The next iPad should copy the Surface Pro's homework

Summary

In many ways, tablets have the potential to one day fully replace traditional laptop PCs.
There are still some things holding back most tablets from unleashing their true potential.
Aside from software, the other major missing puzzle piece is proper PC-grade port selection.

I make no secret of the fact that the tablet PC is my favorite computing form factor.

The sheer flexibility that the tablet paradigm brings to the table is unrivaled — there’s nothing quite like a large flat canvas that can be used for productivity, creativity, and leisure, all in a slim and lightweight package. Traditional laptops are shackled by their keyboard decks, and smartphones are simply too small to offer a truly enthralling user experience.

I’ve long desired to make use of a tablet as my one-stop-shop PC solution, and I know many others echo this sentiment. Unfortunately, there are a couple of things that continue to stand in the way of true tablet greatness.

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The first problem with trying to use a tablet as a computer replacement is a well-publicised issue: the current software situation. iPads and Android tablets ship with mobile-first operating systems, with deep-seated phone UX foundations that oftentimes get in the way of multitasking or performing complex tasks.

The situation improves year-over-year, but only slightly: neither iPadOS nor Android are quite at the level of macOS or Windows in terms of providing an adequate desktop computing environment.

I make no secret of the fact that tablets are my personal favorite computing form factor.

On the flip side, there are Windows-based tablets. These run an OS endowed with desktop PC heritage, making them great productivity machines. Unfortunately, this very strength is also a weakness: Windows 11 simply doesn’t do enough to provide a fluid gesture-based tablet interface, and it puts a damper on the entire experience.

The second major tablet hang up, meanwhile, is a hardware issue. As powerful as tablet processors have become in recent years, most of the devices themselves haven’t scaled up in terms of offering a PC-grade port selection.

Microsoft is reportedly ready to take on the 11-inch iPad Pro

According to an exclusive Windows Central report, Microsoft is planning on launching a smaller Surface Pro and Surface Laptop later this year.

Microsoft’s Surface Pro line handily beats the competition in terms of built-in port selection

Microsoft Surface Pro 11 USB-C port graphic

Pocket-lint / Microsoft

Owing once again to their smartphone origins, iPads and Android tablets universally ship with only one I/O port for charging, display out, and data transfer: a single lowly USB-C port. Even the $1,000 M4 iPad Pro, which Apple markets as a device for creative professionals, is hamstrung by this limitation. Sure, it may be a superfast Thunderbolt 4 port, but it’s still only a single socket.

The problem here is pretty significant: a single USB-C port doesn’t offer enough flexibility for many computing use cases. Think: charging your iPad while connected to an external solid state drive (SSD), and while operating a wired peripheral. USB hubs can add some much-needed I/O into the mix, but I feel that they’re a bandage solution at best.

…a single USB-C port doesn’t offer enough flexibility for many computing use cases.

The only tablet line that bucks this unfortunate trend is Microsoft’s Surface Pro series. For years, the company has outfitted its tablets with ports more typical of laptop PCs, including a dedicated magnetic charging port, dual USB-C ports, and, previously, even USB-A and microSD support.

Microsoft’s decision to treat its flagship tablet as a full-blown PC is the right call, and other manufacturers should really take note. The next iPad Pro ought to ship with dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, perhaps in addition to MagSafe 3 charging. In a perfect world, Samsung Galaxy Tabs, the Pixel Tablet, the OnePlus Pad 2, and every other high-profile Android tablet line would follow suit.

In a few years, I might finally be able to carry around a tablet on a full-time basis.

The latest and greatest tablet processors are blazing fast — it’s a shame that big tech companies are artificially limiting I/O, and therefore stifling overall flexibility. When this vestige of smartphone design is finally toppled, the rest will all come down to large-screen software optimizations. In a few years, I might finally be able to carry around a tablet on a full-time basis.