iPadOS was first announced during Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June – the software means Apple’s tablet lineup will no longer harness iOS, the operating system that runs on its iPhone series.
Apple has declared iPadOS has been specifically engineered to take advantage of the tablet’s power and larger form factor.
For instance, the device’s home screen will display widgets for the user’s calendar, weather and more if they so desire while still showcasing a traditional view of apps.
iPadOS also makes the tablet series more capable when it comes to multitasking – now Apple fans are able to work with multiple files and documents at the same time without interruption.
Moreover, a new feature dubbed Slide Over allows individuals to quickly switch between multiple programmes.
One of the most important improvements present in iPadOS concerns Apple’s Files app – the software now has iCloud Drive support and accommodates external hardware such as a USB drive or an SD card.
Discussing the new Files app, Apple said: “The Files app is a central place to quickly access and manage documents, and with iPadOS, it gets even better with iCloud Drive support for folder sharing.
“Anyone with access to a shared folder will see it in iCloud Drive and will always have the ability to access the latest version. iPadOS also supports external drives, allowing users to easily plug in USB drives, SD cards or log into an SMB file server, all from within the Files app.
“A new Column View with high-resolution previews helps users navigate directories, while support for Quick Actions such as mark up, rotate and create PDF make it easy to be more productive on iPad. iPadOS also introduces local storage, zip and unzip, and new keyboard shortcuts.”
A number of new features present in iPadOS include a dark mode, improved browsing in Safari and more ways to use the device’s keyboard.
During its Special Event today, Apple declared iPadOS will release on September 30.
Here is a full list of devices that will be able to download the upgrade:
• 12.9-inch iPad Pro
• 11-inch iPad Pro
• 10.5-inch iPad Pro
• 9.7-inch iPad Pro
• iPad (7th generation)
• iPad (6th generation)
• iPad (5th generation)
• iPad mini (5th generation)
• iPad mini 4
• iPad Air (3rd generation)
• iPad Air 2