Premium tablets bridge the gap between laptops and phones and give you serious computing power in a portable package. Apple just unveiled its new iPad Pro M5 lineup a few weeks ago with the 13-inch model launching at $1,299, which makes the M4 version suddenly look like a steal. Amazon dropped the 13-inch iPad Pro M4 to $1,049 from its original $1,299 price and matches what you’d pay for a smaller, less capable tablet. The M4 and M5 models share so many similarities that spending $250 more for the newer chip makes zero sense for most people.
The M4 chip inside this iPad Pro brings desktop-grade performance that makes the upgrade to M5 seem superfluous for real-world work. What’s more, the 10-core CPU tackles tasks like video editing, 3D rendering, music production and multitasking without breaking a sweat. Apple built the M4 on a 3nm process that balances raw power with incredible efficiency, giving you all-day battery life even under intensive tasks. A 10-core GPU further pushes graphics performance to levels comparable to serious gaming machines, making this tablet ideal both for creative work and entertainment. The difference between M4 and M5 mainly exists in benchmark scores which most people never notice in real use.
The Ultra Retina XDR display represents one of the best screens ever put on a tablet. This 13-inch panel gives truly extreme brightness that remains readable in direct sunlight, while also offering deep blacks to make the OLED screens jealous. ProMotion technology adjusts the refresh rate to up to 120Hz for smooth scrolling and responsive input from Apple Pencil, then drops right down to conserve battery when the on-screen content has become static. P3 wide color gamut reproduces colors more accurately than standard displays, something that makes a big difference with photo editing and creative work. True Tone adjusts color temperature according to ambient lighting to reduce eye strain with extended use.
The impossibly thin design makes this 13-inch tablet feel lighter than its size suggests: Apple shaved the thickness down to just 5.1mm and created a profile that slips into bags easily with no extra bulk. A Space Black finish does a better job of resisting fingerprints than past aluminum finishes on Apple’s tablets, so the device stays clean throughout the day. The weight reduction means that you can hold the iPad Pro comfortably through marathon reading sessions or video calls without your arm tiring. The overall structural rigidity is impressive for such a slim frame, and the tablet doesn’t flex or creak at all if you press hard.
Apple Intelligence integration changes how you’ll interact with the iPad Pro using AI-infused features: It helps write emails, summarize information, create images, and organize material all through natural language. It also includes privacy protections that mean all of this AI processing happens locally on your device rather than by sending sensitive information to cloud servers. The AI features seamlessly connect apps by suggesting what should be done next based on context, and the more you use them, the better they learn your preferences.
The new landscape 12MP Ultra Wide front camera finally puts the camera where it belongs for video calls. Center Stage automatically keeps you in frame as you move around, making video conferences feel more natural and professional. The 12MP Wide back camera captures stunning photos and 4K video with ProRes support for professional editing workflows. Four studio-quality microphones record clear audio from any direction while the four-speaker system delivers rich, immersive sound.
This iPad Pro M4 provides flagship performance for $250 less than the nearly identical M5 model down from $1,299 to $1,049. For your money, you’re getting the same Ultra Retina XDR display, similar processing power, an identical design, and full Apple Intelligence support, making the upgrade to an M5 unit a pretty questionable decision. The fact that this Amazon-exclusive discount combines with those cutting-edge specs to create value that’s out of reach for Apple’s official store is rather fascinating.
