Does iPad Pro support USB mouse?

Today, there are latest news and signs that Apple may add mouse or trackpad function to iOS 13 operating system, which will greatly enhance the productivity of iPad series and directly compete with laptops. As we all know, Apple's positioning of iPad series is no longer limited to a product line between mobile phones and laptops. It is more ambitious to replace laptops with iPad Pro.

To be honest, there are too many reasons why iPad Pro cannot replace computers at present. The most mentioned point is that iOS lacks support for mouse and cannot perform many subtle and precise operations as quickly as computers. Now, Apple may add support for mouse peripherals in iOS 13 operating system, and the truth of the matter may be revealed at the Worldwide Developers Conference on June 3.

The news first came from foreign media editor Federico Viticci, who said in the latest episode of the Connected podcast that he was very interested in the idea of ​​iPad Pro supporting mouse, and through some conversations with others, he learned that this feature may become part of the "Assistive Touch" feature in "Accessibility".

According to Apple's official introduction, "Assistive Touch" mainly helps users to control the device with gestures such as pinching, multi-finger swiping or 3D touch. However, Federico Viticci believes that mouse support will also become one of the ways of "Assistive Touch", making it possible for the iOS operating system to provide a cursor.

Federico Viticci also revealed that the way to connect iPad Pro to mouse peripherals is most likely through the USB-C interface. Just plug the mouse directly into the USB-C interface of the iPad Pro without any additional adapter or converter.

At the same time, Steve Smith, a developer who often leaks iOS features, also echoed the editor's statement. He said that as far as he knows, Apple's feature to enable iOS to support mice is "definitely under development."

Now, a bigger question arises. Although the new iPad Pro already provides the industry-popular USB-C interface, and Apple believes that USB-C is a high-performance connection method that will change the way everyone uses the iPad in the future, is it really suitable for connecting a USB mouse or trackpad?

The interaction between the mouse and the screen should not be a wired solution. After all, not only does Apple itself promote wireless, but there are also a large number of Bluetooth wireless mice on the market. At the same time, the old iPad Pro does not have a USB-C interface, but a Lightning interface. The Bluetooth wireless connection method can also provide these old devices with the possibility of supporting mice.

In addition, as a productivity device, Apple prefers that the USB-C interface of iPad Pro be mainly used for external 4K or 5K monitors and other more professional devices that require transmission performance. This means that if iPad Pro is connected to professional equipment such as professional monitors, musical instruments or SLR cameras through the USB-C interface during productivity work, then in this case, the wired mouse will not be able to directly become an input tool for productivity work, and at least an additional 1:2 converter will be required.

At the same time, some rumors and revelations show that Apple Mac computers are expected to be equipped with self-designed ARM-based chips after 2020, but the specific time depends on the software work. The progress of the software work actually has a lot to do with how many iOS apps are adapted to macOS. Once millions of iOS apps land on the Mac App Store, Apple will have the basic conditions to build an ARM-based Mac device, or an iOS-based laptop that supports both touch and mouse operations.

At the end of the article, I want to discuss whether you, as a consumer, hope that Apple will make the iPad series compatible with a mouse? If so, the iPad series will fully support keyboards and mice, and Apple will inevitably consider whether it will have a certain impact on its own entry-level laptops. So if the iPad series is really compatible with keyboards and mice, do you think it has a good future?