Apple makes arguably the most powerful and polished tablets out there. For creatives, the iPad Pro line is the go-to choice, and ever since Apple put an M-series silicon inside its tablets, the performance appeal has reached an altogether new territory.
One area that has remained a weak link, however, is iPadOS. Aside from features such as Stage Manager, the tablet operating system hasn’t offered any standout experience, apart from acting as a stretched-out version of iOS. That could change soon this year.
The company is reportedly planning a major refresh for the upcoming iPadOS 19 update that will “make the tablet’s software more like macOS.” This is the first credible report so far that sheds light on Apple’s plans to give a computing-first functional lift to iPadOS later this year.
What is changing?
“I’m told that this year’s upgrade will focus on productivity, multitasking and app window management — with an eye on the device operating more like a Mac,” writes Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in the latest edition of his PowerOn newsletter.
The report doesn’t go into specific details about what’s in the pipeline with a macOS-inspired refresh for iPadOS, save for window management. So far, the window resizing experience on iPads has been pretty limiting. Despite Apple tablets now reaching the same screen size as a MacBook Air, you can’t freely resize app windows.
Stage Manager — which lets the iPad flesh out its UI on a larger connected screen and also borrows from macOS’ background app management system — has been a meh experience, so far. It merely copies the macOS idea superficially, but still doesn’t offer the same level of flexibility on an iPad despite all the firepower.
Apple could take a lesson, or two, from Samsung’s DeX approach, and the excellent Open Canvas system on the latest OnePlus tablet. My own experience with using the M4-powered iPad Pro hasn’t been too different. I often feel that this tablet is overpowered, and that it sorely deserves more desktop-like experiences to realize its full potential.
Why does it matter?
The Bloomberg report mentions that productivity will be a crucial focus with iPadOS 19, which is going to make an appearance at WWDC in June this year. We are not sure what exactly Apple is planning, but an extra dash of flexibility with a desktop-like environment for running software will go a long way.
This is what I wrote in my review of the iPad Pro last year, and unfortunately, the situation remains identical to this day:
“Unless you are a creative whose entire workflow revolves around tools like Procreate, Adobe Creative suite, or Logic Pro, a fleshed-out web browser is your lifeline. Safari just doesn’t cut it, and Chrome’s mobile version is unbearably devoid of features compared to the desktop version. I can’t even use the most basic browser extensions on a $1,500 slate.”
Apple is reportedly eyeing a design overhaul for its OS portfolio, including iPadOS, with its next yearly upgrade cycle. I am hopeful that it tags alongside more pro-grade apps and a little more dexterity at connecting the tablet experience with its Mac computing counterpart. Oppo’s Find N5 foldable gave an excellent taste of such a connected future, and I don’t see a reason why Apple can’t execute it.