Jason Hiner/ZDNET
ZDNET's key takeaways
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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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've been using the betas of iPadOS on a daily basis for the past two months and I found a lot to like. Let's dig into the best new features that I think you're going to love on your iPad when the new software arrives.
How I tested iPadOS 26
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.
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