Among the numerous announcements in store for Monday’s WWDC keynote address could be one that will turn a few heads: According to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is gearing up to make “significant changes” to the way we interact with our iPads.
Among the rumored changes are several interface tweaks that are long overdue. Gurman reports that Apple will revamp the iPad’s multitasking and app interface, and add features that will make the tablet “more like a laptop and less like a phone.” Among the new features are:
- A redesigned multitasking interface that makes it easier to see what apps are open and switch between tasks
- Resizable app windows
- New ways for users to handle multiple apps at once
Of note, Gurman reports that Apple will “expand” on the current multitasking interface, which cobbles together several methods for viewing two or three apps at once. There’s Split Screen for viewing apps side by side, Slide Over for viewing smaller app windows, and Picture in Picture for videos. Apple also introduced Quick Notes in iPadOS 15 which adds a floating window for taking notes.
Gurman says the new iPad interface will be “one of the biggest upgrades” at WWDC, which will also include updates to iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. There will likely be plenty of other changes to Apple’s tablet as well, including rumored iOS 16 upgrades such as refreshed apps and new lock screen widgets. Of course, we have our own wishlist for iPadOS 16.
Apple’s online WWDC keynote kicks off at 10 am PT on Monday, June 6.