iPad Pro “Detachable”?

According to an IDC report posted at AppleWorld.Today, the newest iPad expected to be announced in September will be a detachable hybrid device. The good folks at AppleWorld.Today disagree and this Texan isn’t sure, but I did predict the possibility back in November of 2013. When you look at the technology that’s already in place in OS X and iOS and the processing power available from both Apple and Intel, it sure seems like Apple is poised to revolutionize another market. The next iPad may well be a “detachable” or “convertible” or "MacPad" or whatever Apple decides to call it. Here’s why:

The tablet market appears to be saturated. Market studies have shown stagnation or decline for the last few quarters and while the iPad is still king o’ the hill, declining numbers point to it going the way of the iPod. There’s lots of reasons for this; bigger iPhones, more competition, etc. The one tablet market segment showing promise is the hybrid market.

Next, processor technology has advanced to the point where Apple can release a hybrid that performs well, has great battery life and above all looks like an Apple device. That means thin and light while still solid as a rock. In other words, elegant. Apple’s A series processors are getting extremely powerful while maintaining low power consumption making a 12” (or larger) retina display iPad possible. The Intel “M” processors have proven themselves worthy in the new MacBook and the latest generation of mobile x86 processors will only get better, both in speed and efficiency.

When I envision an Apple hybrid (or convertible or detachable or whatever it’s called) I see the thin, sleek base of a MacBook with an Intel M processor connected to a 12” iPad retina with an A9. When together, the hybrid runs OS X. When apart the iPad runs iOS 9.

But what actually happens when you detach the MacPad? Say you’re in the middle of composing an email or working on a spreadsheet and need to detach? Oh yeah, Apple already has that covered with “Handoff”. How convenient. It’s as if Apple were prepping for this eventuality, isn’t it? I can even imagine Apple including the capability to run iOS apps when the device is attached and running in OS X (or laptop) mode. That emulation technology is already in place also. Most users never see it, but Xcode includes a very capable iOS emulator for developers. It would be a simple task for Apple to break that feature out into a standalone app. Were the MacPad to come to fruition, Apple would have a very marketable device that runs the worlds best desktop operating system when attached and the world’s best mobile OS when detached. In all probability it will be thinner, lighter and have longer battery life than anything in the category.

I’ve been around the block enough times to learn not to try to predict Apple’s next move, but it’s fun to speculate nonetheless. When you look at market trends it seems like Apple would want to produce a device to exploit the growing “detachable” market. But, Apple’s unpredictability is legendary and my crystal ball is no better than the next person’s.

It is fun to play “Tim Cook for a Day”, though.