Ondrej Holzman As iPads have been on the decline for several quarters now, there is debate over what Apple could do to stop it. Understandably, hardware changes in the tablets themselves and bigger news in iOS intended for iPads are most often mentioned, but the Smart Keyboard could also undergo an important evolution.
This is encouraged not only by logical reasoning, taking into account how key accessories in the form of a Smart Keyboard and Pencil are to the most efficient use of iPad Pros, but also by Apple's patent, which pointed out websites Patently Apple:
The US Patent Office has published an Apple patent that could reveal what the iPad Smart Keyboard 2 will look like. Whether Apple will implement all of the aforementioned additions this year, just some, or even some more, is unknown at this time. Key additions include new “Share” and “Emoji” buttons, an easier way to invoke Siri, and more.
The first generation "smart keyboard" for the iPad Pro, connected via the Smart Connector, is largely just a scaled-down and adapted version of the regular Mac keyboard, specifically the layout and functions of the buttons. Although many of the shortcuts familiar to Mac users also work with an external keyboard in the iOS environment, the mentioned patent shows how Apple could make many iOS functions even more "visible" and easier to access.
In the patent that Apple sent in March of last year, for example, new buttons for emoji and sharing appear. In practice, this would mean pressing a single key to bring up the sharing menu in any app on the iPad, a feature that's increasingly being used, whether you want to send a document to someone or communicate with other apps within iOS.
The increasingly popular emoticons can already be accessed via the globe key in the lower left corner, but a dedicated "emoji" key (in the patent replacing the less-used Caps Lock) would be even more obvious. If Apple featured emoticons prominently with the Touch Bar, there's no reason why they couldn't also give them their own key on the Smart Keyboard.
Furthermore, a new key with a magnifying glass appears in the patent, thanks to which it would not only be easier to search websites or documents, but above all it would be easier to call up another key function of iOS, i.e. iPad - Siri. One tap on the magnifier button searches the currently open app, double tap brings up Siri. Unlike some third-party keyboards, the Smart Keyboard cannot invoke Siri, which is definitely a shame.
Finally, the patent also mentions that Apple could remap some known shortcuts and use the more logical CMD + P (Paste, English paste) for insertion instead of the familiar CMD + V. It's questionable whether this will ever happen and whether this particular change would be beneficial (P is now used for Print), but in general this issue demonstrates a certain problem with the fact that currently most of the shortcuts on the Smart Keyboard are converted from Mac.
These include both copy/paste, as well as, for example, returning to the main screen, switching between applications or calling up Spotlight. If you use a Mac, the shortcuts CMD + H, CMD + Tab or CMD + Spacebar will not be new to you, but for a new user who is, for example, switching from Windows and holding an iPad for the first time, they will not make sense. And he never even comes across them himself.
Own buttons not only for sharing or emoji, but also basic functions, such as returning to the main screen or calling up Spotlight (the aforementioned magnifying glass key can work), are another way to make it easier for the user to learn to work with the iPad and subsequently make working with it more efficient. The Smart Keyboard would then become a real iPad keyboard and not just something halfway between it and a classic "Mac" keyboard.
iPads have been experiencing a decline for several quarters - it's not a bad thing, every 2 years it will be about that :), but Apple knows how to push the envelope - just lock in an update to the new iOS and I'll be buying customers again. WHICH IS ALSO MY CASE THIS YEAR.
And without the latest iOS, the iPad can no longer be used?
On the contrary, I welcome it, I have an iPad Air, and with iOS10 the speed of the device has decreased quite a bit.
It can be used - I have an iPad 3 Retina, which is already known with iOS 10, and of course the update option is already blocked.
Changing the keyboard shortcut CMD+V to CMD+P seems pretty silly to me. Just for the sake of users switching from Windows…
Exactly. Cmd+C and Cmd+V are perhaps the most used shortcuts ever. They are close to each other. The idea of hunting for a shortcut all over the keyboard… Nonsense.
Agreed, mainly wonder where the V key is and where the P key is
The most important button in Apple - emoji
What about closing the application? ESC key or CMD+Q shortcut..