As a veteran iPad user and someone who has reported on Apple for an extended period, I’ve had a suspicion that iPads have essentially become laptops. In 2024, Apple launched the iPad Pro featuring the M4 chip before it made its way into a MacBook, along with the iPad Air equipped with the M2 chip, followed closely by the M3 version. This solidified my belief that Apple is striving to enhance its tablets to rival the power of its laptops.

The ultimate confirmation arrived at Apple’s 2025 WWDC, where they unveiled a novel iPad feature known as “Windows,” enabling users to resize app windows, thus allowing multiple applications to be displayed simultaneously. Although this capability is new for iPads, it has long been a norm for laptops.

If my estimates are accurate, Apple’s iPads are effectively functioning as laptops now. Here’s how Apple is evolving its tablets into laptops and why they might present a more economical choice.

iPads and MacBooks now utilize the same potent processor. The M series chips drive Apple’s computers, offering remarkable speed and efficiency. The M4 chip made its debut in the iPad Pro, achieving a Geekbench 6 score of 14,586, surpassing most laptops of that era.

Currently, half of Apple’s iPads incorporate M series chips, with the iPad Pro utilizing the M4 and the iPad Air employing the M3. The remaining half of the lineup uses Apple’s A series chips, which are generally found in iPhones. This indicates that roughly half of Apple’s iPads are designed to operate as laptops, although this line may soon become indistinct.

There are rumors indicating that Apple’s forthcoming MacBook might be a budget variant utilizing an A series chip, making it difficult to evaluate a device’s performance based merely on its processor.

The dimensions of iPads and MacBooks are also becoming more alike. While the iPad mini’s display is too diminutive to contend, the standard iPad, iPad Air, and iPad Pro all feature 11-inch displays, which are just two inches smaller than the smallest 13-inch MacBook. Both the iPad Air and iPad Pro even provide 13-inch versions.

iPads can be transformed into workstations, particularly for creative professionals. Although iPads are fundamentally touch-enabled, Magic Keyboards convert them into workstations. These keyboards connect flawlessly to iPads, enabling users to type using a physical keyboard and even include a trackpad reminiscent of a laptop.

The keyboard options range from basic folios for the standard iPad to sophisticated keyboard stands for the iPad Air and Pro, making them akin to 2-in-1 laptops such as the Microsoft Surface.

With the inclusion of an Apple Pencil, the iPad becomes a perfect tool for artists. Numerous graphic designers favor iPads over laptops for their work.

Nonetheless, iPads and laptops vary regarding ports. iPads provide a singular USB-C port, whereas laptops commonly feature multiple ports, including USB-A, USB-C, and HDMI. Apple’s port selections are dwindling, with some MacBooks offering only three USB-C ports. Both iPads and MacBooks can utilize dongles to broaden port diversity.

Even though an iPad resembles a laptop, it doesn’t imply it operates identically. Laptops facilitate organized file management and multi-window navigation. iPads now deliver similar functionalities with file storage applications and the introduction of “Windows” in iPadOS, allowing users to engage with several apps concurrently.

In terms of utility, the overlap between iPad and laptop capabilities is essentially comprehensive.

iPads are competitively priced relative to MacBooks. The standard iPad and iPad Air are notably more affordable than Apple’s most economical laptop, the MacBook Air.

The cost disparity between iPads and MacBooks mirrors that between Chromebooks and traditional Windows devices; iPads present a more budget-friendly option with some diminished features. However, while iPads are generally more costly than Chromebooks, they also provide enhanced functionality.

The most economical iPad is priced at $349, whereas the least expensive MacBook, the 13-inch MacBook Air, begins at $999. Upgrading to the iPad Air with the M3 chip raises the price to $599, and adding the $269 Magic Keyboard totals $868, still saving over $100 compared to the MacBook Air.

Higher-end iPad models are similarly priced to laptops, yet even the 13-inch iPad Pro is $300 less than the 14-inch MacBook Pro, with both featuring the M4 chip.

This isn’t to suggest that one should always pick an iPad over a MacBook, but it certainly offers a more affordable alternative in the iPad, which can compete with many laptops, particularly MacBooks.