PadOS 26 on the iPad mini shows us what’s next for iPhone: true multitasking, a macOS-lite mode, and deeper platform convergence.

Apple’s latest developer betas make the iPhone quieter and quicker while the iPad grows up with real windowing, on-device smarts, and a privacy posture that lets you work rather than wrestle.I have lived on iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 developer betas through for the last few months ever since their unveil at WWDC 2026,

Macworld A few years ago, when Apple introduced Stage Manager for the iPad, many users were left out due to the new feature’s hardware requirements. The new multi-window feature only worked on Pad Pro and iPad Air models new enough to have M-series chips (and eventually the A12X and A12Z iPad Pro).

Like iOS 26, iPadOS 26 adopts Apple's new Liquid Glass material, for an interface that's glossy, shiny, and more transparent than before.

Apple Photos is the central location for storing images and videos you take on your iPhone. Here's how to use it in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26.

Apple hasn't confirmed that the new low-cost iPad is coming, but MacRumors pointed out that Apple usually releases iPads in the first half of the year. The current 11th generation iPad was released in March 2025. It's likely we'll know more about the cost, features and specs soon.

Apple's next iPad mini will be powered by the A19 Pro chip set to be used in Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Pro models, according to

Let’s look back at 2022, a year when Apple redesigned the standard iPad without a Home button, and the iPad Pro upgraded from the M1 chip to the M2. After those releases, it was over a year before Apple updated the iPad line again,