He Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes a 'wet squib' as “something that is disappointing because it is not as exciting or effective as expected.” And that's how I would describe Apple's reveal of iPadOS 18 at WWDC 2024.
While the iPad-focused operating system will get many of iOS 18's nifty features, like smart email categorization in the Mail app and the ability to schedule messages in iMessage, iPadOS 18's exclusive features are a big meh.
Yes, the addition of a native Calculator app for iPads may have caused quite a stir at the WWDC keynote and made many people flock to TechTadar TikTok, but the rest of the features didn't leave me alone. colleagues nor me with the impression that the elegant touch of Cupertino slates are being especially pushed.
The Notes app has a Smart Script feature to help smooth out scribbled text quickly, and there's now live audio transcription, plus some new customizations that will let users rearrange icons and widgets where people want them on the Notes screen. start.
None of that is a bad thing, but since the 2024 iPad Air and 2024 iPad Pro come with the new Apple M4 chip, I was left with the distinct feeling that Apple's internal silicon is barely being pushed.
In fact, I'm a little upset that Apple didn't do more. There is an insistence that iPads can replace laptops, and at one point it comes to a head with the infamous “what's a computer?” ad, which still embarrasses me to this day, but it refuses to make iPadOS a more desktop-like experience when connected to the Magic Keyboard.
In my opinion, this seemed like a missed opportunity, even though Apple has long opposed bringing iPadOS much closer to macOS.
The crux of this is due to the power that Apple has packed into the new iPad Air and iPad Pro models. While the M4 chip is not necessarily a huge step up from the M3 chip, as it prioritizes efficiency and workloads of AI on a huge increase in raw performance, it's still a chunk of silicon that's basically laptop grade; in some cases, at the desktop level if you take into account the 24-inch iMac and the Mac mini.
Sure, the set of iPads will have access to the new Apple Intelligence and will surely have access to the smarter Siri. But these tools seem generic and good for iPhones rather than something that really takes advantage of the power and flexibility of the new iPads. It's also nice to have the addition of improved gaming and audio via compatible AirPods, but again, it's not something iOS 18 doesn't get; Additionally, I feel like these features don't help turn iPads into nifty gaming machines despite the chips inside.
The entire team clueless.
This is frustrating, as my colleague Matt Hanson, editor-in-chief of Core Tech, recently pointed out when he ditched his laptop for an iPad Pro for a few weeks: “the hardware is there, but the software isn't.” So it seems to me that Apple is really missing a trick here, despite having often been excellent at getting the most out of its technology.
And I feel like all of this puts the new iPads in a strange place. They may have more power, but that power doesn't seem to be put to good use, and older iPads can still do almost everything newer ones can due to a lack of demanding software.
Now you could argue that we see similar things with some of the best Android phones that have powerful chips but never actually boost those capabilities. But phones still cover a different use case than tablets, despite being close cousins, meaning it's not unreasonable to expect more from a tablet.
There's a caveat here: I've yet to try iPadOS 18. But unless Apple has some hidden features it hasn't shown yet and Apple Intelligence really harnesses the power of the M4, iPadOS 18 has left me underwhelming and I can't help but feel that way. The M4-equipped iPads are so overpowered that they can be a waste of money in a sleek rectangular shape.
you might also like
