On Monday, Apple released iPadOS 16.1 for its iPad lineup — the first official release of iPadOS 16, while skipping iPadOS 16.0 in the process.
Like iOS 16 for iPhone, iPadOS updates include editing and unsending text messages, easier sharing of photos and videos using iCloud Shared Photo Library, and the ability to view sports scores on the lock screen with live activity, as well as some iPad-specific features. new function. As long as you have a compatible iPad, such as an iPad Pro or iPad Air, you can download and install iPadOS 16.1 right away. Let’s take a look below!
Does your iPad support iPadOS 16.1?
Apple says the following devices support iPadOS 16.1:
iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad (5th generation and later), iPad Mini (5th generation and later)
If you don’t know which iPad you have, go to Settings > General > About and check the option next to Model Name, which should include the model and generation of the iPad.
How to download iPadOS 16.1
If you own any of the Apple tablets listed in the previous section, you can download and install iPadOS 16.1. To download the latest software, go to Settings > General > Software Update and wait a few seconds for the iPadOS 16.1 update to appear.
Now click Upgrade to iPadOS 16.1 > Download and Install, if prompted to enter your password and wait for iPadOS 16.1 to download, agree to the terms and conditions, and wait again. After the download is complete, click Install Now and your iPadOS 16.1 will reboot. When it restarts, iPadOS 16.1 will be installed on your iPad.
Will you get all the new features of iPadOS 16.1?
As long as your iPad supports iPadOS 16.1, you should get most of the new features, with a few caveats. Some of the new iPadOS 16.1 features listed below are only available on iPads with M1 or M2 chips:
External monitor support (M1 iPad and later), reference mode (12.9-inch iPad Pro), magnifying glass detection (2020 iPad Pro), door detection (2020 iPad Pro), virtual memory swap (iPad Air 5 256GB or M1 iPad Pro) , Stage Manager (iPad Pro 3rd generation and later)
Apple released a new generation of iPad Pro this week. Even though it comes with Apple’s latest M2 chip, there’s not much new on these iPads. For those considering buying a new iPad Pro, the M1 model seems more appealing than ever. That’s why the M1 iPad Pro is still a good choice.
Some of us expected the new iPad Pro update to be more important than it actually appeared. For example, Apple chose to keep the same design as the previous-generation M1 iPad Pro — not a bad thing, but there are a few areas that could be improved.
The M2 iPad Pro is not a big upgrade
In the new 10th-generation iPad, Apple put the front-facing camera in landscape mode, so it looks more natural when users are in a video conference. It’s a much-needed change for many iPad users, but the new iPad Pro doesn’t get it. There were rumors that the new iPad Pro would get inductive wireless charging somehow, but that didn’t happen either.
The big news for the new iPad Pro is definitely the M2 chip. But honestly, it’s not big news. Of course, the M2 is faster. But compared to the M1 chip, the difference probably won’t change your workflow unless you’re a heavy user. The M2’s CPU is 15% faster than the M1. The vast majority of users have a hard time noticing the difference, especially when iPadOS has few features or apps that push its limits. In terms of graphics performance, the difference becomes even more pronounced, as the M2 chip’s GPU is about 35 percent more powerful than the M1’s GPU. But again, only a handful of iPad apps take advantage of this performance.
Another new feature unique to the M2 iPad Pro is the “hover” feature of the Apple Pencil. In other words, the display is now able to detect when the Apple Pencil is hovering over the screen to more accurately show where the user will be touching, improving the accuracy of writing and drawing. This is certainly a useful feature for anyone who uses the Apple Pencil on a daily basis.
There are some other spec enhancements in the new iPad Pro. It supports the Wi-Fi 6E standard for faster transfer speeds, as well as more 5G frequency bands than before. But again, that’s not something everyone notices when dealing with routine tasks. Meanwhile, the cameras are the same as on the M1 iPad Pro, and Apple didn’t bring the Mini-LED display to the smaller 11-inch model.
Which one should you get?
