The iPad update of our dreams is finally coming (we hope)

The iPad is an excellent platform, so good that many of us prefer using it over a MacBook. But it has user interface issues that hinder productivity, issues that, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, are going to be addressed in iPadOS 19.

In his later Power On newsletter, Gurman states that with iPadOS 19, the goal is to make the iPad “more like a Mac” with updates that address “productivity, multitasking and app window management.” How Apple will implement those changes is not detailed by Gurman, who notes that while Apple won’t be putting macOS on the iPad, the update will bring the software up to the level of the hardware.

Windows management is the biggest problem with iPadOS. When used for production, users need to switch between apps constantly, which is difficult on the iPad. With iPadOS 16, Apple introduced Stage Manager as a window management tool several years ago, but it restricts window sizes and layouts uncomfortably. Split View, which was in place before Stage Manager, limits the user to two open app windows.

So, when Gurman states that iPadOS 19 will be more like a Mac, it doesn’t seem likely that Apple will implement a macOS-like Desktop, but rather window management like that of macOS, where the user can freely resize windows and move them around the screen. That would make it easier to work with multiple apps at the same time.

That will be especially beneficial for iPad Pro users who have devices with larger displays and are using professional-level production apps. Gurman specifically mentions the M4 iPad Pro and the upcoming M5 iPad Pro, which could mean that Apple will taylor some features specifically for the higher-end hardware.

Apple will unveil iPadOS 19 at the WWDC keynote on Monday, June 9, at 10 am PT, alongside iOS 19 and macOS 16, among other updates.