Apple Tosses All But the Kitchen Sink Into the New iPadOS

Apple’s WWDC event spent a good amount of time on an update to the iPhone operating system, but tablet owners are also getting a massive OS refresh. 

The company just announced the forthcoming launch of iPadOS 16 and demoed many of the upcoming features available with the latest version of the tablet-focused operating system. First up, a beefier multitasking interface that goes way beyond the side-by-side split view available with current iPad models. 

The redesigned interface makes it easy to see which apps are open and, as such, switch between them at will. The new tools let users juggle between eight apps and even allow for resizing windows, taking modern iPads closer to legitimate PCs than ever before. 

Gaming on the iPad is also receiving some improvements, with activity-based updates to Game Center so you can check on what games friends are playing and full integration with the multiplayer-focused SharePlay. The developer-based API Metal 3 is also being unveiled for M1-equipped iPads, which should lead to more graphically-demanding games. 

Workplace collaboration is also a focus of iPadOS 16, with the addition of FreeForm, a new app that offers a digital whiteboard for real-time collaboration.

FreeForm works across all iOS and macOS platforms and allows collaborators to chat via FaceTime as they add images, notes, documents, web links, and more, to the shared whiteboard. 

Apple says that demo builds will become available in July, with a full release planned for later this year. The company did not announce, however, which iPad models will support the updated OS.