iPad owners are in for a treat today as Apple plans to release its all-new iPadOS software – six days earlier than planned.
This upgrade, which was first announced back in June during the firm’s WWDC Developers Conference, marks the first time Apple’s tablet range has its own standalone operating system.
Along with the refreshed name, there’s also a bunch of new features coming to iPadOS, including an easier way to view your content via something called Slide Over.
This allows users to have multiple apps open at once with a swipe offering a simple way to switch between each application.
Other new additions include a refreshed Home screen, which offers improved access to useful information, such as calendar and weather reports, plus you can now have more of your favourite apps arranged on the display.
Editing text is also improved with new gestures allowing users to easily copy, paste and correct errors – so you won’t have to shake the entire tablet to Undo any more.
Apple has also improved the way files are handled on its tablets with a more detailed view in the Files app as well as the ability to save and edit projects straight from an external USB hard drive.
Finally, there’s the addition of a striking new Dark Mode colour scheme, an update to the Safari browser, and a boost to the overall speed of the software with apps launching up to twice as fast.
All of these bonus extras will surely be welcomed by iPad fans but not everyone will be lucky enough to enjoy the delights of this Apple upgrade. As always, the company has attempted to keep as many devices as it can fully updated but there’s always a cut-off where some older gadgets aren’t powerful enough to cope.
This year’s iPadOS is available on a majority of iPads and here’s a full list of which tablets will be able to get this download when it’s released later today.
Apple iPad 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
If your iPad is not on the list above and you want to experience iPadOS then you’ll need to upgrade to a newer model.