More than two years following the release of Cortana for iPhone on App Store, software maker Microsoft’s at long last added a brand new native iPad interface to its digital assistant iOS app.
You could previously run Cortana on an iPad, but the buttons and other user interface elements looked comically oversized because, like other iPhone-only apps, it’d open in 2X mode.
That is no longer the case with the most recent update, now live on App Store, that brings native iPad interface taking full advantage of your tablet’s form factor and display resolution.
“Introducing a brand-new Cortana for iPad design,” Microsoft writers in release notes accompanying the download. “Enjoy an exclusive layout and interface for your iPad.”
As for other improvements, users should see up to 20% faster app launches.
With Cortana, you can get answers to various questions, keep track of your most important stuff, get weather forecast and sports scores, perform currency conversions, read the latest news stories personalized to your interests, track flights and incoming packages and more.
With built-in Calendar access, Cortana can remind when it’s time to leave home in order to make that meeting. Location-based reminders allow you to get reminded to, say, buy groceries when you drive past the local supermarket or any other place of your choosing.
The app syncs data across all your devices so you get a unified experience.
It also does reminders based on commitments, which lets the digital assistant ping you to follow up when you promise someone something over email. You can even use this app to set up your Invoke, a wireless speaker from Harman Kardon that provides premium sound and comes with Cortana’s intelligence built-in.