According to the relatively dependable leaker Majin Bu, Apple is reportedly working on a “smaller” version of macOS for the iPad Pro that is powered by the M2 chip. The new version of macOS could perhaps be released at some time in the year 2022, as said in the article. The project, which will apparently be released alongside macOS 14 the following year, has been given the internal codename “Mendocino” inside Apple. For a number of years, rumors have been circulating that Apple will eventually make this change with the iPad, but most of those rumors have largely died out, at least until recently.
Although iPadOS has become more powerful over the years, particularly following the addition of support for trackpads, it still feels constrained in numerous areas. This is especially true when it comes to layering windows and programs with the same feature set as their equivalents on macOS.
According with my source Apple would be testing a smaller version of macOS exclusively for the new iPad Pro M2!
"Mendocino" should be the codename for macOS 14. A simplified version should be planned for the M2. pic.twitter.com/f4RrainlZ1— Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) October 20, 2022
It is important to point out that rather than developing a whole new version of macOS specifically for the iPad, Apple may simply be working on adding more Mac-like capabilities to iPadOS. These features might include a menu bar and taking windows farther than what would be offered in macOS 16 through the ‘Stage Manager’ application. It’s not uncommon for rumors like this one to have a grain of truth, but those rumors don’t always turn out to be completely accurate.
It is currently unknown whether Apple would initiate the introduction of this new edition of macOS on the M2-powered iPad in the beginning before gradually introducing it to M1-powered iPads. Having said that, Majin Bu suggests that Mendocino will not make its way to previous generations of the iPad Pro and that it will instead be unique to tablets powered by M2 chips.
If this rumor turns out to be true, it will signify a significant departure from Apple’s previous strategy regarding the iPad. In spite of the feedback received from customers, the global technology corporation has, for many years, made an attempt to keep the Mac and iPad products distinct from one another.
