S11 is $1,099.99 at Samsung US with the S Pen in the box, but it does not run iPad-specific pro software.

Which model this is

This page covers the 11-inch iPad Pro M5, 2025 generation, in the entry 256GB Wi-Fi configuration with standard glass: MDWK4LL/A in Space Black or MDWL4LL/A in Silver, hardware model A3357. The same chassis in 1TB or 2TB gets a 10-core CPU, 16GB of memory and the nano-texture glass option, so check the capacity before assuming spec parity. It is not the 13-inch Pro, the iPad Air M4, or the 2024 M4 Pro, and it has no cellular radio.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

Owner reports:

Prices and retailers:

Repair resources:

Buying guides for this category

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