iPadOS 15 hands-on beta: Widgets and dock improvements, but multitasking is still the same

My dreams of an iPad Pro that could practically become a Mac have yet to come true. And this is despite an M1 processor fall into the latest iPad Pros, giving them the same processor as current Macs. Apple’s iPadOS remains its own stubborn beast: not quite Mac / PC, but not quite iPhone, either. It’s becoming something unique, but that something takes a tremendous amount of time to get here. the iPad 15 The beta, so far, looks less like a revolution and more like a lot of small tweaks.

Apple releases its new version of its iPadOS every fall. The operating system officially parted ways with iOS (by name) two years ago in 2019, introducing more iPad-specific features over iOS for the iPhone, though the two still feel very similar in many ways. A preview version (a beta) is available to install now if you are curious. Don’t, however – it doesn’t have to be, unless you’re desperate to try out the new features. Getting the beta means registering your device for a special software profile, and it can potentially cause issues with your apps or files. It’s an experience. Wait for the final version.

That being said, I’m trying it out on a loaned new iPad Pro because I’m writing about tech. And I’m curious how the changes promised by iPadOS 15 transform the iPad. There’s a lot going on, and some of it is subtly good. But other things don’t do enough for me.

Plus, iPadOS 15 doesn’t do anything really unique or special for these new iPad Pros M1 – no additional Mac mode or something like that. In that sense, there is little incentive to upgrade them. I would say you pick whatever price you want and get the iPad that’s right for you. The pros are adorable, but crazy expensive. The iPad Air seems like the best compromise (although a new one will likely arrive in the fall, you might want to wait for that).

What disappoints me the most about iPadOS 15 is that it’s actually just an extension of what the iPad has done before. It doesn’t change the basic concept of multitasking on iPad. It doesn’t turn your iPad into a whole new machine.

There are a lot of subtle updates, and some are quite useful. And many features that are also coming to iOS 15 on iPhone, like live text recognition for photos, better FaceTime layout with built-in content sharing like Zoom, and a more granular / adjustable focus mode for handling notifications, are also nice to have.

But at the moment I’m much more aware of how iPadOS 15 just builds on ideas that were already in iPadOS in the first place.

Multitasking revamped (sort of)

Apple hasn’t reinvented multitasking on the iPad, it just refined it. The iPad has been able to display two apps at once for years, but getting another app side-by-side hasn’t been easy. A new icon at the top of the screen is a tool that makes it easier to add apps and switch views. This mainly means that you can swap another app or switch between Split View (which is side-by-side app multitasking) and Slide Over (which floats an app pane on top of another app).

For all, Apple has put forward its redesigned multitasking, it is really about easier access to new applications to exchange them. This three-dot area above multitasking-capable apps is easier to operate and manage than the old system of dragging an app from the dock to the open app … and that also means you aren’t as dependent (or trapped) on what the dock offers.

I’m still frustrated with the limited number of multitasking layouts you can choose from and the fact that only two apps (or two plus a third floating one) can be displayed on screen at a time. Additionally, applications must explicitly allow multitasking; not all of them do. For example, I can’t show another app side by side when HBO Max is loaded (but I can float another app in Slide Over).

Take quick notes

A small but great update: Swiping up from the lower right corner of the iPad screen with a pencil launches a mini version of Notes with a small window, for quickly jotting down thoughts. I’ve found it useful as a notepad when I’m working, and it’s exactly the kind of redesigned multitasking that I’d like iPad to do more of.

Why can’t I quickly show other apps to float the same? Slide Over is not the same. Also, this is a very pencil-centric feature. It doesn’t change the equation much when working with a keyboard case connected, which I do all the time. Apple has added more keyboard shortcuts to iPadOS 15, but finding them is still an app-by-app adventure (by the way, hold down the CMD key to show the shortcuts no matter what app you’re in).

The App Dock becomes much more useful

I like the idea of ​​the app dock in iPadOS because it allows quick access to benchmark apps and reduces my reliance on the app grid that still covers most of the iPadOS home screens. . Apple has added a new app library icon to the dock, which accesses all apps loaded on the iPad, giving the dock a way to avoid using the app grid entirely.

The App Library came to iOS 14 on iPhone last year. This is an additional page at the end of all app pages on your phone, which offers a categorized library of installed apps. iPadOS 15 also has an App Library page at the end of your apps (just keep swiping to the left), but it’s also on the dock, and it’s a better place to live in my opinion.

Widgets everywhere

Plus, just like last year’s iOS 14, iPadOS 15 is finally adding widgets to iPad home screen pages. I love the concept of widgets and the versatility of displaying information at a glance (weather or news headlines or email). Widgets are limited, however: their location and size, as well as what widgets are available and what they can do, are always dictated by what Apple allows. It feels a bit restricted for my liking. This does mean, however, that I can cover the home screens with more useful information, and iPadOS 15 allows the app pages to be hidden, further personalizing the experience.

FaceTime and sharing possibilities

While the revamped FaceTime looks interesting and Zoom-like – a more grid-like face layout for chats, sharing content with friends, sort of blurry background with Portrait mode – but there is one problem: I don’t have anyone to try this new FaceTime with. Or, no one in my non-professional world. It won’t be until the fall, and in everyday use with friends and family, that I can really see how all of this new FaceTime content plays out.

Of course, all the other stuff

There are many others iOS 15 (or MacOS Monterey) goodies that are transferred to iPadOS 15: Live Text which can recognize text in photos, allowing copy and paste; a revamped Maps application; a Focus refinement mode that can be much more specific about which apps may be bothering you with notifications and when. (Safari, which overhauled its tab design, is something I can’t stand – and hopefully Apple will backtrack.) But for my life on the iPad, my main interests have been multitasking. And unfortunately, so far, things haven’t really changed that much.