Last year, Apple introduced the new iPad Pro, which is virtually identical to the previous generation, but this time with a faster M2 chip. While there are rumors that none of the iPad models will receive major updates in 2023, it looks like Apple is working on a “major iPad Pro update.” for 2024. But at the moment, iPad Pro needs not a major update, but better software.
< h2 id="h- the-current-state-of-ipad-pro-and-rumors-about-the-future">The current state of the iPad Pro and rumors about the future
The last major redesign of the iPad Pro was in 2018, when the company abandoned the design with the “Home” button in favor of a new one with a frameless screen. Since then, despite the addition of the Magic Keyboard and improved cameras, the iPad Pro hardware hasn't changed much.
Of course, something else happened in 2021. It was then that Apple introduced the first iPad Pro with the M1 chip, which had previously been developed for Mac computers. And in 2022, the iPad Pro has been updated again with the same M2 chip as the MacBook Air and the new Mac mini.
While the 2023 iPad Pro rumors are underwhelming, this week Bloomberg reported that Apple is working above this. on a major redesign of the 2024 version, which is expected to feature an OLED display on an iPad for the first time. In addition, both Bloomberg and 9to5Mac have reported in the past that Apple was considering bringing MagSafe to the iPad Pro.
But to be honest, the iPad Pro doesn't need a new design—even a more powerful chip.
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iPad Pro needs better software
For years, the problem with the iPad was not hardware, but software. Apple claims that since the 2018 iPad Pro, its tablet is faster than most laptops. Today, that's even more true because the iPad has the same chips as the Mac.
Even so, the iPad's software is a mess. While Apple came up with the name iPadOS, it's essentially a version of iOS optimized for larger screens. With iPadOS 16, Apple tried to highlight iPadOS with Stage Manager, a feature that brings windows to the iPad. While Stage Manager certainly brings a new level of multitasking to the iPad, it's still far more limited than macOS and Windows users.
Users can only open four apps at a time on each screen, which might be a reasonable limit on an iPad screen, but not when you have an external monitor connected. Just imagine that you have this limit on Mac. And the Stage Manager is buggy and inconsistent. You can't even freely move and position windows like you can on a desktop operating system.
But that's only part of the problem with iPadOS. Since it is based on iOS, the system is much more limited and restricted. The powerful software available on desktop platforms requires access to some tools that Apple simply doesn't provide for iOS. This leads to developers spending more time or even thinking about whether to release “pro” apps for iPadOS.
Even Apple, which likes to show that iPadOS is a great platform for developers, has never brought apps like Final Cut, Logic Pro, and Xcode to the iPad.
Will iPadOS 17 be revealed ? the iPad's potential?
It's hard to say right now. With iPadOS 16 focusing heavily on features that turn an iPad into a computer, we certainly expect to see more of this in future updates. However, a recent report by Mark Gurman showed that Apple is prioritizing the development of its new AR/VR platform over iOS 17.
In other words, users should live up to their expectations for the features coming in iOS 17 and iPadOS 17. And no matter how much Apple improves the hardware of the iPad, makes it faster or changes the design, none of this will solve its main problem: the presence of “children's software”; for a powerful device.
