No, iPadOS 26 isn’t a laptop killer, but these 4 things make it a huge leap forward

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• In iPadOS 26, the addition of a Mac-like windowing system, a menu bar, an actual cursor, and a much-improved Recordsdata app makes the iPad rather a lot higher for getting work executed.
• There are nonetheless a pair lacking options that may make an enormous distinction in iPadOS 26.
• Whereas iPadOS 26 makes the iPad a way more full gadget, energy customers should not count on to get productiveness advantages versus utilizing a Mac. 

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The iPad and the Mac have at all times been complimentary units with a number of overlapping capabilities — till iPadOS 26, which brings them rather a lot nearer collectively. The massive query since Apple introduced iPadOS 26 at WWDC 2025 in June has been, “Does this imply I can lastly use my iPad to exchange my laptop computer?” 

The reply for me is, “No.” However that does not imply that iPadOS 26 is not an enormous step ahead. I have been utilizing the betas of iPadOS every day for the previous two months and I discovered rather a lot to love. Let’s dig into one of the best new options that I feel you are going to love in your iPad when the brand new software program arrives.

How I examined iPadOS 26

I attempted iPadOS 26 on an 11-inch M4 iPad Professional, in order that I may decide it as a machine with laptop-like efficiency and capabilities (and a laptop-like value at $1,899 for the configuration I used). The mannequin I used had a Tandem OLED show with nano-texture glass, which exceeds the show high quality of any MacBook Professional you should buy, no less than by way of coloration gamut, distinction ratio, peak brightness, response instances, and black ranges. 

Additionally: Every iPad model that supports iPadOS 26 (and which ones won’t be compatible)

Make no mistake, this M4 iPad Professional is by far one of the best iPad I’ve ever used. The truth is, it is essentially the most succesful pill I’ve ever used. However that does not make it a laptop computer killer. There are nonetheless issues an iPad does higher than a laptop computer, and there are nonetheless issues which are significantly better executed on a laptop computer. However we’ll get to that in a second.

My 4 favourite options in iPadOS 26

1. The brand new windowing system: In the end, Apple has introduced a Mac-like windowing system to the iPad and it is executed it in a robust and chic approach. The three acquainted inexperienced, yellow, and crimson dots for shut, decrease, and maximize at the moment are current on iPad home windows, so long as you select Windowed Apps fairly than Full-Display Apps or Stage Supervisor in your Settings. However now you may resize home windows to your coronary heart’s content material, overlap home windows, and multi-task higher than ever. A number of instances I resized home windows with out which means to and I am nonetheless undecided what I am doing mistaken that triggers that. In different phrases, it isn’t good but, but it surely nonetheless works very well. And better of all, Apple constructed it into the underlying iPadOS in order that the function involves just about all iPad fashions which were launched since 2020. 

2. The menu bar: While you swipe down from the highest of the display screen whilst you’re in an app, a Mac-like menu bar now seems. This exposes plenty of capabilities and choices that you just’d beforehand should dig by means of the Settings menu to entry. That is a win. As extra complicated apps undertake the menu bar it will be one of many sneaky energy consumer options that persons are going to like.

3. A real cursor: The iPad has had mouse help and a cursor for a number of years now, however the iPad’s model of a cursor was a spherical dot that mimicked the tip of your finger since it is a touchscreen gadget. I used to be thrilled to see that iPadOS 26 changed the dot with a triangular arrow that appears and feels far more like an actual mouse and is much more exact for working with the brand new windowing system and digging by means of the brand new menu bar.

Additionally: Your iPad is getting a huge upgrade for free. Features I can’t wait to use on iPadOS 26

4. A totally practical Recordsdata app: Managing recordsdata has lengthy been some of the irritating issues on the iPad. I do plenty of studying on the iPad — it is an incredible studying gadget, and much more so with the nano-texture Tandem OLED show that blocks glare and fingerprints. However historically, it has typically been tough and brought too many steps to get paperwork downloaded from the online to the iPad after which open them in an app for fast and simple studying. In iPadOS 26, I navigated to an internet site in Safari and located a PDF, swiped right down to entry the menu bar, clicked File | Save As after which navigated to a folder and saved it there. I opened the brand new Recordsdata app, simply positioned the file, and I rapidly popped it open within the new Preview app — one other among the finest additions to iPadOS 26.

Two issues nonetheless lacking in iPadOS 26

1. A Mac-like Areas system to arrange units of home windows: As soon as I began resizing and transferring home windows round on iPadOS, I routinely needed to arrange my system utilizing one in all my favourite options on the Mac: Areas. This allows you to manage a set of home windows, apps, a browser logged into your day by day companies, and so on. After which you may create one other area/desktop with a distinct set of issues. I typically use totally different areas for work apps, private apps, picture modifying, background media gamers, and venture areas the place I am engaged on one thing particular. And among the finest elements on the Mac is that you would be able to swipe up with three fingers in your mouse touchpad and it’ll present all your areas and you’ll rapidly transfer to the one you need. In iPadOS 26, I frequently discovered myself eager to swipe up with three fingers on the touchpad. Whereas the iPad has StageManager that does one thing comparable, it is simply not as intuitive, quick, and versatile as Areas. The iPad wants this.

Additionally: iPadOS 26 is turning my iPad Air into the ultraportable laptop it was meant to be

2. Clamshell mode: Now that iPadOS 26 has the iPad appearing extra like a Mac in some key methods and has the power to connect with exterior displays, one other one of many key Mac capabilities that may be nice to import could be clamshell mode. That is the place you connect with an exterior monitor after which shut the Mac, successfully making it function extra like a desktop as you’re employed solely on the monitor whereas utilizing an exterior mouse and keyboard. For instance, this got here up for me after I was at an offsite workforce assembly and we wanted to dial-in a colleague. I attached my iPad to a TV within the convention room and used it to run Google Meet as a result of I wanted to be doing one thing else on my laptop computer. The one drawback with the setup was that the iPad needed to be open subsequent to the TV, so we noticed the identical picture on the iPad and the TV on the identical time, which was distracting. Clamshell mode would remedy this and would make the iPad much more like a grown-up pc. 

The place does this depart the iPad?

As a tool to do your day job, the iPad stays what it has at all times been — a lightweight computing machine that is not as succesful for work as a laptop computer. However, iPadOS 26 has made the iPad a way more succesful pc that is rather a lot much less irritating to make use of for doing extra highly effective duties.

And let’s not neglect, there are nonetheless loads of issues the iPad does higher than a laptop computer. It is higher for cellular connectivity if you use the built-in 5G since you not often ever have to fret about Wi-Fi or hotspots. It is higher for drawing and taking handwritten notes with an Apple Pencil as a result of you may’t do these issues on most laptops. It is higher for watching most films, exhibits, and movies as a result of it has a greater show and it has apps which are typically quicker and simpler to tug up content material. And for work, it is typically higher for single-task jobs the place you want to focus and block out distractions. 

Nonetheless, if you want to heavy multitasking, use a number of displays, copy-and-paste knowledge between apps, manipulate massive knowledge units, function complicated software program, or use shortcuts and scripts to automate key capabilities, then you definitely’re nonetheless going to be a lot happier and extra productive utilizing a Mac (or a Linux or Home windows machine). 

However, iPadOS 26 makes the iPad really feel just like the inevitable machine it was at all times meant to be. And that deserves a hat tip.