At this point, if you’re considering upgrading from an older iPad or considering buying your first iPad, I firmly believe that the M1 iPad Pro is still a good option, maybe even better than the M2 model. It’s still a super-powerful device that supports all the latest iPadOS 16 features, including Stage Manager. The M1 iPad Pro also features technologies like ProMotion, Thunderbolt support and up to 2TB of storage and 8GB or 16GB of RAM. Which one would you choose?
Apple’s new iPad 2022 gives the popular entry-level tablet a much-needed revamped design. Now with a large 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, A14 Bionic, USB-C port and advanced cameras, the 10th generation iPad looks very familiar with another popular Apple tablet: the iPad Air.
Of course, the latest iPad Air 2022 now comes with the mighty M1 chip. Not so long ago, however, the iPad Air 2020 also featured the impressive A14 Bionic, which now powers the new iPad 10. With the same design, the same 10.9-inch display, Touch ID side buttons, and 12MP front and rear cameras, the updated entry-level iPad is closer than ever to the iPad Air.
With its similarities, the iPad 10 seems like a great, affordable option at $449/£499, while the iPad Air with the M1 is $599/£669. However, the standard iPad lacks some features compared to the iPad Air.
This includes the display. While both iPads offer 10.9-inch Liquid Retina (2360 x 1640) LED panels, each offering 500 nits of brightness, the iPad 10 only supports sRGB color overlay, which is in contrast to iPads that offer the industry-standard DCI-P3 wide color gamut Air is different.
What’s more, the new iPad’s display doesn’t have an anti-reflective coating like the iPad Air, which helps reduce glare. Plus, the iPad Air’s display is fully laminated, while the iPad 10 isn’t.
Another feature missing from the 10th-generation iPad is support for the second-generation Apple Pencil, as it only supported Apple’s first stylus. To make matters worse, since the first Apple Pencil charged via the Lightning port, users needed to use an adapter to connect the stylus to the iPad‘s newer USB-C port.
iPad 2022 still impressive
While potential buyers may lose some features, the iPad 10 still brings an interesting update. On the one hand, users will get the same front-facing 12MP ultra-wide camera as the iPad Air, but this time it’s in the top center of the display in landscape mode, meaning users won’t appear to be staring at the video call side. Also, expect the same 12MP wide-angle camera lens on the front.
What’s more, in the absence of the Home button in sight, you get the handy side button with Touch ID. The iPad 2022 (9.79 x 7.07 x 0.28 inches, 1.05 pounds) also has a similar slim and lightweight form factor to the iPad Air (9.74 x 7.02 x 0.24 inches, 1.02 pounds).
Apple has announced an update to its iPad Pro, bringing the powerful Apple M2 chip from the MacBook Air (M2, 2022) to the tablet. The new Pro tablet won’t get the fancy colors of the new iPad 10th-gen models, but it does offer some fancy new features for the Apple Pencil 2, as well as enhancements to media recording and playback, thanks to the M2. The iPad Pro is available for pre-order now and will hit store shelves on October 26.
The iPad Pro is powered by the Apple M2 chip, which will include new image processing and media engines that can enhance video capture and editing. The iPad Pro will be able to capture ProRes video, but the camera itself hasn’t gotten an upgrade from the previous model’s Pro camera array. You still get the same 12MP main camera and 10MP ultra-wide-angle lens, with a 12MP selfie camera on the front.
The Apple Pencil 2 gets some new tricks with the updated iPad Pro. When the Pencil is 12mm above the screen and closer, the iPad Pro can detect its presence and enable a new hover feature. These seem to be aimed primarily at the art and drawing genres, but Apple says the iPad Pro will grow a text box when it detects a pencil, giving you more room to write.
Thanks to the performance of the new Apple M2 chip, the new iPad Pro will convert writing to text faster. Processing cores will only be 15% faster, which is a modest upgrade, but there will also be a more significant boost in Neural Engine performance. The Neural Engine is part of a chipset that handles machine learning tasks, including tasks such as speech recognition and handwriting detection.
Apple has made a major upgrade to the iPad‘s networking capabilities. The new tablet will support Wi-Fi 6E, a “fast lane” flavor of Wi-Fi 6 that uses its own radio frequency band. Even the iPhone 14 Pro lacks this Wi-Fi capability, but other new phones like the Google Pixel 7 Pro support it. The iPad Pro also gets more radio frequency bands for 5G compatibility.
