Touchscreen Macs could mark the end of iPad - so what could it use for macOS?

Was iPadOS always heading this way?

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In what could be a major reversal of separating the two platforms,Applecould be releasing a touchscreen MacBook in 2025 - which could be a sign to me that the iPad’s retirement has been set.

It’s not a stretch to assume thatiPadOShasn’t become the replacement for most laptops and PCs in recent years, withStage Manager in iPadOS 16being confusing and buggy when trying to multitask up to six different apps at once for example.

However, Apple has had a history of denying certain products, such as the iPhone in 2005 when Steve Jobs said that it would be a hassle with the carriers to even make one, but in actual fact, the device was halfway done by that point.

If this is true though, it could mean thatmacOSis in line for a major redesign to cater to your fingers. So, what could it borrow from iPadOS as it potentially rides into the tablet sunset?

Widgets

It’s 2023 and macOS still has widgets locked to a sidebar that’s coupled with the Notification Center - it’s time to have the same ability on iPadOS but on the Mac.

Being able to usewidgetson the desktop, similar to the home screen on an iPad would work well, especially when a Mac is a touchscreen. If you combine this withlock screen widgets from iOS 16, you’ve already got a major change in macOS.

Slideover

While you’ve been able to have two apps in split-view on macOS, there’s not been a way toslideoveran additional app to quickly check something as you can in iPadOS.

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It’s something you can still enable on iPad as long as Stage Manager is disabled, and it’s always been a useful remnant of multitasking on the tablet, as it’s a way of quickly checking email or some Notes for example.

Apple Pencil

This feels like the most obvious feature to crossover to the Mac. With apps such asAdobe PhotoshopandFinal Cut Proon macOS, using theApple Pencilwould help to scrub those timelines on a4Kvideo, or highlight certain backgrounds when editing a photo.

EvenFreeform, Apple’s new collaboration app where you can place images and ideas onto a blank canvas, would work exactly the same as it does on iPad currently so the justification is there.

Is the writing on the wall?

iPad has had a rocky time of it in recent years. While Apple declared iPadOS as a way of separating the platform from iOS to distinguish it better, there’s only been a handful of features that are still exclusive to the platform.

And even then, home screen widgets took another year to arrive on iPad, while Lock Screen widgets from iOS 16 are nowhere to be seen on the tablet.

For a consumption device, iPad is perfect, but when it comes to creating content that’s not with an Apple Pencil, it can be hard to justify an iPad Pro when a MacBook could do the job just as well, or better.

We’re still ways off from a touchscreen Mac becoming a reality, but if it does get announced, and you put it side by side with an iPad Pro, is there a need for the tablet in its current form from then on?

Daryl had been freelancing for 3 years before joining TechRadar, now reporting on everything software-related. In his spare time, he’s written a book, ‘The Making of Tomb Raider’. His second book, ‘50 Years of Boss Fights’, came out in 2024, with a third book coming in 2025. He also has a newsletter called ‘Springboard’. He’s usually found playing games old and new on his Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, and MacBook Pro. If you have a story about an updated app, one that’s about to launch, or just anything Software-related, drop him a line.

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