iPad OS
Latest
iOS 14.5 public beta lets Apple Watch users try the new mask-friendly Face ID
No more hammering in a passcode when you're out and about in a mask.
Apple's 256GB iPad Air is on sale for $549
You can currently get the 256GB model iPad Air for $100 off at Amazon.
Grammarly brings its most helpful features to the iPad
Copyediting extension Grammarly has a new iPad app that allows you to access some of its most useful online features without launching your web browser.
The latest iPad Pro disables mics when its case is closed
These days, any connected device with a microphone could arguably be treated with suspicion, from smart speakers to phones to computers. Apple helped to address privacy concerns in 2018 by adding a feature that disconnects MacBook microphones when the laptops' lids are closed. The documentation of the latest iPad Pro models (as spotted by 9to5Mac) shows that the company's new tablets sport a similar capability. When a user closes the cover of a compatible case, the iPad's security chip will cut the mic, which should help prevent snooping.
Apple may expand mouse support with iPadOS 14
It appears that Apple may bring mouse support to iPad OS 14. Apple added some compatibility for external mice as an Accessibility setting in iOS 13, but 9to5Mac has spotted code that suggests mouse-compatibility could be the norm beginning with iOS 14 (iPadOS 14).
Walmart's early Black Friday deal: 512GB 10.5-inch iPad Pro for $599
Black Friday is still a couple of weeks away but retailers are doing everything they can to get and keep your attention right now. For Walmart, that means releasing its ad now to tease Black Friday offers like a $129 Apple Watch Series 3, $99 Samsung Chromebook Series 3 or a 1080p 40-inch Roku Smart TV from its house brand onn. for $98. Deals you can jump on starting today include a 512GB 10.5-inch iPad Pro for $599 -- the lowest price we've seen. This is the 2017-era second generation model, so while it doesn't come with newer features like FaceID, A12X Bionic CPU or a USB-C connector, it still packs impressive power to multitask with Apple's new iPad OS, and at this price -- a comparable third-gen Pro costs $1,149 -- its performance is hard to beat. At the time we originally reviewed it, two problems were that it was expensive and iOS 11 wasn't out yet -- those have now been addressed. Buy 10.5-inch 512GB iPad Pro on Walmart - $599 If you have milder tablet aspirations, there's also a 7-inch 8GB Samsung Galaxy Tab A available now for $78. Walmart has more pre-Black Friday deals planned for next Friday too, so stay tuned. Buy Samsung Galaxy Tab A on Walmart - $78
iPad Pro leak suggests tablet photography just won’t die
One notable omission from last week's iPhone launch event was a new iPad Pro, but now we have some idea of what to expect from Apple's latest pro-level tablet. The blog of frequent Apple leaker Sonny Dickson shared what they claim is a "final design" mockup of the new 11-inch iPad Pro. As you can see, much like the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, the tablet features three main cameras. The mockup doesn't include the glass cover that's found on the iPhone 11 Pro. The website says it's not sure whether the missing cover is an omission by the mockup designer, or if it's an indication of the iPad Pro's final design.
Watch Apple's 2019 iPhone launch in under 15 minutes
On Tuesday, Apple held its annual fall hardware launch. With it came the new iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, as well as the Apple Watch Series 5 with an always-on display. A new $329 iPad with 10.2-inch display is on the way as well. The company also shared further details on Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade, revealing they'll launch on November 1st and September 19th respectively. Even more exciting is the fact that both services will cost only $4.99 per month for the entire family. Per usual, Apple also revealed launch dates for its operating system updates. Both iOS 13 and watchOS 6 will launch on September 19th, with iPadOS coming slightly later on September 30th. Compared to some past Apple events, Tuesday's keynote was blissfully short. Still, we've managed to condense the entire presentation to just 13 minutes.
The best 2-in-1 tablets for 2019
Two-in-1 tablets are far from perfect. But just because there isn't a flawless laptop replacement today doesn't mean you can't get a tablet that's good enough to get some work done on the road. Tech's biggest players are falling over themselves to push out these devices, giving the premium-tablet category new life. It's easy to see why people would want these hybrids: They offer the power and productivity of a notebook in the thin and light body of a tablet. But there isn't an operating system yet that's versatile enough to work as well as a tablet as it does as a desktop (or vice versa). So as you approach this decision, it's worth thinking about which mode is more important to you.
Siri will play third-party audio apps in iOS 13
In the future, you might be able to ask Siri to play your Spotify music and podcasts. According to MacRumors, iOS 13 and iPadOS will open the SiriKit framework to third-party music, podcast, audiobook and radio apps. So, when it comes to playing DJ, Siri will be able to control more than your Apple Music, Podcast and TV apps -- formerly known as iTunes, RIP.
