So, iPadOS 14 has been released and boy, was it a wait. I mean, I was refreshing again and again and again to see if the update was live (while also checking the large amount of memes on Twitter about the same topic) or not at 12 midnight and finally, I gave up and went to sleep. In the morning, the first thing I did was to start the iPadOS 14 update on my iPad. Now that I have been using it for a day, I can give my first impressions. And please don't forget to share this post with others if you like it, as it really helps.
First up, the Apple Pencil features. My favorite feature, Scribble, is
also a part of these features. The iPad can now automatically convert
handwritten text into typed text which can be used in any text field. Now, you
have the option to type, erase, and select text just by using the Apple Pencil.
They work even better than I expected. In fact, this article was also written
with the Apple Pencil on my iPad.
The notes app has also been updated to work better with the Apple
Pencil. The notes app now allows selecting any handwritten text. It also allows
you to paste the handwritten text as typed text. You can also draw shapes and
the iPad will automatically perfect the shapes. You just have to hold the Apple
Pencil in place at the end of your stroke. Another handy feature in the notes
app is the smart data-detection, which recognizes any handwritten phone
numbers, email addresses or calendar events and you can just tap to take action
on them.
Some UI changes have also been made this year to enhance the experience
and support the larger display of the iPad which include the newly added
widgets. The app menus have also been redesigned. They are on the left side and
look more like the ones on macOS Big Sur. The Finder, Siri and incoming call UI
have been made more compact, and they don't take up the whole screen now.
The AR changes are also worth noting. Apple has introduced the AR Kit 4
on the iPad which makes it easier for the developers to create amazing AR
experiences. This, when paired with the revolutionary LiDAR sensor, makes the
iPad Pro the best AR device on the market right now.
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| Credit: Apple |
Next up, changes to the messages app. The Apple messages app was already
good enough but this update makes it even better. Now, you have the option to
pin your favorite conversations to the top so that you can easily access them.
Along with it, you can now assign a photo, Memoji or an emoji to a group
conversation. You can now reply directly to a specific message in a group and
the replied messages appear as their own thread. You can also mention a person
directly in a group chat, and like every year there are also new Memoji styles
and stickers.
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| Credit: Apple |
Maps app is also getting an upgrade, which is very nice. The maps app has
a new cycling tab which gives you directions and other info if you’re cycling.
If you have an electric vehicle then too, this app is very useful for you as it
can find you the nearest compatible charging station for your car. If you have
a car that supports CarPlay then it's even better as the app monitors your
car's charge and automatically informs you when you should recharge. Guides are
also a feature debuting with this version of iPadOS. They're basically lists of
best places created by Apple partners.
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| Credit: Apple |
The Apple home app is a boon for people with a smart home and
thankfully, the home app is not untouched by this update. There is now a
special tab which prioritizes the accessories that you might need the most so
that you can easily control them. You can set your lights to change the color according to the time of the day. Activity zones are also a new feature which
allows you to set the important areas which your camera can see. If there is
any any motion in these areas, then you will be informed. Another very nice
feature is the facial recognition, which automatically identifies people
appearing in your house's camera if you’ve tagged them in your photos.
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| Credit: Apple |
Safari has also got an upgrade as it’s faster, more powerful and more
private than ever. It beats even Windows browsers in After Bench benchmark.
There is a new Privacy Report button which allows you to get a better look at
what kind of data is being collected by websites. It also warns you if any of
your passwords have been compromised in a data breach.
Siri is also better this time. I've already talked about the compact
design but that’s not all. It has been updated with more facts; it can find you
information from across the web and send audio messages. Everything the Google
Assistant already does. In my opinion, Siri is still not good enough and needs
to do a lot more in order to even meet the Google Assistant, but this is
definitely a step forward.
Privacy is another major area of focus in this update. You can now get
privacy information on the App Store before installing an app. An indicator on
the top-right of the screen will inform you if an app is using the camera or
the microphone. A green indicator for the camera and an orange indicator for
the microphone will appear in the Control Centre if any app has used them
recently. The iPad will also share only your approximate location with apps
that want to use your location.
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| Credit: Apple |
Other features and changes include the new App Clips which are a smaller
part of an app that is designed to perform a specific task. Apple Arcade and
Game Center have also been updated to work together in a better way. Apple
Music has also been redesigned with a new queue and features like listen now
and a new home tab. And you can finally change default email and browser app.
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| Credit: Apple |
Of course, there are many more features and a lot of things to explore
with this new update, but these were the main ones. That's it for this article
from my side. If you have any opinions or questions related to this topic,
please share them with me in the comments and please share this article with
others. And by the way, I had so much fun writing this article with the Apple
Pencil and this feature is just amazing!
Really exhaustive review 👍
ReplyDeleteThank you very much.
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