The iPad Pro is an expensive beast, sitting at the top of Apple’s massive tablet pyramid. Prices start at $799/£899/AU$1,399 for the 11-inch model, or you can buy it for $999/£1,079/AU$1,649 over 5G. You can get started for just $1,099 / £1,249 / AU$1,899 for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, or $1,299 / £1,429 / AU$2,149 for 5G.
The 12.9-inch iPad Pro gives you a more advanced display than the 11-inch iPad Pro. You get Apple’s XDR branding, which includes a mini-LED backlight with local dimming. Both monitors have the same 264ppi pixel density.
The iPad Pro update isn’t the most exciting. The processor is only slightly faster. The pen hover feature is similar to what we saw on Samsung Galaxy Note II phones in 2012, and we didn’t find them useful at the time either. So what’s new?
The Apple M2 chip isn’t a bragging chipset, but it will power the major new features in iPad OS 16.1. The new Stage Manager feature will make multitasking useful on the iPad, a historic struggle. New external monitor support will let you connect a monitor to your iPad instead of just using the iPad as an external monitor.
Apple has long said the iPad is a full-fledged computer, and now we’re seeing them get closer in newer operating systems. Of course, all new iPads will get the same iPadOS, but the new iPad Pro will only do a better job of helping the iPad tablet get closer to the iPad desktop status.
If you own a recent iPad, iPadOS 16.1 is what you want to know — it’s the next version of Apple’s iPad software, and this new version of iPadOS was introduced at Apple’s annual WWDC 2022 conference, where the company showed off Its new operating system, iOS 16, is the biggest upgrade, showing off a new lock screen and more.
Recently, Apple announced that iPadOS 16.1 would instead be coming later in 2022, requiring more time to improve Stage Manager, its new way of multitasking on the tablet.
Below we’ve covered all the features Apple announced on stage, along with details on when iPadOS 16.1 is coming and who can get it.
iPadOS 16.1 release date
The iPadOS 16.1 developer beta and public beta are already available, but the full rollout will be later this year. Apple has rarely delayed iPadOS 16.1 until October to make it more polished.
iPadOS 16 compatibility
So which iPads will get iPadOS 16? This is the official list provided by Apple.
iPad (5th generation) and later, iPad Mini (5th generation) and later, iPad Air (3rd generation) and later, each iPad Pro model.
If you need to check which iPad you have, go into the Settings app, select the About option, and find the model name.
iPadOS 16.1 Features
Here’s what you need to know about the iPadOS 16.1 update:
iPadOS 16.1 Borrowing Features
Many of the features of iPadOS 16.1 are primarily iOS 16 features and expand upon them.
Another comes from Apple Maps: You can create a route in an app on your iPad and send it to your iPhone, so you can plan your trip more easily on the big screen, then on the smaller one.
You can also schedule emails to be sent at specific times, recall emails you just sent, and set reminders for emails you don’t want to deal with right away.
Another new app on the iPad is Reference Mode, which is designed to keep the iPad’s screen colors in sync with the colors of the monitor and other monitors, which is useful for colorists.
iPadOS 16.1 Collaboration: Improved collaboration is the focus of the next iPad update.
Now, when you share a document with your friends or colleagues, you’ll share the actual document, not a copy of it – making it easier for collaborators to edit together.
iPadOS 16.1 Desktop Focus
iPadOS introduces a new approach to multitasking in the form of Stage Manager, which gives you desktop-like functionality—you can have overlapping windows, and you can move all your background apps aside to be in one list View them, and you can resize the viewport.
This feature will work on iPads released after 2018, with the exception of the iPad mini.
iPadOS 16.1 Freeform
Announced the upcoming launch of an app called FreeForm, which will be available in iPadOS 16.1 and macOS Ventura later this year. It’s basically a federated digital message board, or a shared version of the Notes application, so multiple users can draft and jot down ideas.
Apple shows that many people draw lots of different mind maps using sticky notes, colored lines, and annotations – and the Apple Pencil is considered a useful tool for contributing to such documents.
