Apple’s new iPadOS 18 is bringing a beefed-up version of the Calculator app to iPad, a new Photos app, and subtle redesigns to a few Apple apps to make them easier to use. There are also some new ways to design your home screen with colourful app icons to help personalize your tablet.
There are lots of improvements, but surprisingly, one of the most popular iPad announcements at the show was the new super-powered version of the Calculator app.
It’s a huge update that allows users to write out math problems with Apple Pencil, and the app will solve the equations automatically. You can even write out graphs or more complex math equations, and the Calculator app will be smart enough to read them all and give you the answer. You can even change a variable after the app has given you an answer, and the calculator will redo the equation to use the new variable.
Beyond the ability to draw in the Calculator, Apple has also added some new Pencil features to the Notes app. The main one, ‘Smart Script,’ makes handwriting easier. This feature will straighten out lines of text, add in spacing and increase legibility while trying to retain your original handwriting. If you make a mistake, you can now scribble out the text, and the app will erase that text. Once the app learns your handwriting style you can even paste text that looks like you wrote it.
Typed text is also getting improvements in Notes with the ability to collapse sections that are under headings and subheadings. To help organization Apple has added five new highlighter colours as well.
Lots of new ways to customize
This year, Apple is bringing customization upgrades to the iPad day and date with the iPhone, meaning this fall, iPad users will be able to use dark mode icons, custom colour icons and more. You can also place apps anywhere within the iPadOS grid, allowing for more bespoke home screens.
The dark mode icons look really nice, while the custom-tinted options seem to be a little more hit-and-miss. I’ve seen some demo home screens that look all right with tinted icons and some that look downright bad. That said, it’s all in the eye of the beholder, so I think most people will be happy to have this customization option. You can also make the apps larger and remove the names beneath them to have an even more unique look.
Moving past the home screen, Apple unveiled a new way to customize the Control Centre on iPad. This new Control Centre has four unique areas: one for quick access tools (this one looks like the Control Centre in iOS 17), one for music, one for smart home controls, and another for connectivity settings like cellular and Bluetooth.
That said, the standard option can now be customized, like the home screen, to include more third-party tools, and you can rearrange the tools to personalize this space to your liking. You can even resize some of these tools to make them have larger buttons.
Refining how apps stay organized on iPad
Apple hasn’t changed much when it comes to new app designs, but programs like Pages, TV+, and others will now have a floating tab bar. This bar morphs into a side menu when you expand it and looks like something more akin to VisionOS. You can even customize the headings in the tab bar to make each app more tailored to you.
Shareplay for tech support
Another cool feature coming to iPad allows users to screen-share over ‘SharePlay.’ While this doesn’t sound that consequential, it makes doing remote tech support for your friends and family a lot easier. You can even take remote control of your friend’s device to show them how to do something, or you can draw with the Apple Pencil on your device to give them directions.
Apple Intelligence on iPad
Apple’s most exciting new platform is its Apple Intelligence AI features. They are slated to be built into all of the M-series iPads, one iPadOS 18 hits in the fall.
This includes a writing toolbox that uses AI to summarize, proofread, or even rewrite your text with a different tone. These tools appear in any app with a text box, including third-party apps.
On the image generation side, Apple has a new app called Image Playground that allows you to generate pictures using three Apple-created styles: Sketch, Animation or Illustration. Sketch generates things that look semi-hand drawn. Animation gives your images a sort of knock-off Pixar look, and Illustration looks hand drawn like Sketch, but more professional. This tool will also be available in various Apple apps like Messages and Notes along side being a standalone app.
A new password app
Apple is revamping how the iCloud KeyChain stores passwords with a new Passwords app. This app doesn’t add much more functionality than iCloud Keychain, but it does make finding and editing your existing passwords a lot more straightforward. This app will also be available from the iCloud website.
Image credit: Apple
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