Apple has used its powerful M1 chip inside the 2021 iPad Pro. This is the same chip the company uses inside the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and the new 24-inch iMac. This led to rumors that Apple is planning on merging macOS and iPadOS. However, Apple executives have once again confirmed that this is not going to happen.

In an interview with The Independent, Apple’s chief Greg Joswiak and hardware chief John Ternus again confirmed that Apple would not be merging the iPad and Mac lineup.

Greg specifically states that Apple has no intention to merge the two product categories but instead make them the best products in their categories.

“There’s two conflicting stories people like to tell about the ‌iPad‌ and Mac,” says Joz, as he starts on a clarification that will lead him at one point to apologise for his passion. “On the one hand, people say that they are in conflict with each other. That somebody has to decide whether they want a Mac, or they want an ‌iPad‌.

“Or people say that we’re merging them into one: that there’s really this grand conspiracy we have, to eliminate the two categories and make them one. And the reality is neither is true. We’re quite proud of the fact that we work really, really hard to create the best products in their respective category.”

Further adding to this, Ternus said that Apple is “pushing to make the best Mac” and “best iPad” they can make. While the company is aware of the conspiracy theories floating around, it will not get caught in them.

Read: 2021 iPad Pro vs. 2020 iPad Pro: What’s the Difference

As for the iPad Pro shipping with the M1 chip, the executives are confident that developers will be quick to take advantage of them. The additional horsepower will give developers additional headroom to bring more powerful apps and games to the iPad. This will also ensure that the iPad won’t be “immediately obsolete.”

Ternus also notes that Apple has always used its best silicon in the iPad Pro lineup, and as things stand right now, that chip is the M1.

The two executives also talk about bringing the Pro Display XDR’s mini-LED technology to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Ternus says that it was a “huge undertaking” for Apple to bring the same technology to the iPad Pro as it is notably thinner than the Pro Display XDR.

Check out the best features of the 2021 iPad Pro lineup if you plan on buying one.

Our Take

The 2021 iPad Pro shipping with the M1 chip does feel like overkill, especially since iPadOS and current iPad apps and games cannot take full advantage of it. It will be interesting to see what changes and improvements Apple brings to the table with iPadOS 15 later this year to allow developers to take advantage of all this power.