In a fresh report from noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities, the future of macOS might include a hint of iPadOS. Will it mean that macOS and iPadOS will merge? If Apple SVP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi would like to keep his word from 2018, then of course no. However, considering the latest advancements in display technologies and operating systems, the company could consider the introduction of touch on the Mac or merging of macOS and iPadOS. The other possibility could be that Federighi might be planning to retire next year, allowing the company to look at its operating system from a fresh perspective (what do you think?).
The report of touch-based MacBook Pro is not only from long-time Apple analyst Kuo but also from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman who has a track-record of correctly predicting the future releases of Apple products. It is likely that new versions of Mac products are on the cards for a launch in 2026 and the introduction of OLED technology on the Mac, is a perfect opportunity for the company to introduce a newer type of input method.
Is Apple merging macOS and iPadOS?
The iPad is like a middle-child, offering both the aspects of an iPhone and half-baked versions of Mac apps. It would make total sense for Apple to merge both the operating systems and it actually makes sense in the case of Apple, as both the iPad and the Mac are powered by the same silicon, resulting in no friction in terms of app support and compatibility. An iPad Pro, if allowed by Apple, could easily run Xcode but the company just does not want to, as it would hamper the sales of the Mac or the iPad.
Microsoft struggled and continues to struggle with the Surface Pro due to difficulty in bringing proper support for ARM-architecture on Windows. There are multiple reasons for it, you may call Apple’s software engineering fantastic or that Windows has a much larger library of applications. Regardless, it is impossible to disregard the fact that Apple perfected support for ARM on a desktop-class operating system.
It is a bad business-case to invest in an iPad Pro with a Magic Keyboard compared to buying a MacBook Air for half the price. While many users and YouTubers continue to tout the IPad Pro for its versatileness or just to show that the device is capable of being equivalent to a MacBook, it is not a worthy investment. The MacBook continues to a much value for money package, it could be an even better offering, if Apple introduces a Surface-like detachable option which would alternate between iPadOS and macOS depending on the setup (with keyboard = macOS, wIthout keyboard = iPadOS).
Personally, I really loved using the Surface Pro (2nd generation), however Windows has been a very limiting operating system. Apple has perfected the ARM and if the company decides to build a Surface-liked device, it would be a huge win for the customers.
