Since Apple launched the tablet iPad, its software performance has always lagged behind the hardware, iPadOS is even difficult to play the full potential of the M1 chip. To this end, Mark Gurman, a veteran apple reporter, suggested that Apple should launch Pro mode for the iPad to support more powerful features.
When Apple released its original iPad in 2010, the device lacked multitasking, app folders, background audio playback, and a unified email inbox. While these omissions were quickly corrected, today’s iPad has almost everything one would expect from a computer, but it does reflect the continuing software problems with the device.
Current iPad Pro hardware performance is still far ahead of iPadOS. The device now comes with the M1 chip, the processor that powers the 13-inch MacBook Pro or 24-inch iMac. It’s much more powerful than what you need to run iPadOS, which is still basically an enlarged and tweaked version of iOS.
So why is it so important to address this iPad hardware-software imbalance? Because the flaws in the software make it more difficult for Apple to develop an iPad that can appeal to all consumers.
There are many professional users who want to get the most out of the iPad. They want to do app development, manipulate powerful spreadsheets, or run Slack, Twitter, Messages, 35 Safari hashtags, Photoshop, and more. They want this device to replace their laptops.
But other users may just want to browse Facebook, send occasional emails, watch Netflix shows and play games. They also want iPad to replace the way they use laptops.
This means that the device needs to be powerful enough to meet the needs of 20% of professional users, while also being simple enough to satisfy the other 80% of users. For the most part, Apple did this primarily through iPad hardware, not software.
Today, Apple has four flagship iPads, including the $329 entry-level iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro. They all have different features, such as the iPad Pro with more storage, a ProMotion screen, and a better camera. The iPad mini’s screen is small enough to fit easily into your pocket.
But all of these iPads run the same version of the operating system, iPadOS, as well as the same third-party apps and the same Apple software. However, to keep the iPad simple and make it more useful for professional users, Apple needed a whole new approach.
Gurman suggests that the iPad Pro should perhaps introduce three modes:
- Standard touch priority mode, support for common home screens, has been introduced into iPadOS;
- When the user connects to the Apple Pencil and tries to optimize the icons, controls, and user interface elements, the new option mode starts;
- When iPad is connected to a keyboard and touchpad (such as Apple’s own Magic Keyboard or an external display), the new Pro mode is activated.
But the iPad Pro has its own drawbacks: macOS is more advanced than iPadOS, and Gurman believes that Apple will not eventually port macOS to the iPad Pro, but creating a new Pro mode is a good compromise. So, what should be the features of this model?
- Mac-like multitasking function, or support running multiple windows at the same time;
- More dynamic Dock, where users can lock files and minimize applications, and should also be able to press and hold icons for a few seconds to quickly browse information;
- Better desktop design that allows users to place folders, weblinks, and more next to the app. it would be even better if you could see more dynamic widgets and let people use them as mini-apps rather than just information screens;
- Mini apps so users can use calculators, music apps, Apple TV remotes, and sticky notes without having to open new apps and disrupt workflows.
These features may be too complex for the vast majority of users who want to get rid of the complexity of their Mac or PC, but they are essential for many users. Gurman thinks the next major upgrade to the iPad could be with a larger display, but he can’t see how Apple can make such a big leap without ensuring that the hardware and software are perfectly matched.
The good news is that apple’s 2022 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is less than two months away, and the company is expected to launch a new app switch interface for the iPad.