Recently in California, Apple previewed the iPadOS 14 and all of it’s many new features and designs that take advantage of the unique capabilities of the iPad and its large Multi-Touch display. The iPadOS14 will introduce an all-new, and compact design for incoming FaceTime and phone calls, Siri interactions, and Search to help it’s users stay focused on the task at hand.
“With iPadOS 14, we’re excited to build on the distinct experience of iPad and deliver new capabilities that help customers boost productivity, be more creative, and have more fun,” said Craig Federighi.
The apps will now have new sidebars and toolbars that stabilise controls in one place, making them work more smoothly and powerful than ever. The new Apple Pencil features, including ‘Scribble’ for iPad, deliver a whole new way to work with handwritten notes, and ‘ARKit 4’ delivers a brand new Depth that allows users to create even stronger features in their apps.
Do more with the Apple Pencil and Handwritten Notes
The iPadOS 14 is bringing ‘Scribble’ to iPad with the Apple Pencil, this allows users to write in any text field, where it will automatically be converted to typed text, making actions like replying to an iMessage or searching in Safari quick and easy. All handwriting and conversion to text happens on device, keeping it private and secure.
When taking notes, Smart Selection uses on-device machine learning to distinguish ones handwriting from their drawings. This meaning that handwritten text can easily be selected, cut, and pasted into another document as typed text. Shape recognition allows users to draw shapes that are made geometrically perfect and snap right into place with additional diagrams and illustrations in the Notes application.
Even more realistic Augmented Reality
AR has proven to be such an immensely powerful technology that has helped accomplish tasks in ways that have never before been possible. The ARKit 4 delivers a brand new Depth API that allows developers to access further depth information captured by the new LiDAR Scanner on the iPad Pro.
Developers can use the Depth API to drive powerfully strong new features in their apps, like taking body measurements for a more accurate “virtual try-on”, or testing how paint colours will when dry look before painting an entire room. ARKit 4 also introduces Location Anchors for iOS and iPadOS apps, which leverage the higher resolution data of the new map in Apple Maps, where available, to pin AR experiences to a specific point in the world.
Enhanced privacy features for further Control
All apps will now be required to obtain user permission before any tracking. Later this year, App Store product pages will feature summaries of developers and their self-reported privacy practices, displayed in a simple, easy-to-understand format.
Users will also be able to upgrade existing accounts to Sign in with Apple, they will be able to choose to share their approximate location with app developers rather than just their precise location when granting an app location access, this will allow for more transparency into an app’s use of the microphone and camera.
Additional iPadOS14 features
- Messages has just gotten even easier to stay connected and quickly access important messages in an instant. Users will now be able to pin conversations to the top of their messages list, easily keep up with lively group threads through mentions and replies, and further customise conversations by setting group photos using an either an image or emoji.
- Siri has also expanded its knowledge, to help find all answers from across the internet, and can now send audio messages.
- Maps makes it easier than ever to navigate and explore with new cycling directions and curated Guides. Cycling directions can now take into account the elevation, how busy a street is, and whether there are stairs along the route. Guides can also now provide a curated list of interesting places to visit in a city, created by a selection of trusted resources, making this a new great way to discover new restaurants and find popular attractions.
The brand new iPadOS14 features excel in presentation, innovation, design, clarity and creativity. The new features are guaranteed to take advantage of the unique capabilities of the iPad itself, and the iPad’s large Multi-Touch display.