If you’ve used Google Jamboard, this feels like the Apple equivalent, but since it’s for a tablet with a stylus, it should be a little more convenient to use.
iPadOS 16 brings some new features, especially for M1 iPad users. After ten tests, the company tweaked the features that are exclusive to these iPad users and what more people can take advantage of. Here are the iPadOS 16 features exclusive to the M1 iPad Air and M1 iPad Pro. Let’s have a look!
External monitor support for M1 iPad users running iPadOS 16
Later this year, M1 iPad owners running iPadOS 16 will be able to get proper external display support.
As Apple explains, the iPad Pro with the M1 chip fully supports external displays with resolutions up to 6K, which means you can use different apps on the iPad and the external display. Running iPadOS 16, you can also:
Access apps on an external display: Access your favorite apps and your recent apps from the Dock, or use the App Library to find the apps you want faster;
Drag and drop between iPad and external display: M1 iPad users running iPadOS 16 can drag and drop files and windows from their iPad Pro to an external display and vice versa.
The 12.9-inch M1 iPad Pro gets its own exclusive features on iPadOS 16
Even if you own an M1 iPad, that doesn’t mean you’ll have every feature available on iPadOS 16, as Apple saved one feature to the larger iPad with the new display mode:
Reference Mode: Enables the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with Liquid Retina XDR display to provide reference colors for popular color standards and video formats;
Reference Mode with Sidecar: Use your iPad Pro as a secondary reference display for your Mac.
The 2020 iPad Pro could have its spotlight time too
Exclusive accessibility features for Magnifier on 2020 iPad Pro users or newer iPadOS 16 only:
Detection Mode in Magnifier: Get a rich description of your surroundings with the new Magnifier mode that includes door detection, person detection, and image description;
Door Detection in Magnifier: Find a door, read the signs or labels around it, and get instructions on how to open the door.
Last but not least, if you have an iPad Air 5 or M1 iPad Pro with 256GB of storage, you can take advantage of this feature on iPadOS 16:
Virtual Memory Swap: iPad storage can be used to expand the available memory for all apps and provide up to 16 GB of memory for the most demanding apps.
Stage Manager is now available for the 2018 iPad Pro and newer
Stage Manager was originally released as an exclusive feature for the M1 iPad Air and M1 iPad Pro. Then, by the end of September, Apple announced that the feature would be coming to the 2018 iPad Pro and newer models.
Here’s what you can do with Stage Manager:
Resizable windows: Resize windows so they fit your tasks;
Center app: focus on the app you’re using without going full screen;
Quick access to windows and applications: the window of the application you are using is highlighted in the center, other applications are listed on the left in order of most recent use;
Overlapping windows: Create overlapping windows of different sizes in a single view, giving you control over arranging the ideal workspace;
Group apps together: Drag and drop windows from the side or open apps from the Dock to create sets of apps you can go back to at any time.
These are the features available to M1 iPad users on iPadOS 16. The upcoming iPad operating system will be available in the fall, but you can take advantage of the public beta now.
Many people around the world love AirPods for their light weight, ease of use, amazing noise cancellation and sound quality.
So, we’ll show you how to automatically connect to your iPhone, iPad, or Mac device. Whether you have an iPhone SE or iPhone 14 Pro or an iPad Air or iPad Pro, you can connect your AirPods to them. We’ll also see how to manually connect them with an Android device via Bluetooth settings. Let’s take a look below!
The first and main thing to look out for when trying to connect your AirPods to your iPhone is to make sure your iPhone is updated to the latest version of iOS. Plus, the AirPods automatically connect with the iPhone, so the process is simple.
Just follow the step-by-step guide below to prompt this connection:
1. Unlock your device and leave it on your iPhone’s home screen.
2. Hold your iPhone close to the AirPods in the charging case and open the lid.
3. If you plan to reconnect your AirPods with your iPhone, press and hold the button on the back of the case to reset them.
4. A prompt will appear on the iPhone screen. Click Connect. When they’re connected, the status lights on the case flash and then stay the same. After following the on-screen instructions, tap Done.
