Is Apple still trying to figure out what an iPad actually is?

Ah, the iPad. It might be hard to believe it now, but Apple's tablet was subject to plenty criticism when it first launched, with users taking umbrage with the restricted software experience. Such complaints have never fully gone away, despite Apple's various attempts to implement more advanced multitasking features over the years. But while it might have finally cracked it with iPadOS 26, a new interview with Apple's senior vice president of software engineering suggests the company is still grappling with exactly what the iPad is – and who it's for.

Craig Federighi recently sat down for an illuminating interview with MacStories' Federico Viticci about the journey towards iPadOS 26's new windowing system for multitasking, and how it was born from the company trying to understand the different types of iPad users.

As Viticci surmises, over the last decade of "trying to understand the iPad’s audience", Apple discovered two types of iPad user: "Those who just want a tablet, and those who want a tablet plus more traditional computing features." According to Federighi, Apple has "been on a journey of finding the right interface for iPad."

But while many have commended Apple for adopting a much more macOS-esque approach, there are still those who'd love to see Mac apps work natively on iPad. And rumours of a hybrid iPad/Mac device have been doing the rounds for years. But Federighi says that isn't going to happen.

“We don’t want to create a boat car or, you know, a spork”, Federighi says. "If a spoon’s great, a fork’s great, then let’s combine them into a single utensil, right?” It turns out it’s not a good spoon and it’s not a good fork. It’s a bad idea. And so we don’t want to build sporks”.

I'm not completely sold on this metaphor. Indeed, couldn't one argue that the iPad, by its very nature, is something of a spork – that is, a hybrid of an iPhone and a Mac that sits somewhere between the two?

Of course, there are things that only the iPad can do – particularly for artists. When paired with an Apple Pencil, the iPad enters a league of its own for digital art, becoming one of the best drawing tablets.

But the Pencil didn't arrive until 5 years into the iPad's life. At its core, and particularly for non-artists, the iPad is a device that combines some of the best features of the iPhone (portability, touchscreen) and Mac (larger screen, keyboard functionality).

Don't get me wrong, I love my iPad. But while it's a delight to use, there are often cases when I reach for my iPhone or MacBook instead. And ironically enough, Apple's recent moves towards making the iPad more Mac-like, coupled with Federighi's comments, make me think the iPad might always be the awkward middle child.