Could Vision Pro really become an iPad-killer?

Speaking of Vision Pro, we have often talked about spatial computing, a term invented by Apple that suggests a new way of imagining the computer. No more software and content tied to a monitor, but suspended in the surrounding environment: this is the future that science fiction promised us, and this is what Apple wants to try to achieve.

However, according to Mark Gurman, a famous journalist from Bloomberg Apple product expert, Vision Pro will not be able to replace laptops for work, but it could become the killer iPad.

The reasoning is simple, and actually goes well: the purpose of the iPad, as well as any tablet, is to be a middle ground between iPhone and Mac. Tablets are perfect for entertainment, for reading and for all the times which is useful for a larger display, but are also excellent for small work operations. Replying to an email or writing notes are things that can be done comfortably even with a tablet, but it is unlikely that anyone will choose to use an iPad instead of a Mac for everyday work.

In more recent years, with the iPad Pro line and iPad keyboards (which also work well with the Air and basic models), Apple is giving ever greater importance to iPad as a productivity tool, but it is unlikely that tablets will replace laptops really, at least with the current limitations in terms of operating system and software.

On the contrary, it is easy to imagine using a Vision Pro in all the contexts in which we currently use an iPad: on the other hand, visionOS is based precisely on iPadOS.

In the latest issue of his newsletter, Gurman highlights some peculiarities that we had already read in the first reviews of Vision Pro: the Apple viewer is a perfect device for watching films and series in streaming, sending emails and looking at photos, as well as as an external monitor for the Mac. And these are all activities that can also be done very well on the iPad.

Furthermore, i ideal contexts in which to use Vision Pro correspond to those in which we are normally used to using iPad: on the couch, in bed or on the plane.

But this doesn’t mean that Apple’s viewer is ready to replace the iPad: according to Gurman himself, it will take at least 4 generations before we have a product truly ready for the general public.