The rumoured 12-inch Apple iPad likely to include split-screen mode, support multi-user login

New Delhi: While the speculations about a bigger 12-inch iPad are hard to ward off, latest series of revelation point to the tech giant working on a couple of software and hardware enhancements which we could possibly see in its latest line of tablets.

Apple is said to be working on a software update that would support a dual-app viewing mode, which means you could scroll through a news app alongside your playlist.

A report on 9to5Mac states that the next 12-inch iPads -codenamed ‘J98’ and ‘J99’- could also support multi-user logins. These iPads, also dubbed ‘iPad Pro’ will be larger versions of the WiFi only and WiFi + Cellular iPad Air 2.

There is also a speculation that the upcoming iPads will support multi-user login which will allow several users to share the same iPad, but the access will be limited to their own apps, documents, and media akin to the Mac device.

It is said that Apple’s original plans for the split-screen viewing mode were to include the feature in its iOS 8 on the iPad Air in 2014; however, it was deemed incomplete and unpolished for a consumer rollout back then.

According to sources close to the matter, Apple now intends to unveil the feature for iOS 9 on the existing iPad models. The dual-app viewing mode is likely to support 1/2, 1/3, and 2/3 views depending on the apps.

The apps would either display side-by-side, or multiple views of the same app. It would enable iPad users to see two separate Safari tabs, or compare a pair of Pages documents at the same time. However, as there is no official word on the feature yet, there still lies a possibility of it not making it to the conference in the next month.

Apple is also mulling redesigning its core apps and features, including its digital voice-based assistant Siri and Notification Centre to be able to match up the purported large iPads, which are also expected to have additional keyboard and USB support.

The dual-app or split-screen viewing mode could see the light of the day as early as Apple’s annual WDC in June, while the multi-user login and the 12-inch iPads are likely to be unveiled later in the year alongside iOS 9.

Other tweaks include addition of transit direction support for Maps and a new Home app to support HomeKit. The upcoming iOS9 will also have be more stable, optimized, and get security fixes.