Apple announces the iPadOS
With the preview of the new iPadOS operating system on June 4, 2019, Apple announced that it would be releasing a separate operating system for its tablets. Until now, Apple has used the same OS (operating system) for both its smartphones and tablets. In future, however, different operating systems will be used for the two devices. App development will continue to work on the same basis for both operating systems. However, the iPadOS includes additional features. The two operating systems iPadOS for iPads and iOS 13 for iPhones will be launched in autumn 2019. Would you like to know what advantages the new iPadOS offers? In this blog post, we reveal the most important new features.
Apple offers various new features with the iPadOS
Apple uses the same basis for iPadOS as for iOS for smartphones. This means that mobile app development for Apple devices will not change fundamentally. The operating system for the iPad will also be equipped with additional features. These promise efficient use of the large screen area and should make multitasking easier. Apple promises a unique experience with features that have been specially developed for the iPad. Features such as a new home screen, powerful multitasking and new options for using the Apple Pencil are designed to enrich iPadOS users. The way people work is set to change from the ground up with iPadOS. In the following section, we take a closer look at the individual features and analyze how intuitive the iPadOS is to use.
New home screen
The first change from Apple that you will notice is the new home screen. Thanks to the new layout, more apps can be displayed per page. You can also add the “Today” view as a widget on the home screen. Information such as headlines, events, weather, etc. can be accessed more quickly.
Apple makes multitasking more efficient
You can edit multiple files and documents within the same app in parallel thanks to the “Split View” update. This allows Apple to use the app as efficiently as a desktop. Thanks to “Split View”, two windows from the same application or from different applications can be displayed and edited side by side. You can also use the “Slide Over” function to quickly switch back and forth between individual files.
Performance boost
Your current iPad could get a performance boost as soon as you install the iPadOS. It is rumored that Face ID unlocks will be up to 30 percent faster, while apps will start up to twice as fast as on iOS 12. Furthermore, the download size of apps should be reduced by up to 60 percent to use less storage space.
Apple will use the desktop version for surfing in future
The iPadOS makes the Safari web browser more powerful. In future, the desktop version of websites will automatically be displayed on iPads. They are scaled for the respective iPad, but also optimized for touch operation. This means that mobile versions will no longer be displayed on iPads. In addition, Apple’s Safari browser has been enhanced with a download manager. There are also 30 new keyboard shortcuts and improvements for managing tabs.
Apple develops new touch gestures for iPadOS
Several new touch gestures will be introduced with the release of the iPadOS. For example, in future you will be able to copy and paste text with three fingers. You can undo text entries with a three-finger swipe to the left. The introduction of new gestures is often not intuitive, but with a short tutorial, these gestures should be easy to learn.
The Apple Pencil can be used better
With the introduction of iPadOS, you can also perform new gestures with the Apple Pencil. If you swipe from a corner of the display on your iPad with the Apple Pencil, you can annotate documents, emails and even websites. Apple has also designed a new toolbar. This allows quick access to tools such as colors, eraser and more.
And even more new iPadOS features enrich Apple’s tablets. For example, custom fonts can be installed, photos can be better sorted and the operating system can be displayed in dark mode.
In our opinion, the iPadOS seems to have potential for a long-lasting, flexible and powerful operating system. The new touch gestures need to be learned briefly with a tutorial video, but are then very simple and intuitive. Apple’s iPad with the new OS serves as a powerful replacement for a laptop, but is also well suited for people who are using a tablet for the first time. If you have any further questions about the new iPadOS, or would like to know how to program apps specifically for iPadOS in the future, please feel free to contact us. If you want to find out more about how to develop an app, you can find detailed information in the blog post “How do I program an app?”
