Can the iPad Replace Your Laptop? An Upcoming Feature Might Change Your Mind

Tablets are neat, but they’re really just a half-step between smartphones and laptops, right? Certainly, an iPad could never truly replace a laptop. When you need to be productive, you need to put the iPad away and bust out the laptop. Or, do you?

iOS 13 promises to bring some long-awaited functionality to the iPad that might make you reconsider its usefulness. The much-anticipated feature in question? Mouse compatibility, for the first time since the iPad launched in 2011.

iPad Mouse Functionality Coming in iOS 13

Specifications

Specifics and hard details are scarce at the time of this writing. This information comes courtesy of Federico Viticci, from the Connected podcast. This was corroborated on Twitter by Steve Troughton-Smith, an Irish Apple developer. Neither was forthcoming with hard-and-fast information, as the functionality isn’t yet officially confirmed.

What Kind of Mouse?

Rumor has it that every USB mouse will be included in this update, which is likely to be touted as an accessibility feature. This is great news for power-users who would prefer to just own one productivity device. Importantly, this could also be a huge help for mobility-limited people who want to use a mouse on their iPad for accessibility reasons.

While USB supported was explicitly named in the rumor, we wouldn’t be surprised if Bluetooth mouse options were supported, too. It’s not a stretch to picture this feature being a low-key addition to iOS 13, though it would be a big deal for the right types of users.

Apple and Laptops

Apple’s relationship with laptops has been a bit rocky lately. Their own iMac line of products, alongside the MacBook product line, has been struggling as of late. Smartphones and tablets have been the focus of many “tech-forward” users who were once Apple’s laptop faithful.

It would make sense, then, if Apple were to simply position the iPad as a competitor to, and replacement for, traditional laptops. This could simply be another step in that direction.