In Depth: 9 features we would like to see on the iPad Pro ~ lotfi

Apple’s announcement at its Worldwide Developers Conference of the upcoming iOS 9 mobile operating system has already made headlines throughout the world. The public beta is available now for developers and will be available for regular Apple customers in July. The new software made its public debut on an iPad, prompting some to speculate if the rumors of an iPad Pro, a larger 12-inch tablet designed for business and enterprise use, are more than just idle tech chat.

A tablet for business could help reboot Apple’s struggling tablet business. When the iPad first debuted, it was a novelty and quickly dominated the fledging tablet market. But in the five years since that debut, its once dominant tablet market share is now in the hands of Android manufacturers, with rival Samsung in a strong position. A tablet designed for the business user could help change that by providing features to lure business owners into buying iPads — for work purposes.

Here are ten features that an ideal business tablet built by Apple (or any other company) should include.

1. A native Point-of-Sale system pre-downloaded—Apple Pay maybe?

The current generation of iPads has already been put to use as cash registers using a variety of third-party applications like Square, card-reading accessories and cash drawers. Apple is planning to extend Apple Pay’s reach into the United Kingdom. Merchants can already set up Apple Pay on suitable terminals. A tablet that comes with technology built-in could be an attractive feature, particularly for small business owners already using an iPad or another tablet to ring up customers.

2. Secretary Siri

Siri’s getting a major update in iOS 9, but a version of Siri that could respond to your emails, add meetings to your calendar and make your office supply orders could free up an employee’s time for other projects by taking over the simplest tasks. That’s assuming that the business in question is not a one-person show of course.

3. Let it track how long you work

The axiom goes “Time is money.” In business, employees, contractors and consultants alike get paid either by the job or by the hour. A feature that tracked hours using login times, a clock or maybe even Siri to track hours worked. This feature would be helpful for companies that use contractors or hourly employees by ensuring more accurate tracking. Payments and paychecks alike could be done more simply.

4. Add ports for keyboards and storage accessories

While iOS 9’s improvements to the touch keyboards we use on iPads and iPhones, support for a physical keyboard via a USB or USB C port are a must. Whether you’re writing a press release or putting together a new business plan, there are times when a real keyboard is easier on the hands. Both Apple and Android tablets already can be used in conjunction with wireless Bluetooth-enabled wireless keyboards, but Android users also have the option to use a keyboard that connects to the tablet via a USB port.

The iPad’s lack of a USB port is old news. Samsung even mocked the iPad for its lack of a USB port in a past advertising campaign. The feature would also be useful for file transfers as some files may contain sensitive information that a manager may not want be made available to everyone using an Apple device that can access AirDrop or other cloud-based software.

5. Extend battery life

This one’s a no-brainer. Reports indicate that iOS 9 will contain features to help keep your mobile devices running longer between charges. Any improvement in battery life on an iPad Pro would be a welcome feature. During a conference, business trip or even just an extraordinarily busy day, a longer lasting battery would help. Unfortunately, business devices usually offer shorter battery lives than consumer devices, so an iPad Pro boost would be a huge victory for Apple and its business users.

6. Compatibility backwards and forwards

We know that iOS 9 is coming in a much smaller package than its predecessor iOS 8, which is great news for anyone using older Apple devices like the iPhone 4 or the iPad 2. A business however, may own several generations of the same Apple products. Designing a tablet that could work with older versions of Apple products would be another step in the right direction. That way it doesn’t matter if an employee is using the new gold-tinted USB-C input Apple Air or the original MacBook Pro, communicating and synching with them should be simple.

7. Multi-user support for work and play

iMacs and MacBook Pros alike allow users to maintain multiple user accounts on the computer. This feature is standard for most computers and even some tablets. On the idealized business-ready iPad Pro, this new feature would be especially useful in situations when employees share equipment.

8. Internet the way you want it

In a mere three decades, the Internet has gone from a business novelty to a necessity. Tablets usually connect to the Internet through wireless means like Wi-Fi or data. In some situations, like streaming or uploading data, the ability to connect to the Internet using a wired connection would be a handy way to speed things up. Some reports suggest that the iPad Pro may have this capability in the form of a USB C port, which would also serve as a connection or charging and storage.

9. Call forwarding

If you own an iPhone and any other Apple device, you’re likely familiar with the Messages app, which allows users to receive messages from their phones on second devices. This ability to answer a text from a laptop can be very useful in a world where coworkers and bosses text. Extending this technology to phone calls could be a next step. On an iPad Pro, this could be another productivity booster, particularly in conjunction with the ability to multitask, allowing users to take a call and look up data at the same time.