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With their 6.7-inch screens, the iPhone 13 Pro Max and 12 Pro Max are the biggest phones Apple has ever released. The rumored iPhone 14 Pro Max, which we’ll likely learn about on Sept. 7, is expected to maintain that same giant screen. Although Apple’s “Pro Max” devices are significantly larger than the standard 6.1-inch iPhone 13, 5.4-inch iPhone 13 Mini and 4.7-inch iPhone SE, they still run the same software as Apple’s smaller phones.
If only there were more ways to make use of the Pro Max’s giant screen. Luckily, there are. Apple should draw inspiration from the iPhone’s larger cousin, the iPad. Apple’s tablets are loaded with extra features that make apps easier to use on a larger screen. The company even renamed the iPad’s operating system iPadOS in 2019 to distinguish it from the iPhone’s iOS. The iPad’s interface had evolved so much by that point, it no longer made sense to lump both sets of software together.
I’m not suggesting something as drastic as a rebranding to “Pro Max OS.” But I do think both Apple and its customers could benefit from new features that are designed specifically for larger iPhones. That could be all the more important as Apple is rumored to be launching a bigger version of the iPhone 14 this year.
Doing so wouldn’t be simple. Modifications would need to be made to bring iPad-specific features like multitasking to the iPhone Pro Max. But Apple already has a history of tailoring apps and software to specific products, as it proved with the original iPad and Apple Watch. So I’d trust it to do the same in this case.
Here are the iPad features I think would translate well to the iPhone Pro Max.
The iPhone Pro Max’s large screen is great for focusing on a single app, like reading or watching TV. But I’d love to see a version of the iPad’s multitasking capabilities on the iPhone Pro Max, too. Being able to view more than one app at a time could prevent me from needing to switch between apps so often.
Apple offers two main options for running multiple apps on the iPad’s display: Split View and Slide Over. The first is self-explanatory; it lets you divide the screen between two apps. Android phones have offered a split-screen mode for years. Slide Over is a bit different. Instead of splitting the screen, you can open an app in a floating panel that can be positioned on either side of the screen.
