Arguably the biggest software surprise of WWDC 2019 was iPad receiving its own platform. Apple announced iPad would be splitting off from iOS and will run on iPadOS going forward.
iPadOS Features
Split views allow users to have numerous windows per open program. When long-pressing, there are also new link previews. External hard drives and SD cards are now natively supported on the iPad; simply plug them in and access them using the Files app.
iCloud Drive now allows you to share folders instead of just files. The new Files app has a column view that is similar to macOS. The Files app displays directories from associated storage. There's a method to have your favorite third-party picture editor, such as Lightroom, launch instantly from your camera.
Apple is also bringing "desktop-class" surfing to the iPad, with improved support for Google Docs, Squarespace, and WordPress. Safari for the iPad now has additional keyboard shortcuts as well as a download manager.
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Apple is adding support for custom fonts to iPadOS. Font libraries are available for download through the App Store.
New three-finger gestures for cut-copy-paste have been added, including an undo three-finger swipe.
The latency of the Apple Pencil has been reduced from 20 to 9 milliseconds, allowing for even more immediate interactions while using a digital stylus. You can annotate a screenshot or a whole document because markup is incorporated throughout the system. Third-party apps can also use the PencilKit API.
For the iPad, there's a new small layout keyboard mode that reduces the keyboard to a fraction of the screen space.
Mouse Support on iPadOS?
Support for mouse input as an Accessibility option was one of the reported iOS 13 improvements. iPadOS 13 does allow mouse input as an AssistiveTouch option, despite Apple not mentioning it on stage.
In iPadOS 13, mouse input works exactly as you'd expect it to, especially considering it's an AssistiveTouch feature. The mouse cursor mimics other Assistive Touch input choices by moving over the interface with a finger.
USB mice linked to the iPad's Lightning or USB-C connector can be used to input data. Apple's Magic Trackpad, for example, allows you to navigate through iPadOS without touching the screen. It may be turned on in the iPadOS Settings app's Accessibility menu.
iPadOS Release Date
iPadOS is currently available. It will be available for the following iPad models:
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12.9-inch iPad Pro
11-inch iPad Pro
10.5-inch iPad Pro
9.7-inch iPad Pro
iPad (6th generation)
iPad (5th generation)
iPad mini (5th generation)
iPad mini 4
iPad Air (3rd generation)
iPad Air 2