Should Apple make a 16-inch iPad Pro?
Some thoughts on the rumors about where Apple might be taking next year’s top-of-the-line iPads.
For the last several years, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro has been the largest iPad available to purchase. But ever since Apple introduced the Magic Keyboard and mouse/trackpad support to iPadOS, I’ve been wondering if they might have a larger iPad Pro form factor in mind. I first wrote about this topic a little over two years ago. Now there have been rumors that Apple is working on 14-inch and 16-inch iPad Pro models, so I wanted to revisit the topic with my current thoughts on such a thing. First, let’s get this out of the way:
No, iPads shouldn’t run macOS.
I know I bring this up a lot, but I do so because at every turn the corporate tech press is haranguing Apple to port macOS to the iPad. So far Apple has shown no interest in doing so, and I hope Apple sticks to their guns on this one. What they’re building with iPadOS is a completely new type of computing device. It’s touch first, but also accommodates input via Pencil, keyboard, and trackpad/mouse. The design and functionality of its operating system reflects this, as it should. It’s still a work in progress, but it’s one that is rethinking longstanding computing paradigms. That’s good for the industry!
But there is a missing software element that Apple needs to address.
The iPad’s hardware is phenomenal and super capable. Though there are thermal limitations imposed by the fanless design, it’s a very performant machine. The operating system is still a work in progress, but Apple’s clearly pouring a lot of thought and attention into it. So what’s missing? Pro apps. Here I share the corporate tech press view that Apple needs to bring Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro to iPadOS. If Apple wants the iPad to be taken seriously as a pro computer alternative, it needs to lead the way with flagship pro software.
Stage Manager shows the path.
Stage Manger helps point the way forward to what purpose a larger iPad display can serve. When I spent time with Stage Manager on iPadOS the other day, it was with an 11-inch iPad Pro. That screen size doesn’t benefit tremendously from a windowed user interface. But 14-inch and 16-inch iPads would. In fact, something like Stage Manager is probably a prerequisite for an iPad that large and it wouldn’t surprise me if an iPad that large ships with Stage Manager already enabled.
Who is it for?
If you buy an iPad because you want a really great tablet, a 16-inch iPad won’t be for you. Then 12.9-inch iPad Pro is already barely functional as a tablet device. No, large iPad Pros would be for two specific customers: those who plan to use it as a laptop replacement, and digital artists. The first customer wants more screen real estate for windows in Stage Manager. The second customer wants a larger drawing surface for creating digital art. These won’t be cheap iPads, but the customers who want them are already prepared to pay for this type of device.
I don’t know if these rumors are accurate, and you should always approach Apple rumors with the understanding that they may never come to fruition. But if Apple does ship these, it’s going to fundamentally challenge our conception of what an iPad is. I still see a day coming in which new employees will chose to onboard with an iPad Pro instead of a Mac or PC. This could get us closer to that reality.