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It goes without saying that Apple dominates the tablet market despite the efforts of Google and Microsoft have their say. But iPads are in a kind of limbo for traditional productivity – better than a phone, but not as good as a laptop. One of the main reasons for this is the lack of support for an appropriate mouse, but that could soon change.
Several sources report that Apple is working to add support for the USB mouse to iOS – perhaps as soon as the next iOS 13 is unveiled at WWDC in June. These sources include MacStories' Federico Viticci and developers Steve Troughton-Smith and Guilheme Rambo, each with proven track record in previous reports.
Despite the lack of context on what is happening at WWDC, or perhaps because of it, it's the most exciting of all years that I speak of a WWDC. There are so many extremely transformative things on the horizon – iOS applications on Mac, support for the mouse and iPad, breaking iTunes …
– Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) April 25, 2019
However, the feature should be incorporated as an accessibility feature rather than applicable to ordinary users. I certainly would not expect the next iPad keyboard to come with a trackpad, but that could pave the way for options for third-party accessory makers.
I can confirm that the mouse supports iOS 13 as an accessibility feature. You should trust @stroughtonsmith ?
– Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) April 25, 2019
As MacRumors notes, you've already been able to add accessories such as joysticks and trackballs via the Apple Accessibility Portal, but support for a USB mouse would be a major change. From an accessibility point of view, this would greatly facilitate the use by users of a USB mouse to get started on the iPad. For all the others, it's an interesting bonus. I've covered full work periods on an iPad Pro and, despite Apple's user-friendly design standards, typing on the screen is a little bulky and less efficient than a mouse sitting at a desk.
Of course, we do not have a clue what this mouse support will look like, for example if it allows advanced gestures or offers more features than a touch on the screen. It's still a step forward for the iPad to become a little closer to replacing a laptop, especially if the accessibility needs require the use of a conventional mouse.
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Posted on April 25, 2019 – 20:56 UTC
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