Apple released iPadOS 16 in late October 2022, a full month after iOS 16 was released to the public; there was a good reason for that. Apple has finally brought some cool features to the iPad such as Stage Manager, secondary monitor support, a new weather app and more. After finally offering iPad users some sort of external monitor support, what else could Apple be working on for this incredible tablet? Parker Ortolani created a concept that illustrates how Apple could approach iPadOS 17, with a focus on simplicity, ease of use, and the upgrade functionality brought by iPadOS 16!
iPadOS 17
As a first-time iPad user, Apple has delivered many new features and functionality to iPadOS 16. After years of pleas and pleas, we finally got a version of floating windows as well as true external monitor support; for years we were stuck with Split View and then mirroring your display to the monitor. But with these new features and improvements, some users said that still isn’t the case and the learning curve is too steep, so I think iPadOS 17 is going to take these features and make them usable by users. masses.
Improved scene manager
Stage Manager was a bit confusing for people stepping in not knowing what the intent was. Stage Manager has given you the option of having up to four fluid windows that can be resized. They weren’t infinitely resizable now, and the floating look was still a bit different from traditional desktop-class operating systems. There is one more type of grid to follow, such as the application grid. There was also the App Shelf aspect, which was also a weird implementation of multitasking. The intent and the idea were there, Apple just needs to refine it a bit.
Parker’s Reimagined Stage Manager brings great quality of life improvements to the user interface.
More user-friendly scene manager
Parker imagine an experience combining both split view and Stage Manager. The idea would be to create full-screen grid layouts while still being able to open more than two apps and being able to resize. It also introduced a few new features such as Tidy Stages, creating unique focus modes and having a Mission Control-like interface that lets you manage all of your apps.
Mission Control would be a great addition to iPadOS; Being able to have a complete, at-a-glance view of all your open apps and steps would be ideal. Again, Stage Manager was a wonderful addition to iPadOS, but some people were put off because the usability wasn’t easy. Improving the usability of Stage Manager is going to be key moving forward.
Redesigned lock screen experience
One aspect of the iPad that has been heavily overlooked is the lock screen. The current state of the lock screen is boring, it has no function. Apple even got rid of Today View, which was my favorite aspect of iPadOS 13.
The path Parker explained what a revamped lock screen might look like makes the most sense. This requires very little innovation from Apple, so it’s a simple request. Bring Today’s View back to the iPad, allow us to add the new iOS Lock Screen Widgets, and give us the same customization features we got with iOS 16! Let’s use different fonts for time, have certain lock screens for focus modes and give live activities!
Evolution of the home screen
Over the past few years, the iPad home screen has actually regressed in my opinion. Again, having the Today View pinned to the Home screen made your iPad feel different from your iPhone. It gave him a differentiator that we no longer have. We have the ability to add widgets, but we still have to follow that grid format that Apple likes to implement.
Apple could easily expand the functionality of iPadOS 17 and give users a more desktop-like feel. First, Apple might bring back an improved version of Today View. This new Today view could let you pin your favorite widgets or apps. You can add something like quick notes on the Today View and more.
Parker sees Apple allowing us to have the ability to add files and folders to the home screen as well. It would be a welcome addition. I’ve always wanted to have a recently worked file easily accessible on my home screen. Also, an improved context menu is something that is needed. Being able to start a new tab, start a new split view, or start a new window directly by long-pressing an app on the dock would be great!
New Apple Pencil features
Now let’s talk about the Apple Pencil. I use my Apple Pencil on a daily basis and it has been an essential tool for my iPad Pro workflow. but this version of the Apple Pencil was released in 2018, indicating that it has not been updated for five years. Yes, we got the new Hover feature, but it was a small improvement and only applies to users who have the iPad Pro M2. Parker describes a feature that would allow the Apple Pencil to have S-Pen-like functionality. He presents the Dial.
Apple Pencil Dial is something that would come in the iPad Pro range, but even older ones. Parker says:
The iPad Pro gains the Apple Pencil watch face. The watch face will appear when you hold Apple Pencil over certain app items. It offers shortcuts and quick access to tools on the fly. And combined with the new preview for iPad, it enables faster and more efficient document editing.
This would be a logical next step towards the Hover feature; Hover adds some features but few can enjoy it. So adding a dial that gives you contextually relevant shortcuts would be amazing. I can imagine having my Affinity Photo Shortcuts front and center without having to go through menus to access them.
Conclusion
While iPadOS 16 brought a ton of new features that really helped show people that iPad can be your computer, there’s still room for improvement. Features like Stage Manager, extended monitor support, and Freeform were great additions that just needed to be refined and improved to be usable by everyone. Adding familiar iOS features like a new lock screen and home screen will help customers make the switch to iPadOS much easier.
What do you think of these potential new feature upgrades? Are you excited about iPadOS 17? What feature do you want to see added to the iPad? Finally, how do you use your current iPad? Is it your computer or is it just a tablet for you? Let’s discuss it on our social networks!
Relax, discover the evolution of the number of smartphones sold by brand over time in the video below:
