Apple needs to perfect iPadOS if it wants to keep the iPad Pro alive

Apple first introduced the iPad Pro series in 2015, when the tablet computer landscape was much different. This was before iOS was forked into an iPad-specific OS, and before mobile chipsets started giving laptop processors decent performance for the price.

The iPad Pro has changed a lot in just a short amount of time. Now a model powered by the same Apple Silicon as the MacBook Air, a dedicated windowed mode in the form of Stage Manager, and yes, even a calculator app.

But even with these undeniable advances in the product line, the iPad Pro remains a tablet that’s hard to recommend to all but the most die-hard Apple fans. Mobile-first hardware is no longer a bottleneck, but it does prevent iPadOS from realizing the iPad’s potential.

related

Why there’s never been a better time to buy an iPad Pro

Despite its powerful hardware, it’s hard to justify the iPad Pro. Proprietary operating systems prevent that.

Setting up the professional level iPad stage (manager)

Initially, the iPad Pro got off to a rocky start.

When the original iPad Pro was released, I had a hard time understanding its appeal. It was large and unwieldy, and the expensive, custom-made Smart Keyboard accessory felt unnecessary to the tablet experience. Most significantly, the iPad Pro ran an enhanced version of iOS, Apple’s iPhone operating system.

This strategy of mobile-first software experiences played a key role in establishing tablet computers as a bona fide product category. Apple’s decision to ship the original iPad with iOS rather than macOS was the right decision in hindsight. The iPad offered a streamlined user interface that made consuming content easier than on a smartphone or laptop.

Unfortunately, this interface paradigm was not compatible with productivity-based computing workloads. The company’s biggest rival, Microsoft, appeared to have the upper hand by shipping its own Surface Pro tablet with full-fat Windows and all the glory of a desktop OS. And while Apple started rapidly evolving the iPad Pro experience, it finally stopped evolving.

related

iPadOS 18 public beta brings minor updates, but these 6 new features are still great

Apple’s latest iPadOS update may not be as revolutionary as some were expecting, but it still offers some notable new features.

All the foundations have already been laid

Apple needs to take another step of ‘courage’

The iPad Pro’s hardware has evolved rapidly. You get thinner, more uniform bezels, a lightning-fast processor, a 120Hz refresh rate display, Thunderbolt 4 USB-C connectivity, an incredibly thin chassis, and more.

In that time, iPadOS has also evolved, but not nearly to the same extent. Additional features such as a native mouse cursor, windowing for the Stage Manager app, and broader USB peripheral support are all appreciated and needed software improvements. Unfortunately, this rate of innovation has slowed down sharply over the past few generations of iPadOS software.

The problem with this is that even though Apple is 90% of the way to making iPadOS a viable “pro” computing platform, it has yet to take the final steps to solidify its commitment to the category. Because there isn’t. All the basics are in place, but small iOS idiosyncrasies are holding back the broader computing experience.

I can only imagine that Apple is dragging its feet to avoid cannibalizing the MacBook, but the end result is disastrous. It’s an expensive M4 iPad Pro that can’t play audio from two sources at the same time. Apple is no stranger to cannibalizing its own products, and wiped its iPod product line off the map in favor of the iPhone. The company needs to show the same “courage” it has had and fix iPadOS once and for all, even if it means stabbing Mac in the back.

related

I used Apple Vision Pro all day at work — here are the results.

Despite Apple’s recommendations, using the Vision Pro headset for everyday work can be very difficult. But I found a way to make it work.

iPad Pro will be worthless in 2024

iPad Air and iPad mini product lines offer much better value

As it stands, it’s hard to justify spending a lot of money on the iPad Pro. Apple is in a corner here. The cheaper iPad Air and iPad mini lines successfully fill a content consumption niche, and the Apple Silicon-powered MacBook fills an on-the-go workstation niche.

In order for the iPad Pro to evolve beyond being just a showcase, iPadOS needs some small tweaks. Most of these are small but consequential. Multi-user support, improvements to the file manager app, remappable mouse controls, and improved audio input/output controls immediately come to mind.

related

Why iPad Pro with OLED is a big upgrade

Apple’s “tandem” OLED technology could potentially offer all the benefits of OLED without any of the drawbacks.

Apple’s vision for the future of spatial computing is still far away

Vision Pro headset is too expensive and too experimental

Braden Newell / Pocketlint

In the long term, Apple seems to be looking toward a mixed reality future for personal computing. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are both very promising and rapidly evolving technologies, but they are still in the oven stage. The company’s own Vision Pro headset is impressive, but far from mainstream.

In the short to medium term, tablet-first computing will likely be a viable solution for most consumers. Google certainly thinks so. The search giant is hard at work investing heavily in the Android tablet ecosystem. More and more people are using mobile devices as their primary computing hardware, rather than traditional laptops or desktop PCs.

The iPad Pro is an incredible piece of hardware and perhaps Apple’s most flexible product category to date. In order for iPadOS to pass the finish line and turn the iPad into a true pro-level tablet computer, iPadOS needs to be given the proper attention.

related

iPadOS 18 means another year and more disappointment for iPad owners

Does Apple actually have a roadmap for the iPad?