iPad Pro Upgrade: Faster, more powerful – but without a second camera

Apple is apparently preparing the next big step for the iPad Pro. New leaks from Russia indicate that the next generation of the tablet will receive two significant hardware upgrades: the new M5 chip and at least 12 gigabytes of RAM. At the same time, another detail is causing confusion – a rumor about a second front-facing camera doesn't seem to be confirmed.

The iPad Pro has been considered the most powerful tablet in Apple's portfolio for years. After the major update in 2024 with an OLED display and a slimmer design, the next performance upgrade is now on the horizon. In recent days, videos have surfaced on YouTube that appear to show the new 13-inch model. They come from the Russian channels Wylsacom and Romancev768, which have previously attracted attention with reliable leaks. This time, it's about an iPad Pro with the brand-new M5 chip and significantly more RAM than before.

M5 chip: More speed and better graphics performance

According to the footage, which shows a complete unboxing, the upcoming iPad Pro will be equipped with Apple's M5 chip. One of the videos shows Geekbench 6 benchmark results, which demonstrate a clear performance increase compared to the current M4 chip. Multi-core CPU performance is said to be up to 12 percent higher, while graphics performance is even improved by up to 36 percent. This brings the iPad Pro even closer to the performance of the most powerful MacBooks.

More RAM even in the smaller models

In addition to the new chip, the most noticeable increase in RAM is the 256 GB model shown in the videos. It has 12 GB of RAM. By comparison, the current iPad Pro models with the M4 chip offer only 8 GB of RAM in this storage size, while the versions with 1 or 2 GB of storage have 16 GB. With the new model, Apple appears to be significantly upgrading the entry-level version. The iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max also feature 12 GB of RAM.

Design remains largely unchanged

Compared to last year's model, there appear to be no major design changes. The iPad Pro will continue to feature an OLED display, which was introduced in 2024. The casing remains slim and modern, but one small detail stands out: the "iPad Pro" logo is missing from the back. Why Apple removed it is still unclear. This may be related to a generally more minimalist design line that the company wants to emphasize more in the future.

The camera rumor: Two front cameras or not?

A rumor that has surfaced repeatedly in recent months concerns the front camera. There was speculation that Apple would equip the iPad Pro with two front cameras to enable better video calling and photo results in both portrait and landscape modes. However, there is no sign of this in the leaked videos. Instead of a second camera, only an ambient light sensor is visible in the top bezel. Mark Gurman writes in his recent "Power On" newsletter that Apple has indeed been internally experimenting with a second front camera.

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According to his information, the M5-based iPad Pros still featured a second lens in internal tests. However, Gurman says this wouldn't be the first time Apple has scrapped a nearly finished feature shortly before release—previous examples include certain storage configurations or additional ports that never appeared in production devices. Whether Apple has actually removed the second camera or is reserving it only for certain models cannot currently be confirmed.

Presentation of the new iPad Pro probably this month

The latest leaks indicate that the official launch of the new iPad Pro models is imminent. Industry observers expect Apple to announce the devices this month. Until then, it remains to be seen whether all the details in the Russian videos are true. However, given the sources' accuracy so far, it's likely that the information about the M5 chip and 12 gigabytes of RAM is accurate. (Image: Apple)