It has been approximately 10 months since the release of iPadOS 26, and version 27 of Apple’s tablet operating system is currently already in testing. For the most part, I’m one to jump head-first into the latest-and-greatest software platform releases from any tech company, whether it be from Apple, Google, Microsoft, or anyone else.

And, yet, I find myself still running 2024’s iPadOS 18 on my personal iPad mini. This is despite iPadOS 26 being a substantial release from Apple, what with its Liquid Glass redesign and its new Mac-like tools, features, and user interface elements. As a fan of all-things tech, I admit that my decision to stick with iPadOS 18 is a curious one.

Credit: Pocket-lint / Apple

All in all, there are three overarching reasons why I’ve decided to keep my iPad mini running on iPadOS 18 now and into the future, even with iPadOS 27 on the horizon. Here are all three factors that have influenced my choice in the matter, listed in no particular order.

Brand

Apple

Storage

128GB, 256GB, 512GB

CPU

A17 Pro

Operating System

iPadOS 18

Battery

Up to 10 hours

Ports

USB-C (10Gbps)

Apple’s 7th generation miniature-sized iPad, complete with an A17 Pro chip for full-fledged Apple Intelligence support.

I prefer iPadOS 18’s mouse cursor

The quirky, circular pointer is incredibly charming

Apple officially brought cursor support to the iPad starting with iPadOS 13.4 in 2020. Up through iPadOS 18, the cursor itself was highly unique in that it was designed specifically for a touch-first environment. Unlike the arrow-style pointer of macOS, Windows, Linux, ChromeOS, and Android, the iPadOS cursor was circular, semi-transparent, and adaptive. It shape-shifted based on where it was located on-screen, merging with user interface elements in a fun, playful manner.

With iPadOS 26, Apple updated the iPad’s cursor to closer match the one found on the Mac. This is good in that it allows for more precision during use, but I can’t help but feel that it takes away from the iPad’s overall character in the process. Yes, the new arrow-style mouse pointer is still somewhat animated when in use, but it’s a far cry from the transient experience of iPadOS 18’s circular, highly dynamic affair.

I prefer iPadOS 18’s multitasking flow

Windowed applications are no substitute

When Apple rearchitected its entire window management system for iPadOS 26, we gained a more flexible floating window system at the expense of the simplicity of Slide Over and Split View. While Apple did eventually bring back Slide Over in iPadOS 26.1, it can only be used with one app at a time rather than with several, making it less viable for multitasking.

Plus, both split-screen multitasking and iPhone-sized Slide Over windowing have been gutted entirely from the full-screen multitasking option within Settings, making it so that users need to rely on the more complex windowing system in order to view apps in a simple side-by-side fashion.

On the one hand, I appreciate that I can finally have floating and overlapping application windows running on my iPad mini starting with iPadOS 26. On the other hand, I sincerely miss Split View’s approachability, as well as the more robust form of Slide Over that iPadOS 18 provided right out of the box.

I prefer iPadOS 18’s visuals

Liquid Glass is nice, but it’s still a work in progress

I’m not a Liquid Glass hater. In fact, while I do have some concerns over the legability of certain user interface elements, I find the various reflections and refractions found throughout iPadOS 26 to be both visually pleasing and technically impressive. I also appreciate all the new animations found throughout the OS, which makes the system feel far more alive than iPadOS 18 and earlier.

However, I think it’s fair to say that Liquid Glass is still a work in progress. Apple has been subtly tweaking the visuals of iPadOS 26 for several months now in various .x releases, and iPadOS 27 is even set to add a slider for manually control over the look and feel of the digital material across the platform.

As it currently stands, I still find iPadOS 18 to be more visually consistent and cohesive across the board, and I imagine the longer I wait before upgrading to a Liquid Glass-era Apple software version, the more refined it’ll be when I do ultimately make the jump.