Apple recently released the 2024 iPad Pro, which means it’s time to ask again whether the company’s latest premium tablet can replace the best laptops.
The question carries more weight this time around given that the new iPad Pro has Apple’s powerful M4 chip and can be paired with the redesigned Magic Keyboard. The new OLED display is also as good as the ones seen on OLED laptops. Additionally, the tablet lasted more than 13 hours on our battery life test — significantly longer than many of the best Windows laptops we’ve reviewed.
These factors should theoretically make the new iPad Pro a decent laptop replacement. But after a week of using (or rather trying to use) Apple’s powerful slate as a laptop, I can tell you that the best MacBooks don’t have to worry about the iPad Pro making them outdated. far from it.
The iPad Pro is a great tablet, but it’s still not close to delivering a true laptop experience. I’ll explain why below.
iPadOS isn’t great for productivity
In my humble opinion, iPadOS 17 outperforms its main competitor, Android 14, in terms of overall ease of use. To use a familiar refrain from Apple users, iPadOS just works! This operating system is the main reason I prefer iPads over the best Android tablets. But despite its advantages, iPadOS can’t compete with macOS on Macs.
As Mark Spoonauer writes, the 2024 iPad Pro is proof that Apple needs to blow up iPadOS and start over. iPadOS was originally designed for content consumption, and it continues to excel at that. Watching videos or reading on your iPad is a great experience. However, trying to do basic work on an iPad Pro (or any iPad) is cumbersome at best and frustrating at worst.
I use Google and its various apps for work and personal use. On a Mac or Windows laptop, I can have Google apps like Drive, Docs, Calendar, etc., in a single browser window with tabs for those apps. This is not possible on iPadOS because each of these programs is a separate application that you need to download. Switching between these apps on the iPad isn’t as efficient as in a browser. Apps also have different layouts than their desktop counterparts, making them less intuitive to use.
What about the stage manager? This iPadOS feature puts the app you’re using front and center and pushes up to four other open apps to the left side. Not only is this meant to help you focus on the app you’re currently using, but it also makes it easier for you to access other apps. Unfortunately, you have to turn off Stage Manger to use Split View to see apps side by side — which defeats the purpose of using Stage Manager.
I’ve had many conversations with friends and colleagues regarding how Apple should think about putting macOS on iPads — especially tablets featuring the M-series chip. This would definitely eliminate the issues I have when using iPadOS for productivity. However, it can be confusing to have two different operating systems on one device, potentially making the iPad less of a tablet and more of a 2-in-1 Mac. I’m not sure if this is the answer, but it’s something I can’t stop myself from Think about it when the topic of iPads as laptop alternatives comes up.
The MacBook Air is cheaper
The other reason the iPad Pro 2024 isn’t a good laptop replacement is the price.
The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $999, while the 13-inch model starts at $1,299. And that’s before the Magic Keyboard, which costs $299 or $349, depending on the size of the iPad Pro. If you really want to use the iPad Pro as a laptop, the Magic Keyboard isn’t optional, but essential.
At a minimum, you’ll have to spend $1,298 to get the 11-inch iPad Pro with the Magic Keyboard. But let’s be honest, trying to use the equivalent of an 11-inch laptop isn’t going to provide a comfortable experience. For this reason, you’ll need a 13-inch iPad Pro. Buying this tablet with its Magic Keyboard will cost you $1,648!
Let’s compare these prices to some MacBooks. Right now, the 13-inch MacBook Air M2 starts at $999. If you want to upgrade to 16GB of RAM (which I personally recommend), the cost jumps to $1,199. Even at this price, the upgraded MacBook Air M2 costs less than the 13-inch iPad Pro with the Magic Keyboard.
And if you’re wondering, the new 13-inch MacBook Air M3 starts at $1,099. If you configured it with 16GB of RAM for an extra $200, it would still cost less than the 13-inch iPad Pro with the Magic Keyboard. Well, even the 14-inch MacBook Pro M3 ($1,599) has a lower starting price.
minimum
For all its strengths, the iPad Pro still isn’t a great laptop replacement. Not only is iPadOS good for laptop-like productivity, but you can get a true laptop like the MacBook Air M2 for hundreds of dollars less.
We may reach a point where the iPad Pro becomes a legitimate laptop replacement. It seems like every new version of the iPad Pro gets closer to this capability. But until iPadOS becomes more productivity-friendly (or Apple abandons it and replaces it with a touch-enabled version of macOS), the iPad Pro won’t replace your laptop.
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