I opened DaVinci Resolve and began modifying some 4K footage and all the pieces felt buttery clean, however extra necessary is the truth that due to iPadOS 26, you’re in a position to full rendering duties within the background while not having to remain on the app. I hit the export and render button, swapped to a different app, and … effectively, seems DaVinci Resolve doesn’t assist this new function simply but, so I needed to maintain the app open for the render to finish. You shouldn’t have a problem on Ultimate Reduce Professional, although.
Probably the most skilled process I sometimes use with my iPad is modifying RAW photographs in Adobe Lightroom, and, unsurprisingly, the M5 carried out its duties with ease, even with my liberal use of Adobe’s AI-erase software. Nevertheless, I additionally didn’t actually have a lot difficulty with this on the “weaker” iPad Air. What I discover annoying is the truth that this highly effective machine nonetheless solely comes with one USB-C port. I can’t plug it into my digicam and edit photographs and cost the pill on the identical time; you want a USB hub.
{Photograph}: Julian Chokkattu
The iPad Professional is for a really particular sort of individual, and also you in all probability know who you might be. In the event you’re largely modifying photographs and typing up paperwork like me, the iPad Air is greater than enough. However in the event you’re usually in apps like Ultimate Reduce Professional or producing all types of bizarre AI photographs, you could like the additional energy the M5 iPad Professional supplies—although you’ll be able to actually get by with the older M4 mannequin and possibly avoid wasting money.
However in contrast to the iPad Air, which is simply reasonably priced sufficient to exist as a pleasant complement to a MacBook for days you don’t need the majority of a laptop computer, the Professional feels extra like a selection it’s important to make between clamshell and slate due to its excessive value. At current, I’d in all probability choose up the brand new M5 MacBook Professional as a substitute, however with extra desktop apps coming to iPad, I don’t assume you’ll have to attend too lengthy till the iPad Professional lastly turns into the touchscreen Mac of your goals.