iPadOS 26 introduces Mac-like windowing, a menu bar, a real cursor, and a much-improved Files app that significantly enhance productivity on iPad. The update narrows the gap between iPad and Mac while preserving differences that prevent full laptop replacement for many users. Testing used an 11-inch M4 iPad Pro with a Tandem OLED display and nano-texture glass in a $1,899 configuration, showing exceptional display quality. Betas were used daily for two months and revealed many appreciated improvements. Some key features remain missing and certain tasks remain better suited to laptops.
The iPad and the Mac have always been complimentary devices with a few overlapping functions -- until iPadOS 26, which brings them a lot closer together. The big question since Apple announced iPadOS 26 at WWDC 2025 in June has been, "Does this mean I can finally use my iPad to replace my laptop?" The answer for me is, "No." But that doesn't mean that iPadOS 26 isn't a big step forward.
I tried iPadOS 26 on an 11-inch M4 iPad Pro, so that I could judge it as a machine with laptop-like performance and capabilities (and a laptop-like price at $1,899 for the configuration I used). The model I used had a Tandem OLED display with nano-texture glass, which exceeds the display quality of any MacBook Pro you can buy, at least in terms of color gamut, contrast ratio, peak brightness, response times, and black levels.
In iPadOS 26, the addition of a Mac-like windowing system, a menu bar, a real cursor, and a much-improved Files app makes the iPad a lot better for getting work done. There are still a couple missing features that would make a big difference in iPadOS 26. While iPadOS 26 makes the iPad a much more complete device, power users shouldn't expect to get productivity benefits versus using a Mac.
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