How to connect AirPods to iPad
Connecting AirPods to an iPad is similar to connecting them to an iPhone. As long as you are also signed in with your Apple ID. The setup process should display a message on your device that the AirPods have automatically connected.
To confirm this, you can follow the guide above for connecting your AirPods to your iPhone. If it doesn’t work, try this:
1. Make sure bluetooth is turned on from the bluetooth menu in settings
2. Swipe down from the top right corner to navigate to Control Center. The audio controls should show an image of the connected AirPod.
3. If your AirPods are still not connected, press and hold the music control icon.
4. Tap the music source icon, then tap your AirPods.
To manually connect your AirPods to your Android device, you must go to the Settings app on your device and follow these steps:
1. Navigate to your phone settings and select Bluetooth settings.
2. Put the AirPods in the charging case close to the phone and open the case cover.
3. Press and hold the button on the back of the case until you see a flashing white light.
4. Select AirPods from the list of Bluetooth devices on your phone’s screen and follow the on-screen instructions to pair them with the device.
While you can pair AirPods with non-Apple devices, you should be aware that these devices may reduce the quality of audio streaming to your AirPods. Significant sound enhancement and noise reduction may also not be available on some Android devices, mainly due to Apple’s proprietary version.
How to connect AirPods to MacBook
If you have a registered Apple ID, your AirPod is likely already listed on the Bluetooth menu bar or on the volume control buttons on your Mac. If not, follow the guide below:
To pair your Airpods with your Mac, disconnect them from your iPhone, then follow these steps:
1. Put the AirPods in the charging case and open the lid.
2. Press and hold the settings button or noise control button on the back of the charging case. Do this until you see the white status light blinking.
3. Go to the Apple menu bar on your Mac and select System Preferences.
4. Click on Bluetooth and select your AirPods in the list of devices displayed on your Mac. Then, click Connect.
Note: You can enable a preference to automatically connect the earbuds to your Mac. Additionally, users whose AirPods support Siri voice commands can enable it on their Macs.
How to connect AirPods to PC/Laptop (Windows)
Here’s how to connect your AirPods to a Windows PC:
1. Make sure your bluetooth is turned on by navigating from Settings to Devices
2. Click Add Bluetooth or other device, then click Bluetooth.
3. Open the lid of the AirPods case with your AirPods and press and hold the small button on the back of the case for a few seconds until you see a flashing white light.
4. Your earbuds should appear on your computer screen below the list of devices available for pairing. They may initially show up as Headphones, then switch to AirPods.
5. Click on the AirPod name, the lower right corner of the screen will show that the connection is successful.
Apple is rumored to release new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models as soon as next month. The new iPad will be the first update to the iPad Pro lineup since April 2021, and will be an overall incremental upgrade that brings new features and capabilities to the highest-end iPad.
Apple is reportedly planning an event in October to announce new iPad Pro models, a new benchmark iPad, and an update for the Mac. As October approaches, we’ve outlined five of the biggest features and changes coming to the upcoming iPad Pro.
Wireless charging
According to Bloomberg, the next-generation iPad Pro is expected to include some form of wireless charging. Apple has reportedly tested glass backs instead of aluminum casings or using a larger glass Apple logo for the upcoming iPad, which would allow for wireless charging, although Apple has faced some challenges implementing the technology. Apple is also considering adding MagSafe to the iPad, but how it will be implemented is still unknown.
New connector
The upcoming iPad Pro will feature two new four-pin connectors of some sort, as opposed to the three-pin Smart Connector found in the current iPad Pro. The current three-pin Smart Connector in the iPad Pro is used to connect accessories like the Magic Keyboard. The inclusion of an updated four-pin connector expands the types of accessories supported by the iPad.
M2 chip
The current iPad Pro uses the M1 Apple silicon chip released in November 2020. The M1 chip was Apple’s first Mac-specific custom processor, and it also appeared in the iPad Pro a few months later. For the upcoming “iPad Pro,” Apple is expected to use the updated M2 chip announced last June. According to Apple, the “M2” chip is 20% faster than the “M1” chip.
