Apple may be on the verge of a major shakeup of its Mac and iPad lineup, with the upcoming iPad Pro possibly incorporating the company’s M4 chip.

Early reports indicate that Apple’s M4 may be an AI powerhouse, potentially leveraging the company’s ReALM AI. While many are looking forward to seeing the M4 in the company’s Mac lineup, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says Apple may include the M4 in the upcoming iPad Pro refresh first.

I’m hearing there is a strong possibility that the chip in the new iPad Pro will be the M4, not the M3. Better yet, I believe Apple will position the tablet as its first truly AI-powered device — and that it will tout each new product from then on as an AI device. This, of course, is all in response to the AI craze that has swept the tech industry over the last couple years.

If Gurman is right, the M4 could help the iPad differentiate itself among Apple’s products. For years, the iPad has struggled to find its footing. On the one hand, the iPad is powered by some of the same hardware as Apple’s computers. On the other hand, however, the iPad has always been held back by iPadOS, never offering the same level of power and functionality as its Mac siblings, despite having the computing power to do so.

Leveraging AI and positioning the iPad Pro as an AI device could help it stand out and find a clearer purpose between the iPhone and Mac lineup. At the same time, including the M4 in the iPad Pro would be an odd move, one that would clearly upstage Mac if it is not updated at the same time.