Based on MKBHD's review of the beta of iPadOS 26 and our podcaster's assessment.

The initial reviews of iPadOS 26 seem positive, with various features closing the gap between tablet and full -ledged laptop. The M5 chip certainly has the power for it, since the same line as the M4 already powers MacBook laptops. Yet, there are some differences that remain, that make certain heavier tasks not suitable on an iPad, such as video editing, as mentioned by the famous tech reviewer Marcus Brownlee. It seems like the very concept of what tablets can and should be still isn't settled. They are very compact, but the apps are often not sufficiently rich in features or outright capacity to do heavy lifting. Gaming on a tablet is one thing, so is watching video content, and portability is often great, and their uses in some professions, like hospitals, in corporate meetings also work quite well, but truly productive work remains constricted. The question about the ultimate value proposition of tablets has yet to be truly answered.