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iOS 9 iPad Keyboard Scales to Larger Size, Hinting Towards 'iPad Pro'

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iPhone developer Steven Troughton-Smith has discovered that the new iPad keyboard on iOS 9 beta is capable of scaling to a larger size with rearranged keys, providing further evidence that Apple could be planning to release the much-rumored 12.9-inch "iPad Pro" in the future.

iOS-9-UIKeyboard-iPad.jpg
UIKeyboard view on iOS 9 scales to a larger iPad size (Image: Twitter/Steve T-S)​

At a larger resolution, the UIKeyboard view automatically adjusts with repositioned keys to fill the extra screen space available. Specifically, the new keyboard has wider keys, a new row of symbols at the top, Caps Lock and Tab keys on the far left and some other moved keys.

The secondary keyboard view has also gained the new chiclet-sized row of symbols and has enough room to fit all symbols and characters on one page, potentially eliminating the need for a tertiary keyboard view normally accessed by tapping the "#+=" button on the left or right.

iOS 9's new Slide Over, Split View and Picture in Picture features on iPad Air 2 further suggest that Apple may be working on a larger iPad, as the new split-screen multitasking views would be ideal for a larger screen and could benefit from the tablet's increased processing power.


The so-called "iPad Pro" is rumored to feature a 12.9-inch flexible display with increased pressure sensitivity, built-in NFC chip, Force Touch, USB-C port and possibly a pressure-sensitive Bluetooth stylus. The tablet would also likely have an A9 processor with 2GB of RAM and Touch ID.

Article Link: iOS 9 iPad Keyboard Scales to Larger Size, Hinting Towards 'iPad Pro'
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2015/06/15/ios-9-keyboard-scaling-ipad-pro/
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I don't see why this arrangement can't be at least an option on the standard iPad. I could deal with slightly smaller layout to have the greater range of keys.

Something that puzzles me is how I get the left and right cursor options on my iPhone's keyboard, but they don't appear on my iPad. Why would the larger screen of my iPad offer fewer editing options?
 
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super tomtendo said:
It would be nice if the numbers were apart of them regular QWERTY keyboard so you didn't have to hit the number key to input them.
Click to expand...

The numbers are a part of the regular QWERTY keyboard. It's just that in the first screenshot, the shift key is activated, hence the uppercase letters and symbols row instead of lowercase and numbers row.

By the way, I always cringe when people say iPad Pro. This won't be the name. It will be called iPad Plus, like the iPhone. Mark my words.

Something that also hints to native stylus support is the improved touch latency in iOS 9. There's a WWDC talk on it. They even have predictive touch to calculate in advance where your finger/stylus will be moving.
 
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I'm really getting excited about this. I do a lot of writing on my iPad and a Pro with an improved keyboard layout would be great. It also implies to me at least, that they are starting to optimize a version of iOS for the iPad. All good news.
 
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Caps Lock?

Dear gods, please let that key die. The latest Lenovo laptops have finally removed it, and the last thing we need from the iPad is regressively add it.
 
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scarecrowmac said:
I really don't see the use of a bigger iPad, not for me anyway.

Although in saying that when Apple release it it will be a big hit like almost everything they do and I'll probably line up to get it anyway :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I've been waiting for a larger sized iPad to replace my sheet music. Lot's of musicians will probably buy one or two to have on stage or in the studio. Current iPad size is only good enough for set-lists, but not full notation. That and maybe Logic Pro for iPad ?
 
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Cooee! said:
I hope this can compete with the Surface Pro 3 which runs full windows. I hope there are more features in iOS 9 for the iPad Pro
Click to expand...
No iOS device is competition for a Windows Surface Pro. It's like saying a rowboat is competition for a freighter.

I can visit a job site and run CAD on a Surface Pro or Wacom Cintiq Comp. I can draw new designs accurately with a proper stylus. I can edit promo films in a comfortable position in the living room. I can kill 2 hours stuck at the airport getting some work done while listening to podcasts.

Or, with an iOS device, if I'm very lucky, and I've exported hundreds of duplicates of my files in just the right formats, and the companion viewer app is working, I can... view them. Wow. Super. I can crudely fingerprint some blobby streaks where my lines should be. I can try to listen to podcasts, but they won't have updated because the autoupdate never works. But I can check my email. ...which can be done quicker over a phone. I can pull up a map & see my GPS marker, but since it can't save the maps it loads, as soon as I get off the highway for gas, it dumps all the maps and I'm driving across grey squares. I can plug it into my rental car, but it won't charge.

