Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, in his latest Power On newsletter, reports that Apple is working on major updates to iPadOS that will make using the iPad feel more like working on a Mac.
These changes are expected to debut alongside the launch of M5-powered iPads, though they won’t involve porting macOS directly to the tablet.
The upcoming iPadOS refresh focuses heavily on productivity, multitasking, and app window management, aiming to bring a more desktop-like experience to the iPad. Gurman notes that this shift is likely to arrive around a year after the introduction of the M4 iPad Pro — a device whose hardware capabilities far exceed what its software currently allows.
While Apple hasn’t officially revealed how the new multitasking features will work, previous iterations like Stage Manager, introduced in iPadOS 16, allowed for limited windowing and multitasking improvements. However, critics have found these features to be more aligned with iPad use cases rather than true laptop replacements.
With the announcement of iPadOS 19 expected in June, all eyes will be on Apple to see just how far it pushes the iPad toward becoming a viable MacBook alternative.
