How iPadOS Is Dragging The OLED iPad Pro Down To The Level Of The Budget iPads

Apple’s new OLED iPad Pro is the company’s thinnest device yet, beating the iPod nano. With the latest upgrades, the company could retain the numbers that it lost last year. However, demand for the OLED iPad Pro is expected to be less than last year’s despite major upgrades and we believe that iPadOS is the reason why.

iPadOS is holding the OLED iPad Pro’s leash, preventing it from utilizing its full potential as a computer

The new iPad Pro models come with an OLED display, which users have been longing for years. Above that, the devices also come with a slightly bigger screen size compared to previous models. As mentioned, the devices are on a new level of thinness and the industry will shortly follow Apple’s design. Lastly, another gigantic upgrade is the new M4 chip based on TSMC’s 3nm process and designed specifically for the iPad Pro to handle Apple’s forthcoming AI utilities.

Despite these upgrades, the OLED iPad Pro will not be the eye-candy for a lot of users and iPadOS is to be blamed. Apple’s operating system for the iPad has reached its maturity stage and while it is very consistent in terms of functionality, it does not do justice to the OLED iPad Pro’s hardware. iPadOS 18 is optimized to be compatible with the entire iPad lineup, ranging from entry-level models to the new OLED iPad Pro.

iPadOS is capable of running on Apple’s A14 Bionic chip as well as the new M4 chip and this makes us question whether the software is underutilized on higher-end models. File management, navigation controls, user interface, and most of the features on iPadOS are identical on the entry-level iPad and the new M4 iPad Pro. Apple’s aim is to offer a consistent experience across the board, which results in feature parity in the entire lineup. While it is beneficial for the average user, those opting for the higher-end models end up regretting it as the company is not offering Pro-level, distinct and exclusive features.

Apple needs to diversify and expand iPadOS to meet user requirements if it asks for a hefty price tag for the ‘Pro’ models. There is no doubt that the iPad Pro lives up to the ‘Pro’ moniker considering its performance and hardware, but iPadOS should bolster the user experience. There are two ways Apple can opt for from here. Either the company should port a tweaked and touch-friendly version of macOS to the iPad Pro, or design features specifically for the iPad Pro.

We believe that iPadOS is underutilizing the M4 chips, as it is offering the same utility to the rest of the lineup, specifically the new M2 iPad Air, which appears to be a better choice at this stage. For now, we hope that Apple introduces dedicated AI features for the OLED iPad Pro and moves away from the conventional iPadOS design. Only then, the iPad Pro can be classified as a computer replacement.