Apple rumor twofer: Expose-like multitasking in iPhone OS 4.0, international iPad launch on April 24th
We're not quite at the height of Apple frenzy, but looking at the bell curve, we're only a standard deviation or two from its zenith (we imagine the fever pitch will be in tandem with Saturday's iPad launch, if history and human nature tells us anything). Of course, that doesn't stop the rumor mill from amping up production, and so on with the show! First on the docket, remember last month's discovery of multitasking comments in the iPhone SDK 3.2 beta? Well, AppleInsider's apparently got it on word from its network of sources that OS 4.0 will in fact include multitasking, with app switching purportedly done by double-tapping the home button and selecting the appropriate active app icon. If you ask us, that sounds similar in function to command / tab switching, but the people claiming to be in the know liken it more to Expose for OS X. Taking a step back to focus on the actual hardware for a moment, iPad in Canada is hearing that local Apple store employees have been told April 24th is a "black out period," meaning no one is allowed to take that day off. That usually coincides with major product launch, and we did hear the international iPad debut would be late April, but Apple's yet to make its non-US plans concrete. It is the last Saturday of the month, however, and perhaps it'll coincide with the other countries as well. As always, none of this is confirmed and shouldn't be taken as gospel in any way, shape, or form. We can't stop you from getting your hopes up, but don't blame us if those dreams get shattered by a sucker punch of reality.
iPad's trailing costs: like the iPod touch, only bigger (updated)
Whether or not you think the iPad is in and of itself a worthy purchase, let's not forget the investment doesn't end at the retail counter or online shopping cart. Two little newsbits have popped up to serve as a helpful reminder to just that effect. The first comes way of verbiage from the iPad end-user licensing agreement dug up by MacRumors; in a nutshell, it suggests that while iPad OS 4.x updates will be provided gratis, subsequent releases (5.x, 6.x, and so on) could be offered at a premium, à la how iPod touch handles firmware. This is far from a confirmation, but it's well within Apple's right to do so. The second bit is derived by The Consumerist by way a supposed leaked app store video. Comparing the prices of iPad-optimized software with the iPhone equivalents showed quite a hefty uptick in consumer cost -- e.g., $4.99 Flight Control HD vs. $0.99 Flight Control. The pool of eight apps seen in the video would cost $53 in all to purchase, while the same set for the iPhone is $27. That screen real estate don't come cheap, y'know -- that is, should the prices seen prove legit. At this point we can't confirm, and more than likely, we won't know for sure until the eleventh hour. Update: The BBC has word direct from developers that iPad apps will indeed be costlier than their iPhone / iPod touch brethren. Multiple devs are cited in the Beeb's article saying that their 99 cent apps will grow in price to $1.99 and $2.99 price points for the slate device [thanks, Ben].
iPad SDK 3.2 beta 4 squashes rumors of a camera, but adds new gesture controls
There's only about a month to go before Apple drops the iPad on the world, and it looks like all those theories about a last-minute camera addition were just fond fanboy wishes -- iPhone SDK 3.2 beta 4 just came out, and in addition to stripping out several video-call related icons, we've been told the docs contain this little tidbit about that Camera tab: Launching the Photos application under the iPad Simulator will initially show three tabs: Photos, Albums, and Camera. The Camera tab represents photos available via the Camera Connection Kit for iPad, and is not relevant for the Simulator. The Camera tab will disappear after a few seconds. So much for that, then. In the meantime, we also have some good news -- 9to5 Mac did some digging and found some files indicating that Apple's opening up some new gestures to app developers, namely the long tap currently used to pop up the copy / paste menu and the triple-tap used to flip the display on and off when using VoiceOver. It's a small consolation, to be sure, but at least the iPad, will, um, be a great game machine, right? [Thanks, Anonymous]
Confirmed: iPhone OS 3.2 has support for video calling, file downloads, and SMS (update: handwriting keyboard?)
The iPad may not have a camera in its current incarnation, but Apple's at least laying the foundation for one: we just confirmed with extremely trusted sources that iPhone OS 3.2 contains rudimentary support for video calling, which could explain that mysterious space at the top of the device in our leaked pics. We're told that there are hooks to accept and decline a video conference, flip a video feed (which suggests a front-facing camera) and -- most importantly -- run the video call in either full screen mode or in just a portion of the screen. That means you'll be able to chat and do other things at the same time, which could mean there's at least some type of multitasking going on here. We can also confirm that iPhone OS 3.2 supports file downloads and local storage in the browser, which means you'll be able to pull files off the web and use them in other apps, and there's at least the beginnings of SMS support buried within the code -- a fact we were able to verify with noted iPhone jailbreaker chpwn, who sent in the above screenshot from a hacked-up copy of the iPad simulator. (The simulator always says "iPhone simulator" in the menu bar, but that's the iPad.) chpwn also tells us he's found some inklings of actual phone support, there's a spellchecker, and that both the new landscape orientation for the homescreen and keyboard support appear to be destined for the iPhone itself when 3.2 comes out. We're not sure what any of this means at this point, or if any of it will ever be implemented, but we're definitely starting to get the impression that Apple didn't tell us everything there is to know about the iPad on Wednesday -- and we're even more curious to find out what iPhone OS 4.0 will look like when it arrives. P.S.- chpwn was also able to port iPhone multitasking hacks ProSwitcher and Backgrounder to the iPad simulator, which is certainly going to be useful if an iPad jailbreak exploit is eventually discovered. Check out a shot of it going in the gallery below, along with some other settings panels the coder dug up. Update: We just got another tip from iPhone jailbreak dev Ryan Petrich, confirming that there's a spell checker with multiple dictionaries and user-added entries (huzzah!), much richer text support for apps, the ability to selectively draw to external displays (using the VGA or component adapters, we'd imagine), location-aware ads in Maps and possibly other programs that use the Maps API, file upload ability in Safari, a modifiable cut / copy / paste menu, and, most interestingly, prototype support for a "handwriting keyboard." Maybe we'll see some stylus action on this thing after all. Peep Ryan's take after the break. %Gallery-84265%
