All iPads What will the iPad be in 10 years?

[playtech1]

The move to M1 in the latest iPad Pros has made me wonder what Apple's long term vision is for the iPad.

From the very beginning, 11 years ago, the iPad has always suffered from the 'what's it for?' question, yet people (including myself) picked one up and loved it. I think the immediacy of a lightweight OS, huge touch screen and hand-held size offers an experience that is quite unique.

But for as much as I love the iPad, I can't quite work out where Apple sees it going. There are lot of business drivers that mean it will keep producing and promoting iPads - lack of competition, a closed and highly profitable app ecosystem, very profitable accessories, etc. But does Apple have an idea as to what the iPad lacks and does it really have the commitment to fill those gaps? Or does it have a different, hopefully more ambitious, vision that goes beyond just giving it more power and letting others figure out what to do with it?

 

[AutomaticApple]

I can't quite work out where Apple sees it going.

When the iPad first came out, that was also true. We will just have to wait and see what happens in the next ten years.

 

[Scarboose]

That is a great question! 10 years ago, I think a lot of people would have agreed that the iPad will be slimmer and mostly screen on the front. That’s an easy one. However, now it’s tougher! There’s not a lot of bezel, or thickness to cut back on now.
My guess is folding technology will take off! The iPad will be like a book! iPad Mini sized screen for a cover, which will be perfect for handheld mode, but then it opens up to a full screen for at a desk/table. When it’s folded, it won’t be any thicker than the iPads today!

 

[Never mind]

To find out why don’t you come back here in 10 years

 

[Expos of 1969]

Much more expensive...

 

[magicschoolbus]

at the rate they update the iOS with one small feature every year; maybe we will have floating windows in 2030.

 

[thedavid]

Maybe it'll have a calculator.

 

[Richard8655]

Good question. I think a lot depends on what excites the consumer, although mass entertainment and information delivery will always be primary. When the iPad first came out, I think it was really a bit directionless as a technical solution looking for a problem. But people quickly adopted it and realized how useful it could be.

So my prediction is it stays essentially the same in function, but the hardware will advance - lighter, thinner, faster as the one would expect. The issue I see is if and how integration with the iPhone might occur where people feel a single device satisfies all portability needs.

 

[playtech1]

To find out why don’t you come back here in 10 years

I definitely will! But I am curious what people think of the iPad's future.

Maybe it'll have a calculator.

Honestly, I doubt it - and I will still be annoyed by the omission!

 

[m0nkeyb0y]

It will disappear, replaced by AR glasses which can project a 50" floating screen in front of you

 

[Mcckoe]

Well, the 12.9” iPad pro 2018 model I have now is 3 years old. It has never felt slow, or failed to impress. I have 2 - 10.5” iPad Pros that are well over 4 years old. All these devices I could use daily, and never need more power. In another 5 will any other Apple device have Promotion?

 

[Techwatcher]

We're probably going to see a rebranding to "AppleOS" or something similar across their products. And laptops are probably going to die out to where tablet screens with optional accessories are the norm. iPad and iMac may end up being Apple's spotlighted products.

 

[magicschoolbus]

Maybe it'll have a calculator.

And I could see all of my activity data on a nice large screen.

Seriously all the drooling about this hardware is hilarious to me. We can't even get a calculator or activity data.

 

[rpmurray]

It would be cool if you had the tools to write iPad applications right on the iPad.

 

[Surfer13134]

There will always be iPad OS, So devices like iPad Air etc will run that, However I can see Apple moving the iPad Pro to start running Mac OS in the next few years. This will destroy the Microsoft Surface line if Apple does that. My 2nd best guess is Apple will keep iPad OS on all iPads BUT update Xcode and make it where devs that make apps for Mac OS easily convert those apps to run on iPad OS almost like what they do now between the iPhone and iPad, So devs like Adobe that already have M1 apps (that work amazing btw) will be able to get full desktop apps that run on the iPad.

Remember the new iPad pros have 8 gigs of ram (16gb for the 1TB and up model) now which a lot of the M1 macs have so the only thing needed is just some tweaking of code to get them to run on the iPads now.

 

[nfl46]

At this point, I’m not even sure. You still have 2017/2018 iPads that still are more powerful than anything you throw at it. But by then, we could have pocket size iPads that open up to 12.9-inch tablets. Lol. I’ll revisit in 10 years to see what Apple came up with.

 

[nfl46]

My 2nd best guess is Apple will keep iPad OS on all iPads BUT update Xcode and make it where devs that make apps for Mac OS easily convert those apps to run on iPad OS almost like what they do now between the iPhone and iPad, So devs like Adobe that already have M1 apps (that work amazing btw) will be able to get full desktop apps that run on the iPad.

Remember the new iPad pros have 8 gigs of ram (16gb for the 1TB and up model) now which a lot of the M1 macs have so the only thing needed is just some tweaking of code to get them to run on the iPads now.

That maybe happening in 2021, way before 2031. Lol.

 

[headlessmike]

Based on current trends, chances are we will end up with the 11" iPhone 22 mini in place of the iPad.

 

[rovex]

I was just thinking whether the Air would be discontinued in the coming years. It's lighter, has better cameras, touch functionality of course. Struggling to see where the Air fits in, if an iPad has dual boot enabled...

 

[jeremiah256]

Merged with the iPhone, a folding multifunctional device like the tablet/phones shown in the show Westworld.

 

[AppleSmurf]

I think this I where I want all Apple technology to go, not just the iPad. But I would like to see a “smart iPad” capable of following eyes. So where your eyes go, the curser goes. Not sure how we will “tap” the screen but a truly hands free device would be wonderful.

 

[doboy]

hold on, let me get in my time machine.

 

[Richard8655]

hold on, let me get in my time machine.

And bring back the cure for cancer.

 

[doboy]

And bring back the cure for cancer.

I think I'll need to go further into the future for that

 

[iMacPad]

i think we will see bigger ipads which eventually will replace most of the macs…