In the iPad Pro, the M2 chip will support features like Stage Manager that ships with iPadOS 16, which allows users to connect the iPad to an external display and have overlapping windows. According to Apple, iPadOS 16 will be released in October, likely alongside the updated iPad Pro.
The new Apple Pencil?
A video from April 2021 is said to show the third-generation Apple Pencil with a glossy finish and a redesigned tip. Despite the alleged leaks, Apple hasn’t announced a new “Apple Pencil” for nearly four years since the second-generation model debuted in 2018.
It’s been over a year since we’ve heard any major rumors about a new “Apple Pencil,” so it’s unclear what the situation is. If a new Apple Pencil does appear, we don’t expect major design changes, but the latency may improve due to internal hardware upgrades and software optimizations.
Reverse wireless charging?
According to Bloomberg, Apple has tested reverse wireless charging for the iPad Pro, which will allow iPad owners to charge their AirPods or iPhone by placing it on the back of the iPad. Apple is rumored to eventually plan to offer bilateral charging for accessories like AirPods to the iPhone, but that has yet to happen.
While time is running out for the iPad Pro 2022 update, Apple hasn’t missed an annual update since 2019, and there are still rumors that they’ll launch this year. The upgrade to the M2 processor is a virtual lock, but there are rumors of other changes that some iPad fans might have to look forward to this year, including possibly increased wireless charging and a larger battery.
Here’s everything we know about the iPad Pro 2022 so far, including expected release date, specs, design, display, and more.
Favorite possibility for the iPad Pro 2022 launch is Apple’s rumored October event, which should also see the debut of the MacBook Pro 2022 models. Apple’s October event last year was on October 18, 2021, so if they follow the same pattern, this year’s event is on October 17, 2022.
iPad Pro 2022 Design
While the basic design of the iPad Pro 2022 should look similar to last year’s model, there are some rumored design tweaks that could have a major impact on usage.
The first is a potential move to glass, adding wireless charging to the iPad Pro. This was first reported by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman back in 2021, although it was later challenged by a report from 9to5Mac. Assuming this is a form of MagSafe charging, it’s already seeping into Apple’s lineup again, starting with the iPhone 12 and more recently back to the MacBook.
Last month, a leak from Mac Otakara, a fairly reliable source of supply chain rumors, suggested that the chassis of the iPad Pro 2022 model will be almost unchanged, but will be changing from a 3-pin connector to a 4-pin connector. The current MagSafe 3 chargers on MacBooks use a 5-pin design, so this is unlikely to be a MagSafe charging port, but it could improve power transfer to and from peripherals like the iPad Pro Magic Keyboard.
The underlying display technology on the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2022 models should be the same as last year. Early rumors suggested that the 11-inch model would feature a similar mini-LED panel to the 12.9-inch model, but recently analysts Ming-Chi Kuo and Ross Young both said the LCD and mini-LED lineups will remain separate this year. Both are expected to move to OLED panels in 2023.
Early rumors also claimed that the iPad Pro 2022 models feature an iPhone-like notch in the display, and more recently the MacBook Pro and now the MacBook Air 2022, but there have been no new leaks about this effect recently. Especially after the release of the new “Dynamic Island” for the iPhone 14 Pro, it’s unclear what the future holds for the notch on more of Apple’s mobile devices.
The M2 chip is the only spec update available for the iPad Pro 2022 models. Based on the MacBook Air and the 2022 13-inch MacBook Pro, we can expect a considerable increase in performance and maybe even a slight increase in battery life.
The latter will likely benefit from the larger battery in the new model, something 9to5Mac and others have suggested. This wouldn’t be a shocking move, as battery life on the 12.9-inch model has suffered a bit compared to its predecessor, likely due to its mini-LED display.
Appearance
The most significant challenge for the 2022 iPad Pro models is the iPad Air 5, which became a formidable rival to Apple’s top-tier tablet last year. The lack of a ProMotion 120Hz display is the biggest drawback compared to the updated Pro models, so depending on your usage, its $599 entry point versus the smaller iPad Pro’s $799 might be too tempting to pass up.
