00:00So, Apple's M5 chip is here and it's powering two different types of machines.
00:04We got the MacBook Pro M5, Apple's classic powerhouse, and consistently one of the best
00:08laptops for productivity out there.
00:10But we've also got the iPad Pro M5, the tablet that wants to be your laptop.
00:15In this episode of Viruskip, I'll be giving you my MacBook Pro M5 and iPad Pro reviews
00:20together to help you decide which one you should actually buy.
00:23Let's break it down.
00:24Let's start with how much you actually pay for these things because the difference might
00:27surprise you.
00:28The 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 starts at $1599 with 16 gigs of RAM and a 512 gigabyte SSD.
00:34But for transparency, the configuration I tested cost $2350 and that's with the nano texture
00:39display and a 1 terabyte drive.
00:41So yeah, the cost really goes up when you start personalizing the machine.
00:45Meanwhile, the iPad Pro M5 starts at $999 for the 11-inch model and $1299 for the 13-inch
00:50model.
00:50That sounds cheaper, but that's before you add in what actually makes it useful.
00:54The magic keyboard is another $299 or $329 depending on the iPad Pro size and the Apple Pencil Pro
01:00costs $129.
01:01To make the iPad feel more like a MacBook replacement, you're really looking at $1,600, $1,700 minimum,
01:07then pass $2,000 if you want the one-turbo drive like I have here.
01:10So the iPad Pro ends up checking out roughly the same as the MacBook Pro, but with less
01:14storage and fewer ports.
01:16Again, I think a lot of people are going to be surprised when they see just how small the
01:19margins end up being.
01:21At least with premium prices, you're getting premium builds.
01:24Both of these machines are beautiful.
01:26Apple, probably better than any other company out there, knows how to make a slab of aluminum
01:30feel like a luxury item.
01:32The MacBook Pro design hasn't changed much since 2021.
01:35Same sturdy chassis, same 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display, and it still feels practical
01:40in a kind of timeless way.
01:42It weighs about 3.4 pounds, so you'll definitely feel it in your backpack, but it's still relatively
01:47easy to travel with.
01:48The iPad Pro, on the other hand, is ridiculously thin.
01:52The 13-inch model is about a fifth of an inch thick and only 1.28 pounds, actually lighter
01:56and smaller than the MacBook Air.
01:58You can toss in a tote bag and forget it's even there.
02:01If you're getting the magic keyboard, it might add some heft, but the iPad Pro wins on sheer
02:05portability.
02:06That said, if you want something you can plug into a dock or external monitor and live on
02:10all day, the MacBook Pro still feels like a more stable overall workstation.
02:15Looking a bit closer at the displays, the MacBook Pro's mini-LED screen is still one of the
02:19best you could buy.
02:20It hits around 1100 nits in HDR and around 550 nits in SDR, so even outdoors or under studio
02:26lights, you can actually see what you're doing.
02:28It's also color accurate, and now you can spec it with a nano-texture glass option, which
02:32basically cuts screen glare down to almost nothing.
02:35You know, for a screen that's not OLED, this looks really nice.
02:44Meanwhile the iPad Pro's OLED panel just hits differently.
02:48You get those deep inky blacks and perfect contrast, plus very solid brightness hitting
02:52around 960 nits in HDR and 560 nits in SDR.
02:57Watching videos or even scrolling through photos, it just has that wow factor.
03:03Now let's talk about the M5 chip, the star of the whole show as both devices are powered
03:07by it.
03:07The chip uses Apple's advanced 3 nanometer process and it generally delivers around 12-15% performance
03:13boost over the old M4 chip.
03:16On Geekbench, the MacBook Pro M5 beat the iPad Pro in both single and multi-core performance,
03:21though the difference isn't that stark.
03:22In my real-world use, both fly through everyday tasks, Safari, Slack, editing photos, even gaming.
03:29None of it makes these devices even break a sweat.
03:31The difference is more about how you use that power.
03:34You know it's not one of my reviews if I don't talk about gaming, and yes, both the
03:38MacBook Pro and iPad Pro M5 handle gaming surprisingly well, if games are optimized for Apple Silicon.
03:45Important caveat there.
03:47Resident Evil 4 Remake actually runs decently on both, though I saw smoother frame rates on
03:51the MacBook.
03:52I've said this a few years ago, MacBook Pro gaming is consistently improving.
