This week, Apple celebrated its WWDC event, ushering in a new era of software for its iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9 and macOS 13 devices. While there were many highlights, iPadOS 16 could be the funniest, as the new update further blurs the lines between Apple’s tablet and computer products. In addition, iPadOS 16 will allow manufacturers to create drivers for iPad, leading to a new wave of devices that can be connected to Apple’s tablet.
Previously, DriverKit was used exclusively on Apple’s Mac computing products and was introduced in 2019. It was developed to provide a more reliable and secure way to provide drivers to Mac users. With iPadOS 16, Apple offers the same reliability and security, only on a different platform. If there’s one caveat about the system, it’s that it currently only applies to iPads powered by Apple’s own silicon. For now, that means iPads have an M1 chip.
New hardware support for M1-powered iPads thanks to DriverKit
As for other benefits, developers who have created drivers for Mac in the past with DriverKit will be able to use the same drivers on iPadOS without the need for conversion. In addition, using the cross-platform application feature in Xcode 14, developers will be able to create an application that can be delivered to both Mac and iPad. From the door, DriverKit for iPadOS will offer support for USB, audio and PCI devices, which means support for Thunderbolt devices.
If you find it appealing, you can experiment with the developer version of iPad 16. But this is probably not recommended for a device that is used on a daily basis. A more stable version of the operating system will arrive in the public beta next month. Apple will officially launch iPadOS 16, offering other enhancements such as a new multitasking experience and support for external displays in the fall of 2022.
Source: AppleVia: 9to5Mac