Will 2025 finally be the year the iPad earns its productive stripes? Hardware-wise, Apple's tablets are at the forefront of progress and have nothing to envy of what's being done on Android or even Windows. However, when we look at the software, the results are less glorious. iPadOS drags the legacy of iOS like a ball and chain—the time when we could call the iPad the "big iPhone" is behind us, but tablets are still far from matching their big brother macOS.
A "desktop mode" for the iPhone
Every year or so, rumors announce the big night for iPadOS, with updates supposed to unleash the productive potential of the iPad that currently remains unexploited. And every year, it's a disappointment. The latest attempt, Stage Manager, was disappointing: yes, you can now rearrange app windows like on macOS... or almost. Impractical, messy, Stage Manager has not been the hoped-for revolution.
The stars could, however, align this year. At WWDC, from June 9 to 13, Apple is expected to unveil a major refresh of the interface for iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16. Rumors from Mark Gurman also herald profound changes to apps and the very functioning of the systems.
iPadOS 19 should bring the iPad a little closer to the Mac. Leaker Majin Bu, who often finds good information, reveals some findings on his blog. When the iPad connects to a Magic Keyboard, it could display a menu bar at the top of its screen, just like on macOS. A change that may not seem like much, but which involves a cascade of new options and menus in apps.
Speaking of apps, Stage Manager would be offered in version 2.0. Multitasking mode would launch automatically as soon as a keyboard is connected. Let's hope that Apple will have thought to tighten a few screws to improve the function.
Another big new feature, this time intended for the iPhone: smartphones with a USB-C port (since the iPhone 15) could display Stage Manager once connected to an external monitor. This would not be a "desktop mode" In all, there is no question of transforming the iPhone into a mini desktop computer, but of offering an option to users who would like to make presentations or edit a document more easily. This type of extended display is relatively common among other manufacturers, such as Samsung with DeX mode.
So obviously, all of this should be taken with the usual precautions. But with such new features, Apple would be able to make us (somewhat) forget the Apple Intelligence disappointment.
Source: Majin Bu
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