Why We Need an iPad Renaissance

I think the iPad needs a moment like the Mac got when it got Apple Silicon. We need an iPad Renaissance.

I’ve used an iPad ever since the first one launched. When I bought the iPad, I envisioned it as my laptop replacement. I had an iMac at home and could take the iPad with me. For the longest time, that never worked how I envisioned, but after software advancements and the launch of keyboard cases, it became much more than I expected.

When the 2018 iPad came out, that device became my main machine for years. That iPad became so versatile and slim that I could take it with me everywhere. I would pull it out while coaching tennis tournaments, or use it as my personal device when I had a few free moments at school. Meanwhile, the Mac languished with a broken butterfly keyboard and nothing exciting happening to it.

But somewhere along the way, the iPad has lost its sheen and the Mac came back to the forefront. The iPad is not the device I turn to very often anymore. I only use it now for reading and traveling.

Apple recently announced the iPhone Duo, Apple’s new iPhone that unfolds into a tablet-size device. I am very excited about it, but it made me contemplate my future with the iPad. If I don’t use it that often, is it even worth keeping around? It reminds me of the Mac during that butterfly keyboard era.

The Mac line had a renaissance when it moved to Apple Silicon and fixed the keyboard. I don’t think changing the processor on the iPad would do the same thing, but I do think an iPad renaissance is needed for the device to remain relevant.

Stalling Software

When Apple split iOS into two branches in 2019, the promise was that iPadOS would be getting a new focus and dedicated features.

With that came a few takes on multitasking on the iPad, but I don’t think they transformed the iPad experience positively. In the seven years since the split, I can’t identify too many standout iPad features. The only ones I can think of are the new windowing features, the introduction of a pointer, and monitor support.

While these features are great, they seem more like table(t) stakes. Having a keyboard, pointer, and monitor for my iPad is great, but I expected more from iPadOS. At this point, I wish they hadn’t split it off because it feels more like a forgotten child than an advanced operating system.

The multitasking should be the killer feature, but it’s not. It can be awkward to use and not very intuitive to discover. Windowing on the iPad works, but there are also issues abound. The traffic light window buttons get in the way of navigation within some apps. It’s not intuitive to use, and I sometimes don’t know where to put the cursor to get the menu, traffic lights, or app navigation. It feels like the iPad is just stuck in the middle of the iPhone and Mac as it tries to blend both.

Most other features introduced by Apple come to all their devices as well. I’m not expecting any new app, and any new feature I expect to come to all devices, but that doesn’t make the iPad any more special.

For that matter, I have issues with the basic software. Text input and manipulation should be easier by now. I can’t ask Siri AI for something and then select just a part of the answer to copy and paste in my notes. I have to ask Siri to give me just that part or copy an entire answer over and trim it down. That’s not efficient.

But little quirks like that are the reason I’ve been defaulting to my Mac more.

iPhone Duo

I wonder if the iPhone Duo will give the iPad a shot of energy it needs.

I haven’t played with the Duo yet, but it seems like the multitasking system on it solves a few problems from the iPad. It looks like it’s more discoverable and easier to use. Users just swipe up on apps from the bottom and there are two frosted windows that you can drag an app to. Once you do that, the other half of your screen shows you the Home Screen to allow you to select your second app. Users can also tap the middle indicator line and save the app pair.

iPadOS could use something this simple as an option.

I also would like Apple to make a push with developers to enhance their iPad apps as they update their iOS app for the Duo. For the longest time, I thought that the iPad just needed more Pro apps. While Apple brought pro apps to the device, not much changed after.

But if Apple could spark more life into the apps on the device, that might help reinvigorate it and create this iPad Renaissance I envision. As developers develop for the larger iPhone Duo screen, Apple should give them an incentive to port them to the iPad as well—if they haven’t already.

Form Factor

The iPad hasn’t changed too much in the last decade, and that’s fine. I think the form factor is great. The screen has gotten better, and the speed is incredible.

But also, why is the iPad Pro the only iPad that features Face ID? Nearly every iPhone uses Face ID, but most iPads use Touch ID. Why does every iPhone offer a high refresh display rate, but the iPad Pro is the only iPad? I keep waiting for the technology to flow down the line, but it never does.

The iPad also feels lost on the software side. There’s so much power behind the system, but there’s not as much to do with it.

The iPad Pro has had a powerful chip in it for so long. In fact, I wrote about Apple using the iPad chip in a Mac back with the A18x. They did the opposite. They built a new Mac chip based on the iPhone chip and put it in the iPad.

It super-charged the iPad for speed, but iPadOS didn’t adapt to the speed boost. There’s not really much else the iPad does better now than it did before. It doesn’t feel like the OS takes advantage of the power it has.

Apple has brought more features like allowing things to export in the background, but I’m not sure how many people and apps are taking advantage of it. I’m left wondering why developers can’t use an iPad to develop apps, as Apple hasn’t given them many tools. If the iPad is supposed to be a computer (what’s a computer?) why can’t it do all the things other computers can?

The iPad just doesn’t feel like it’s living up to its power.

I Still Have Hope For An iPad Renaissance

I want the iPad to succeed. I don’t want Apple to kill it, I just wish that I found more uses for it. Between the Mac getting better and the iPhone getting larger, I feel like the space for the iPad has slimmed down.

I love how versatile the iPad is. You can change it through covers and docks, but even those are limited. I’ve settled into a rhythm where I use a Smart Cover for most of my time, but if I do find myself using the iPad as a laptop replacement, I’ll throw it in the Magic Keyboard case. I even edited this piece plugged into my Studio Display and it worked well.

My M2 iPad Pro is the largest screen I can download videos to, and it can also be easier to bring somewhere when traveling. Just a few months ago, I went to Peru and did everything I needed without my MacBook.

I just wish the experience had accelerated by now, instead of a cross between the iPhone and Mac, I wish it would grow more into its own. I want an iPad Renaissance, like the Mac got with Apple Silicon.

As it stands now, I’m going to have to decide if I even want to keep it once I see how the Duo fits in my life.

If you would like to see more of my thoughts on the iPad, make sure to check out my iPad hub. There you can find all my reviews, guides, and more.

What do you think about the iPad right now? Join in the conversation on Threads or let me know in the comments.