Apple's M5 iPad Pro Leaks Early: Russians Unbox and Test Next-Gen Tablet Before Official Launch

The Unveiling of the M5: Apple's Next-Gen iPad Pro Leaks Ahead of Schedule

In a development that’s becoming almost a predictable rhythm for Apple’s supply chain, a new iPad Pro model, purportedly featuring the unannounced M5 chip, has surfaced online. This incident follows a similar leak of the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip, hinting at a recurring pattern where information about Apple’s cutting-edge hardware bypasses official channels, this time originating from Russia. The early arrival of this device offers a tantalizing glimpse into Apple's future product roadmap.

A Familiar Design with a Powerful Secret

The packaging of the leaked iPad Pro mirrors that of its predecessor, adorned with a top-down image. However, closer inspection reveals crucial details: it's a 13-inch iPad Pro, equipped with a generous 256GB of storage and an impressive 12GB of RAM – a notable upgrade from the 8GB found in the M4 generation. The true revelation, however, lies beneath the surface: the integration of the M5 processor, a chip that, like the tablet itself, has yet to be officially announced or seen in any other Apple device. Visually, the M5 iPad Pro presents a remarkably understated evolution. Its aluminum chassis, reminiscent of the latest Apple iPhones, maintains the sleek, minimalist aesthetic that has become synonymous with the brand. Only time will tell if this new material shares the same propensity for scratches as its iPhone counterparts.

What's Inside the Box? A Glimpse of the User Experience

Beyond the tablet itself, the retail box contained the standard fare: a power and data cable. Disappointingly, a rather unhurried 20W charging brick was also included, a detail that might raise an eyebrow given the device's likely premium positioning. While one observer hinted at a price point around €2000, the basis for this estimation remains unclear, leaving its accuracy open to speculation. Upon powering up, the device greeted the user with the Chinese language, a subtle but significant clue to the origin of this leak, reinforcing the notion that the device hails from the same region as previous supply chain breaches.

The iPad Pro M5 powered on without a hitch and promptly downloaded a suite of applications mandated for installation in Russia, providing an unexpected look at the region's software ecosystem.

Indications within the operating system point to a manufacturing date of August 2025, further underscoring the advanced stage of development for this unreleased product. Strikingly, the new iPad Pro is virtually indistinguishable from the M4 model when placed side-by-side. The only visual cues differentiating them are the absence of the usual “iPad” and other descriptive text on the rear panel, a design choice that Apple has also applied to its latest iPhone models, suggesting a move towards a more uniform branding approach.

Accessory Compatibility and Performance Benchmarks

The seamless fit of a previous generation's cover onto the new iPad Pro suggests a high degree of accessory compatibility, a welcome prospect for consumers looking to upgrade. Under the hood, the M5 chip, according to Geekbench 6, showcases its enhancements primarily through an enlarged L2 cache – 6MB compared to the M4’s 4MB. While core counts and clock speeds appear similar, the benchmark results paint a picture of tangible performance gains. The most dramatic improvements are evident in the Geekbench 6 Metal (graphics) test, where the M5 chip demonstrably outperformed the M4 by over 30%. The AnTuTu benchmark presented a more nuanced view, reporting an 8.29% overall increase, with much of the uplift attributed to memory performance. Curiously, the CPU in this specific test even showed a slight decrease in speed, a phenomenon that warrants further investigation.

The raw numbers from Geekbench 6 are compelling: the iPad Pro M5 achieved 4133 in single-core tests (a 10.27% improvement over the M4's 3748) and 15,437 in multi-core tests (a 15.86% leap from the M4's 13,324). The graphical prowess of the M5 is further highlighted by its 74,568 score in the Metal test, eclipsing the M4's 55,702 by a staggering 33.87%. AnTuTu results show the M5 reaching 3,137,936, an 8.29% increase from the M4's 2,897,765.

The Road to Release and Future Prospects

The emergence of this video, complete with hands-on testing, strongly suggests an imminent official release, mirroring the circumstances of the M4 MacBook Pro leak. While the original video can be viewed, we've distilled the critical information for those who prefer a direct summary. In essence, users can anticipate a performance boost of roughly 10-15%, with a significant, albeit niche, 33% improvement in graphical performance relevant to gaming. It's important to note that the most substantial advancements are likely reserved for the more powerful M5 Pro, Max, and Ultra variants, promising even more transformative capabilities for Apple's future silicon.