Time for a new iPad?

On Wednesday, Apple announced three new products that look very much like three existing products: the iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, and Vision Pro. The big difference is what’s inside: the company’s new M5 chip.

There’s lots of fancy hardware talk — ”third-generation 3-nanometer technology,” “next-generation 10-core GPU architecture” — but the upshot (according to Apple) is that, in addition to better graphics, the chip will drastically improve the computing power for AI applications. As in 350% better than the M4’s AI performance. So now, instead of just watching movies on a plane, your iPad Pro can become a serious productivity device.

It’s a similar story for the MacBook Pro, which ups its graphics game 60% and adds more memory bandwidth. And if you’re into headsets, the Vision Pro takes a big jump from the M2 version — 25% more battery life, 50% faster AI features, and 20% better refresh rates.

I'm curious: Do you see the need to rush out and buy the improved hardware?