For those who use the iPad Pro as a laptop replacement, the M2 upgrade may be enough to affect them. While most users’ tablets don’t need this level of power, the iPad Pro isn’t for most users.
With a 6.7-inch screen, the iPhone 13 Pro Max and 12 Pro Max are the largest phones Apple has released. The rumored iPhone 14 Pro Max, which we may learn on September 7, is expected to keep the same big screen. Although Apple’s “Pro Max” devices are significantly larger than the standard 6.1-inch iPhone 13, 5.4-inch iPhone 13 Mini and 4.7-inch iPhone SE, they still run the same software as Apple’s smaller phones.
If only there were more ways to take advantage of the Pro Max’s big screen. Fortunately, there is. Apple should take inspiration from the iPhone‘s big brother, the iPad. Apple’s tablets are loaded with extra features that make apps easier to use on larger screens. The company even rebranded the iPad’s operating system as iPadOS in 2019 to differentiate it from the iPhone’s iOS. By then, the iPad’s interface had evolved so much that it no longer made sense to conflate the two sets of software. Here are the iPad features that I think translate well to the iPhone Pro Max.
Multitasking
The large screen of the iPhone Pro Max is great for focusing on a single app. But I’d also love to see a version of the iPad’s multitasking capabilities on the iPhone Pro Max. Being able to view multiple apps at once prevents me from needing to switch between apps frequently.
Apple provides two main options for running multiple applications on the iPad‘s display: Split View and Slide Over. The first is self-explanatory; it lets you divide the screen between two apps. Slide Over is a little different. Instead of splitting the screen, you can open apps in a floating panel, which can be on either side of the screen.
If Apple were to bring any of these features to the iPhone Pro Max, I think Slide Over would be the most useful. It’s a better way to take advantage of a smartphone-sized screen than split view mode. You can dedicate most of the screen to one app while quickly checking another.
This is an example of what the iPad can do, and Apple may have to make a major tweak for the iPhone rather than bring in the current version.
One way Apple can do this is by formatting a Slide Over app, such as an interactive widget that you can view while running another app. Widgets have been designed to display a large amount of information in a small space on a phone’s screen. So it’s easy to imagine a widget-like Slide Over app that you can pin to any corner of the iPhone Pro Max’s display.
Still, getting the iPad’s multitasking capabilities on the iPhone Pro Max is a long way off. Part of the appeal of the iPhone is that the software is consistent no matter which model you have, so I doubt Apple will jeopardize that.
We won’t get any of the new iPhone Pro Max-specific multitasking features in iOS 16, Apple’s new iPhone software update this fall. But the update will introduce an improved lock screen with widgets to see more information at a glance. While the new lock screen is available on all supported models, I imagine it will add some extra utility to the Pro Max’s larger display.
A mini apple pencil
Over the past few years, the Apple Pencil has proven itself to be a worthy iPad companion. Now, it’s time to bring it to the iPhone Pro Max as an optional accessory.
I’m not the only one wishing to have an iPhone-compatible Apple Pencil. First, consider the audience for the iPhone Pro Max. It’s for those who are willing to pay a premium for the biggest screen and best camera on an iPhone. For photographers and those who just want a big screen, the Apple Pencil seems like a natural complement to the Pro Max.
I imagine those who regularly touch up photos on their phones would benefit from using a more precise stylus for editing than a finger, especially since popular apps like Adobe Lightroom and Pixelmator support the Apple Pencil. The Apple Pencil for iPhone could also appeal to those who regularly use their phone to take notes or mark up documents. The rumored iPhone 14 Max will be a 6.7-inch version of the standard iPhone and will also benefit from an optional pencil accessory.
The success of the Samsung Galaxy Note series also shows that the stylus has a certain audience. I have to admit that I don’t find myself using the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s S Pen very often. But it comes in handy when taking notes during a meeting or capturing ideas quickly when I’m writing a review and happen to be away from my computer.
Likewise, it doesn’t make sense to extend the compatibility of the current Apple Pencil to the iPhone Pro Max. Instead, Apple should design a smaller version of the Pencil with a smaller tip that fits better on a phone-sized screen.
