The new iPad Pro comes with a powerful M5 chip, but the upgrade that shifts how it feels to use on a day-to-day basis is wireless. Between a reworked in-house cellular modem, a cleverer connection controller, Wi‑Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.2 and an integrated Thread radio, this tablet is a much better communicator. I’d be buying it for the connectivity if I were buying. But I’d be buying it.
Why Wireless Is The True Performance Boost
The raw compute, however, is just half the story of a mobile workstation. The other half is how fast, stable and efficient your links are to the cloud, accessories and the local network. The iPad Pro’s new N1 controller enables Wi‑Fi 7, which the Wi‑Fi Alliance describes as wider 320MHz channels, Multi‑Link Operation that bands and bonds for resilience, and higher‑order modulation for more throughput. In practice, this translates to lower latency and fewer hiccups when you’re uploading big files, working remotely or networking new gear in a busy conference hall.
Creators themselves are likely to notice the change first. Uploading multi‑gig projects to shared storage, streaming high‑bitrate video from a workflow-adjacent NAS or collaborating on remote real‑time whiteboards all depend on network responsiveness. A latency reduction of 10–20% is enough to make Apple Pencil hover previews feel snappier in cloud-backed design tools, or to keep Stage Manager windows behaving well while assets sync in the background.
Bluetooth 5.2 support matters too. The LE Audio standard from the Bluetooth SIG provides lower‑latency, more robust connections and enhanced multi‑device coexistence. For the wireless everyday, this means more stable connections when streaming audio, using a keyboard, mouse and game‑specific controllers in high‑traffic radio environments with fewer micro‑disconnections that interfere with calls or input.
Faster Smarter Cellular Brought By C1X Modem
Apple’s new C1X modem is the hidden headline. Apple says it provides a 50% boost in cellular speeds from the previous iPad Pro generation, while reducing mobile data power usage by about 30%. That’s no benchmark brag — it’s a workflow win. Smoother video calls, faster file pulls offsite and more time away from Wi‑Fi are the kinds of gains remote workers notice right away.
Featuring eSIM and GPS, the iPad Pro is a perfect fit for modern, carrier‑flexible setups. The GSMA, which has been monitoring the rapid adoption of eSIMs amongst operators globally, says that “being able to spin up a local plan in minutes” is a dream come true for frequent travelers and production crews. Instead of fiddling with plastic trays, you just provision something and run a test, then get back to work.
Thread And The Quiet Smart Home Strategy
Perhaps the most forward‑looking upgrade is the addition of a Thread radio. Thread is the low-power mesh network on which the Matter standard from the Connectivity Standards Alliance — an industry group that’s home to companies like Apple and Amazon — but not too many other actual analysts of such matters have joined it yet. Apple has already activated Thread on certain phones; bringing the hardware to the iPad suggests a future in which the tablet can directly control smart devices with lower latency and without needing constant cloud round trips.
Apple has not said whether or not this iPad Pro will function as a full border router, but even rudimentary Thread control could potentially make it a solid hub for studios and offices. Picture lighting, sensors and access control that respond while still functioning when Wi‑Fi is bogged down. For IT departments, that’s less complexity and more predictable automation.
What The M5 Still Gets Right For Power Users
None of this takes away from the M5’s muscle. Apple promises about 3.5× faster on‑device AI performance than M4, and around 5× what the M1-era iPad Pro could achieve, along with up to 6.7× faster 3D rendering, a faster video encoder, and higher memory bandwidth. 256GB and 512GB configurations now offer 12GB of RAM (up from 8GB), which allow AI tools, photo libraries and multiple pro apps to remain active without reboots.
The larger point: compute and connectivity are compounding. The enhanced Neural Accelerator in every GPU core is only truly made available when your models, assets and collaborators sync without friction. That’s why this generation’s “feel faster” phenomenon is as much the result of the radio stack as it is of the silicon.
Who Should Upgrade Now For Connectivity Gains
If you toil in venues with congested Wi‑Fi or rely on the cloud for scratch disks, or if you travel and hop from carrier to carrier like a kangaroo in search of food sources, this iPad Pro’s networking is worth the leap. Event producers and field journalists with on‑site architects, and video teams pushing proxies will all see fewer stalls and more regular throughput.
For everyone else, the calculus is easy: if your router, mesh system or office backbone is Wi‑Fi 7‑ready, you’ll reap immediate rewards; if not, the iPad Pro’s already future‑proofed for your next infrastructure upgrade. The cell uplift and eSIM flexibility are pure bonuses anyway.
Pricing is premium: the 11‑inch model starts at $999 and the 13‑inch at $1,299; they come in Silver and Space Black finishes with storage of up to 2TB. You’re paying for performance — only the star isn’t simply the M5. It’s how this iPad Pro connects, and how that makes everything else you do feel seamless.
