How likely is macOS on the M1 iPad Pro?

With the announcement of the new IPad Pro, Apple once again hit it out of the park. The already, and almost too, powerful iPad Pro just got even more powerful. With the addition of the blazingly fast and critically acclaimed M1 chip, the iPad Pro is now on the level of the Macs, and the new 12,9” might be the best device Apple has ever created. Right under your fingertips is the 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR display and hidden behind is the M1 chip. All that is missing is an OS capable of taking advantage of that power and that’s where MacOS comes in.

Before we dive in, let’s address the elephant in the room. With the iPad Pro now using the same chipset as the Macs, there should be nothing holding Apple back to finally introduce MacOS, but they might still have concerns doing so.

No walled garden

Apple makes a lot of money through the App Store. By allowing full-featured macOS, users no longer have to go through the App Store to acquire apps, causing a revenue loss for Apple and potential security and privacy risks for the users. Tim Cook has recently stated that “the App Store would become a flea market if third-party payment systems were allowed” and it is safe to say that he would share similar opinions on sideloading applications on the iPad.

Cannibalizing their own products

If MacOS becomes available on the iPad Pro, people would not buy MacBooks anymore is a common belief, and that might be correct, but as far as I see it, the iPad and MacBooks would still have different use cases and vastly different price points. Another quote talking against this concern is from Mr. Steve Jobs himself, through Walter Isaacson:

“One of Job’s business rules was to never be afraid of cannibalizing yourself. “ If you don’t cannibalize yourself, someone else will,” he said. So even though an iPhone might cannibalize sales of an iPod, or an IPad might cannibalize sales of a laptop, that did not deter him.”

Wanting to keep consistency across all iPads

Apple is famously known for consistency across all devices. If you pick up an iPhone, you know what you are going to get, it does not matter if it is the SE or 12 Pro Max. And so far it is the same on the series of iPads. With the introduction of macOS on iPad Pro M1, this would change. Whether this would be a concern for Apple and the consumer, depends a lot on the implementation.

Now that we got some of the arguments against MacOS on the iPad Pro, let us look at some pros for MacOS on the Pro.

Unleash the Beast

By blessing the iPad Pro with the M1 chip, Apple has got to have something big on the planning board. With macOS, the power would be unleashed and Apple would once again cement themselves as the tablet kings. Depending on the implementation, Apple could create the ultimate 2-in-1 Pro device., doing what other companies could not.

A device working great as a tablet for entertainment, but also unlocking real possibilities for developers and content creators, with terminal access and installing unsigned applications not available in the App Store.

It’s What The People Want

I will admit that I have a personal investment in getting MacOS on the iPad Pro. With the M1 chip, I finally caved in and preordered the device. So, Apple gives the people what they want! I’m not saying replace iPadOS, just give people the opportunity. I love my regular iPad and I love my MacBook Pro, so the combination of the two would be a dream come true if done right. How Apple could do it is a whole other topic for another day.

Nobody knows what Apple will do, but there has never been a more appropriate time for MacOS on the iPad Pro.