Apple plans to announce significant changes to the iPad operating system next week at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, as part of a campaign to make the device more like a laptop and less like a phone.
The next major iPad operating system, iPadOS 16, should get a redesigned multitasking interface that makes it easier to see open apps and switch between tasks.
It also allows users to resize application windows. It offers new ways for users to interact with multiple applications simultaneously.
The iPad accounts for roughly 9% of Apple's annual sales. This percentage has increased in recent years. But professional users of the device have demanded an interface that feels like a laptop experience.
The iPad's hardware grew increasingly powerful, and the operating system couldn't keep up in some ways. iPads now include the same M1 chip as some Apple laptops.
One of the biggest upgrades to be announced at the conference is the new iPad interface. The announcements also include updates for the iPhone, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV operating systems.
The tech giant holds the conference every year to showcase new features and hardware improvements that developers can take advantage of with their apps
Apple plans new multitasking features for iPadOS 16
Currently, iPad users can either run apps in full-screen mode like on an iPhone or run two apps side by side.
The company also allows users to add a widget version of a third app by sliding it from the side. The changes are extended via that interface.
The company is estimated to generate more than $20 billion annually from the App Store. The WWDC event helps keep this flow going. New features of operating systems also help developers create new applications that in turn increase revenue.
For iOS 16, the next version of the iPhone operating system, Apple plans to make several changes, including a new lock screen with widgets.
The company is also updating the Health app while adding new voice and social networking features to Messages.
Redesigned apps for macOS also come, including a revamp of System Preferences, and an app for managing your Mac's settings.
For the Apple Watch, the company plans to make changes to faces, system navigation, and several device apps, including an update to fitness tracking features.
The company is also planning a new Low Power mode that will allow users to power the device on when battery life is running out. And the current low power mode can only display the time.
And OS updates help drive future Apple devices. The company is planning four new iPhone 14 models in the fall, an updated iPad Pro, three new Watches, and several Macs with next-generation M2 chips.
And for the iPhone 14 Pro, the company is planning an always-on screen option backed by iOS 16.
The new operating system is supposed to be announced on June 6. But the company doesn't usually release updates to consumers until the fall.
However, Apple is rolling out initial beta versions to developers next week. Public beta testing for more users will begin sometime next month.