Since the launch of iPadOS, in 2019 Apple tablets have been improving substantially every year, with the aim of becoming as professional as possible while remaining a hybrid between the consumption of multimedia content and professional content, like the recent arrival of the iPad. Pro. However, every professional needs multiple monitors to work, so many users may wonder, How many monitors can I connect to an iPad?
Can I connect an iPad to an external monitor?
Currently, iPad has five iPad models on the market and several variants within them, but all of them share a common common element, which is a serious limitation to increase the productivity and professionalization of this type of device. We are going to analyze each device below:
- iPad Pro: The flagship of the iPad is the iPad Pro, as of its incorporation of the USB-C port (2018 and later), it supports the connection of an external monitor directly through its USB-C port, with the limitation that you can only connect an external monitor. It is true that the case of this generation allows the connection of another accessory, but Apple does not indicate that it is another monitor, but that it can be an SSD storage disk.
- iPad Air: the middle generation between the standard iPad and the iPad Pro is the iPad Air. This one also comes with USB-C, which means you can also connect an external device, with the same benefits and lacks of the iPad Pro.
- iPad 9th and 10th generation: the ninth-generation iPad features an Apple Lightning connector. However, the 10th iPad does include USB-C, so in the case of the 9th generation, you need an adapter to connect it to an external monitor and the 10th generation, you can follow the same procedure mentioned above.
- iPad Mini: which is the smallest model in the Apple line and whose sixth version includes a USB-C connection port, which allows connection with an external monitor.
In short, all monitors only have access to an external monitor, with the condition that the iPad Pro can be connected to an external monitor, the camera on this monitor is the main camera. It is one of the new features of iPadOS 17.
Disadvantage of this functionality
As we have seen before, the biggest handicap of the iPad is that you can only work with a external Monitor, but it also includes other limitations. Specifically, we mean that, when an iPad is connected to a monitor, the interface does not adapts to its dimensions.
It is understandable that the iPad does not adapt to any type of size, since there are monitors of all kinds, but the fact that the same format is always used instead of a more panoramic one could make it work comfortably and, above all, such a limitation can make many users decide do not buy this product. However, there is talk that Apple will polish this defect in some version of iPadOS in the future and since the release of Final Cut Pro for iPad, Apple must work on it. The only solution today is to change the screen resolution of the external monitor or television.
Finally, it is important to note that this medium may vary depending on the apps you use, as some may offer support for a true extended display, but it is not natively developed by Apple.
By way of conclusion, the ability to connect an external monitor to an iPad can be a very useful tool to increase your productivity. However, there are quite a few limitations as the possibility of being able to connect just a monitor external or that the Interface It does not fit the monitor screen.
