I’ve gotten to use my new iPad Pro for a few days and I love it. It’s a speedy and portable machine but, as I mentioned in my piece about what the iPad really needs to be considered a pro machine, iOS is still holding the device back in a few ways. I’d really like to see some improvements to iOS for iPad to really push the device forward.
Unlike some, I don’t think that Apple should break out iPhone and iPad software development. I don’t want there to be padOS and phoneOS. I think it would make the development of each more difficult. That would create so many diverging paths for the software teams. Apple would then be working on six different operating systems at one time.
I think just a few tweaks to the system and the iPad could improve greatly. Apple should focus on a few things every year with the iPad, and I think they really need to focus on it going forward for it to be a successful system. I hope we never see a year where Apple isn’t pushing the iPad forward.
So here are a few things that I’d like Apple to improve on with the next iOS revision.
Safari
Weak Safari
When the iPhone came out, mobile Safari was a breakthrough. Never before had we really seen the web in our pockets as we did with the iPhone.
Apple has been improving on Safari every year. However, I feel like it’s time that the iPad Safari browser got a major upgrade.
Right now, the iPad is more iOS web browser than Mac. I don’t think that the iPad needs to be the same as the Mac browser. It’s not the same device, the iPad is not a laptop. I do wish that it could be a little closer to desktop-style browsing though.
For example, when I currently work on the WordPress web client on my iPad, the toolbar stays at the top of the screen where it appears originally. As I type and the document gets longer, the page scrolls down but the toolbar stays at the top. On the Mac, that toolbar travels with me as I type, always at the ready.
That’s just one example though. I’m sure there are many other things that you do that on a Mac that you can’t or get frustrating on iOS. That one little change though might mean that I could be less reliable on a Mac.
Default to Desktop
An improved Safari could also give users the chance to default to the desktop version of some sites. It doesn’t have to make that a thing for everyone, but to give some of the “power users” the option to default to the desktop page would be welcomed.
Plus there are still some websites that almost refuse to give you the desktop version of that website. I’m looking at you Google. When you have a device called a “pro,” you don’t want to limit the options available to it. Mobile web pages are like that. They don’t always have all the options that you need. I know to get the embed code off of youtube, you have to be on the desktop version of the website and to get
Extension
I also have a few extension that I use when browsing on my Mac. As a writer, I don’t catch everything while typing and it’s good to have something like Grammarly. To do that on the iPad I have to download the Grammarly keyboard, but it doesn’t work when you use the smart keyboard. So it’s basically pointless to have when I’m typing most the time on the Smart Keyboard and not the digital one.
I don’t like having to choose between using the iPad or Mac. Right now, I usually type thing up on my iPad while I’m traveling and at home, but I do editing and fine-tuning on my Mac because of the lack of a strong Safari.
Windowed Safari
Another thing that I’d love to see is a windowed Siri.
Siri is growing into such a useful tool, what with Siri Shortcuts and the Shortcuts App. It would be great to allow Siri to be the size of the notification drop down. This way you could use Siri or your Siri shortcuts and not break your workflow. It’s mind-boggling to me the Mac has a windowed Siri and iOS doesn’t.
I hate that to use Siri on the device I’m working on that I have to stop what I’m doing. I love to work at home and use my HomePod to do some things because it doesn’t have to break my flow (although it does when it engages for a moment on my iPad). Bring this to the iPad please!
I really feel like Apple could shrink Siri and make it even more useful. I would probably be more likely use it will I’m working. It would even make Shortcuts more useful instead of having to be a stopping point to really use them with Siri.
Apple Pencil Support
I think
I can see a future where the Pencil is an important (but necessary) tool for the iPad almost like a mouse. I think that the finger is the best tool for the iPad, but I’ve been using Apple Pencil 2 more since it’s there. While reading I use the pencil now to highlight text, which I never thought of doing before. Adding in the second click and allowing none drawing apps to use the click as an option could take the iPad to the next level.
Wrap up
I don’t want my iPad to replace my MacBook. I don’t need windows or a dark mode for my iPad to be more reliable for me. I just need a few improvements to iOS to make it more powerful.
What would you like to see improve with iOS? How could you improve your workflow? Leave me a message in the comments, hit me up on Twitter, or Facebook.
Don’t forget to check out my iPad Pro unboxing and impression video.
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