IPadOS 14: second to none

Last year, the iPad came of age and got its own operating system. This year, it’s ready to party

Last year, the iPad came of age and got its own operating system. This year, it’s ready to party. Read our comprehensive guide to everything that’s new.

COMPARED TO THE wow factor of macOS Big Sur, you may think your iPad doesn’t look much different after installing this latest major update. That’s partly because it’s the desktop OS, this time, that’s borrowed ideas — and, via Apple’s Mac Catalyst, quite a lot of code — to catch up with the tablet rather than the other way around. But you’ll soon find plenty that’s new.

Freed from the iPhone, iPadOS is finding its way towards the power and flexibility of an all–purpose computer without losing the simplicity and immediacy of multitouch. User interface tweaks make your content more accessible and options more discoverable throughout. And while the spring saw users who wanted something more like a laptop generously served by the Magic Keyboard and trackpad, the latest update brings to the fore the accessory that Macs can’t match: the Pencil. Now that every current model supports either the first– or second–generation accessory, pen input (while still optional) can take its place at the center of the iPad experience.

Yes, you can forget the Newton MessagePad, because — helped along by a few billion more transistors and 21st century machine learning — Apple’s new handwriting recognition actually works. Spreading your scribbles into almost every app, it’s the icing on iPadOS’ second birthday cake.