03:56It's not the first machine or console I'd reach or recommend for, for serious gaming,
04:00but if you're only wanting to buy one, an all-in-one machine, it's a lot more capable than you'd
04:05probably think.
04:05The iPad Pro?
04:07I don't know, guys.
04:08This isn't a form factor I feel very motivated to game on.
04:11Again, games run better than you'd probably think on an iPad, but you'll have a better
04:14experience on the MacBook Pro.
04:17Besides gaming, editing, workflow, and performance are something I get asked about a lot of
04:21when it comes to iPad Pro versus MacBook Pro, I brought in one of our channel editors to
04:25do some quick video editing tests.
04:27A lot of video editors have been wondering, can the iPad Pro be my main video editing machine?
04:31The answer is, not quite yet.
04:34While you can use a lot of major editing software on an iPad Pro like Premiere, Final Cut Pro,
04:39and DaVinci Resolve, they're not the same applications, and they all have some limitations.
04:44You can't even open up a desktop Premiere project on the iPad Pro.
04:47But when you're actually editing, it is shocking how well the iPad Pro handles big files from
04:53professional cameras.
04:54And when you have the Magic Keyboard, it basically feels the same as editing on a laptop.
04:59But rendering times leave something to be desired, with the M5 iPad Pro taking about twice as
05:05long to render the same DaVinci Resolve project as the M5 MacBook Pro.
05:09In my experience, the MacBook Pro is still the better tool for big projects.
05:13You've got faster exports, more flexible file management, and you can plug it into multiple
05:18drives and displays.
05:19And the built-in SD card reader is still handy.
05:21But I think some folks might actually prefer editing short-form videos on the iPad.
05:25The touch interface, pencil precision, and OLED color accuracy make it fun and fast for quick
05:30social content.
05:31Speaking of which, make sure you're following Tom's Guide on all socials if you're not already.
05:36Gaming, editing, video, all this is going to take a big toll on battery life.
05:40We've run the infamous Tom's Guide battery life test on both machines, and both results,
05:45pretty impressive.
05:46The MacBook Pro M5 lasted over 18 hours, which is basically a full day and a half of work.
05:51The iPad Pro isn't all that far behind, lasting 13 and a half hours, which actually beats Apple's
05:55own 10-hour claim and outlast Samsung's Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra.
06:00In short, both will get you through a full day without you even having to think about
06:04a charger.
06:05Now as we're getting towards the end of the video, I have to get a little philosophical,
06:08so bear with me.
06:10I love iPadOS 26 for what it's trying to be.
06:13It's more flexible now, with proper windowing and better multitasking.
06:16You can actually take calls directly on the iPad and run apps side by side.
06:21That said, it's still not macOS.
06:23You can't just plug in a hard drive, drag files around freely, or install random software.
06:28It's a more closed environment.
06:29macOS, meanwhile, is predictable, professional, and powerful.
06:33You can jump between desktop apps, run full software like Final Cut or Logic, and hook
06:38up external monitors without workarounds.
06:40The iPad is getting there, but if you need a real desktop experience, the MacBook Pro is
06:44still the grown-up option.
06:46If you're a creative professional, student, or power user who wants a proper desktop experience
06:51in a portable shell, get the MacBook Pro M5.
06:53It's a more versatile, long-lasting plug-anything-in-and-go machine.
06:58If you're more of a creator, designer, or digital minimalist who values portability, a beautiful
07:03OLED screen, and a tactile feel of touch and pencil input, the iPad Pro M5 is probably your
07:08better choice.
07:09Personally, I still lean towards the MacBook Pro for my daily work, but every time I pick
07:13up the iPad, I kind of wish my Mac could feel that effortless.
07:16Either way, Apple's M5 chip has made both of these devices way more capable than most people
07:21need.
07:21If you'd like to see comparisons to the MacBook Pro vs iPad Air or iPad Pro vs iPad Air, be
07:27sure to let me know.
07:28But for now, drop a comment, tell me which one you'd pick, the iPad or the MacBook.
07:32And if you want to see how the M5 stacks up against last year's model, check out my full
07:37reviews linked in the description.
07:38Once again, I was Tony Polanco, and I'll see you in the next video.
07:41Later.
07:54So, the grown-up option, that's funny.
07:58Went in too heavy with the New Yorker accent, need more coffee.
08:03Wakey, wakey.
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