Please, Just Give us Free Windowing!
With Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference only a few days away, the leaks and rumours regarding the company's next software plans are starting to fly. Owners of iPads may be in for a treat as well: According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, iPadOS 16 will include some of the year's most significant advancements, including an expansion of the iPad's multitasking feature.
Apple has slowly, albeit hesitantly, improved the multitasking capabilities of iPads. You can currently have two windows open side by side, with one in the slide-over view on the side. It works, for the most part, but it's a pain to set up, and it's not always clear how to move apps around or rearrange them.
iPadOS 16 will "build upon that interface," according to Gurman, which may mean a variety of things. There's only one route for Apple to go at some point: full, free-form multitasking as on the Mac, where you can construct windows any size and shape you want. Because developers have largely built their apps to a couple of precise sizes and aspect ratios, the iPad may not get that far. However, now that iPad screens are almost laptop-sized, and many models are powered by the same M CPUs found in Apple's latest Macs, there's enough power and real estate to run more than three apps at once.
Gurman also claims that Apple is working on a new way to see and switch between all of your open programs as part of the multitasking push. It'll be interesting to watch what Apple does with the present system, which is already laptop-like.
For the most of its existence, Apple has treated the iPad as if it were a large phone rather than a little laptop. However, as the iPad has grown in power and functionality, as well as Apple's investment in accessories such as the Magic Keyboard, it's become evident that the tablet is more MacBook than iPhone. Apple appears to agree, and is prepared to make software changes to reflect this.
Many users will appreciate improved multitasking options and resizable programs. People have been able to use keyboards with the iPad for a long time, and Apple two years ago added complete mouse and trackpad functionality. It remains to be seen whether the rumoured iPadOS changes will truly help the gadget become a laptop killer, but it's evident that Apple isn't giving up on the notion.
We'll almost certainly get a look at what's next for the iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch operating systems at Monday's keynote.
More health-tracking capabilities, improved notifications, and support for always-on displays are all promised in iOS 16, according to Gurman (which is expected to only be available on iPhone 14 Pro models at first). Widgets may be included in a revamped lock screen, and Messages is expected to get extra functionality as well.
