IPadOS

iPadOS is an operating system for iPads that introduces Dark Mode, a new Sound Slider, etc. It is compatible with the following iPads: iPad Air (2nd and 3rd generations) iPad (5th to 7th generations), iPad Mini (4th to 5th generations), nad iPad Pro (1st to 3rd generations).

Having been derived from iOS, iPadOS is Apple's third mobile operating system, after watchOS. While all iPhones can use cellular data for internet access, it is an optional function on iPads. The iPads use a 4:3 aspect ratio and presently come in storage sizes ranging from 32 GB to 1 TB.

History

 * See also: iOS: History

The first iPad was released in 2010 and ran iPhone OS 3.2. This operating system, which had until then been used on the iPhone and iPod Touch, was rebranded as "iOS" with the release of iOS 4.

Although the iPhone and iPad initially had feature parity, over time, the iPad incorporated a growing set of differentiating features not available on the iPhone such as picture-in-picture and the ability to display multiple running apps simultaneously (introduced with iOS 9 in 2015). iOS 11, released in 2017, added drag and drop and a dock that more closely resembled the one in the macOS than the one on the iPhone.

Thanks to additional exclusive features being added over time, the iOS on the iPad became more distinct from the iPhone. To emphasize the different feature set available on the iPad, at WWDC 2019 Apple announced that the variant of iOS that runs on iPad devices would be rebranded as "iPadOS". The new naming strategy began with iPadOS 13, in 2019.

Usage
There are several interesting and exciting ways and functions that you might want to consider an iPad vs. iPhone. Regardless of any application that you can download from the App Store, the iPad's big screen is the first advantage to the iPhone. You can watch YouTube videos on a bigger screen, stream video and TV the same way as you would do on the iPhone but now on a bigger screen. You will be able to have a full-size musical keyboard on your iPad vs iPhone tiny keyboard which is great news for musicians and hobbyists.

The nice thing about the iPad is that there is no learning curve. Most people know how to use an iPhone, and therefore buying an iPad and using it will be very easy. On the first page, you can add or remove apps for quick information, such as the Weather app. The iPad is very convenient when you want to check your email quickly or browse the internet while you are setting in your living room, laying in bed or sitting on a couch. It is light and easy to carry around. Checking your email is a breeze on the iPad. Once you set up your email account from Yahoo, Gmail or others, you can simply tap the Mail application, and you will be reading your email. There is no login required which makes checking emails very simple and fast.

You will access the App Store and similarly install iPhone applications like the iPhone. Therefore, using an iPad vs iPhone in terms of usability is identical and convenient as most people have already learned the iOS on the iPhone.

There is no start-up or booting required, and it has a powerful battery that lasts for hours. You don't need to think about the orientation when you carry the iPad. Just press the power button, and the screen will automatically rotate to whatever position you are holding. You can always lock this feature by pressing the lock button on the side of the iPad.

Moreover, with some iPhone accessories that run on the iPad such as a full-size Bluetooth keyboard, you can turn your iPad into a full-size notebook.

iPhone vs iPad applications
When the iPad was first introduced, it ran the same applications as iPhone applications, which meant that once you buy an iPad you automatically have access to the App Store and over 200,000 applications. There are applications that are labeled as HD, indicating that they can take advantage of higher resolutions of iPads, but you could also run iPhone apps.

Default applications, such as Mail, Safari, Photos, and YouTube, take advantage of the bigger screen and higher resolution of the iPad. Many of those applications use columns to better organize application contents. Once you rotate the iPad, the app rotates and changes its orientation and user interface automatically.

iPhone applications that have not been specifically adapted for the iPad will display at double scale due to the smaller size of iPhone screens. If you look at the right bottom corner of those older applications, you will see a 2X button. When you tap this button, the iPhone application will expand to fill more of the iPad screen.

The good news is that any iPhone application already owned through iTunes can be synced or directly downloaded to an iPad through the same iTunes account without paying additional fees.

iPad vs iPhone games
Games look and play better on iPads due to the larger screen than the iPhone. Some iPad-specific HD games take full advantage of the higher resolution, such as board games that can be set on a table for group play.