The iPad with iOS is a nearly completely useless toy.

Apple will make the large-size hardware people want, which will be less of a mobile device and more of a productivity device, and priced as high as a decent notebook, and then cripple it by putting the iPod OS on it, so teenagers can play games on it. And they'll sell a load of them anyway.
 
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koios said:
By the way, I always cringe when people say iPad Pro. This won't be the name. It will be called iPad Plus, like the iPhone. Mark my words.
Click to expand...

You wanna bet? The iPad is already on the Mac naming scheme. Can you imagine if the MacBook Pro was called the MacBook Plus?

So, just a question, this is available for the iPad Air?
 
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In my opinion if they do an iPad Pro they should sell a smart cover that has a keyboard integrated. Like the Surface Pro.

These on-screen keyboards on the iPad suck for any kind of large text entry. You need that tactile feedback to type at full speed.
 
JAQ said:
Caps Lock?

Dear gods, please let that key die. The latest Lenovo laptops have finally removed it, and the last thing we need from the iPad is regressively add it.
Click to expand...

They might have removed it, but that isn't the standard that everyone who'll be using the iPad's on-screen keyboard will be used to. 99% of people will have used keyboards with caps lock.

The idea is that you use a folio case, you fold it at the back so the iPad is tilted, and the keyboard is propped like your typical Apple Wireless Keyboard or the ones that have those bits you flip out. And then you put your hands on the keys as you would when properly typing.
 
Quu said:
In my opinion if they do an iPad Pro they should sell a smart cover that has a keyboard integrated. Like the Surface Pro.

These on-screen keyboards on the iPad suck for any kind of large text entry. You need that tactile feedback to type at full speed.
Click to expand...

Not true! The iPad keyboard is fine for typing, and extremely versatile.
 
Hmm, this could combine with ForceTouch to make a really interesting typing experience.

Benjamin Frost said:
Please, please, please let us have numbers at the top by default. I don't want to have to press an extra key to get to them.
Click to expand...

The shift button looks like it's been pressed in the top picture and the keys are in caps, so I think it's safe to assume that, had shift not been pressed, the numbers would be at the top by default.
 
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ThunderSkunk said:
No iOS device is competition for a Windows Surface Pro. It's like saying a rowboat is competition for a freighter.

I can visit a job site and run CAD on a Surface Pro or Wacom Cintiq Comp. I can draw new designs accurately with a proper stylus. I can edit promo films in a comfortable position in the living room. I can kill 2 hours stuck at the airport getting some work done while listening to podcasts.

Or, with an iOS device, if I'm very lucky, and I've exported hundreds of duplicates of my files in just the right formats, and the companion viewer app is working, I can... view them. Wow. Super. I can crudely fingerprint some blobby streaks where my lines should be. I can try to listen to podcasts, but they won't have updated because the autoupdate never works. But I can check my email. ...which can be done quicker over a phone. I can pull up a map & see my GPS marker, but since it can't save the maps it loads, as soon as I get off the highway for gas, it dumps all the maps and I'm driving across grey squares. I can plug it into my rental car, but it won't charge.

The iPad with iOS is a nearly completely useless toy.

Apple will make the large-size hardware people want, which will be less of a mobile device and more of a productivity device, and priced as high as a decent notebook, and then cripple it by putting the iPod OS on it, so teenagers can play games on it. And they'll sell a load of them anyway.
Click to expand...

You can watch antivirus software and Windows updates and frequent reboots run on your thick, clunky, unwieldy, heavy tablet that's worse at a laptop at literally everything except for drawing on the screen. As a bonus you get a touch interface with very few apps that actually use it so you get to run desktop apps with a type cover with terrible keys and a barely usable trackpad. Try not to sneeze so it won't go flying off your lap as it leans on its kickstand. If you're lucky, the Surface won't overheat. And try not to run the battery down on your phone for tethering because the silly SP3 lacks a built in cellular option- of course you could plug a cell modem into USB but going along with the spirit of your nightmare iOS scenario, I'll assume you'd drop the heavy clunky Surface and snap the dongle off of at the port...

Give us a break :)
 
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