A new rumor claims that Apple has been testing a new version of macOS that’ll run exclusively on the new iPad Pro with M2 Apple Silicon. The leaker claims Apple will release the operating system sometime in 2023.
According to leaker @MajinBuOfficial, Apple is working on a simplified version of its next iteration of macOS, internally known as “Mendocino.” The leaker says that the simplified version of “Mendocino” will be optimized for the iPad‘s touchscreen display and feature a 25% larger UI.
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
Since the introduction of the M1 chip and Apple porting over iPad apps to Mac through Catalyst, there have been calls for the company to introduce desktop-class apps like Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro, considering both iPad Pro and Mac use M-series chips.
With the announcement of Davinci Resolve coming to iPad Pro later this year, it seems like Apple is finally listening and actively working with developers to bring professional apps to more users.
iPad Pro is more than capable of supporting macOS, and the addition of the M2 chip further bolsters that. The device supports Thunderbolt 3 and USB 4, WiFi 6E, and cellular models support 5G with mmWave. iPad Pro can also support an external 6K display. The device also features 8GB RAM on models with 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB storage and 16GB RAM on models with 1TB or 2TB storage.
Rumors of macOS coming to the iPad have been swirling around for almost a decade. Apple even considered shipping the original iPad with OS X before launch. It’s relatively unclear if macOS on iPad will come to fruition, but the leaker claims it will launch alongside macOS 14 next fall.