The feature borrowed from Windows 8 will reportedly not be demoed at the opening keynote

May 30, 2014 08:19 GMT  ·  By

It was revealed earlier this month that Apple was preparing a multitasking revolution for iOS 8 adding split-screen functionality that would enable customers to run two apps simultaneously, with options to drag content like text, video, or images from one app to another.

However, it seems we’ll have to wait a little longer to see it live. According to Brian Chen of the New York Times, the feature is still in beta and hasn’t been polished enough to deserve a WWDC showcase.

Chen’s tweet specifically states, “I've been told that the split-screen feature for iOS 8 isn't ready yet and won't be shown at WWDC. Still a work in progress.” There’s no reason to believe that the NY Times journalist has been offered bogus information, so there’s a very good chance that WWDC will indeed skip over the multitasking enhancement.

Which could spell bad news for Apple’s keynote presentation, as iOS 8 is said to include very few new features, while the design reportedly looks and feels almost identical to iOS 7. Besides a Healthbook app and some enhancements in Apple Maps, iOS 8 looks and sounds like a slightly retouched iOS 7.

Without the multitasking bit, which promises to be a real game changer coupled with the advanced mobile OS, Apple seems to have very little to show at this year’s conference. Hopefully, they have a few aces up their sleeves that the media hasn’t yet heard about.

In a subsequent tweet, Chen tells a follower he’d actually been sitting on this little nugget of information for about a week, but only decided to let it out now “because of the chatter about it over the past day or two.”

In addition to split-screen multitasking, Apple is also expected to introduce an all-new iPad Smart Cover that has a built-in keyboard, in what would ensure a storm of negative comments from the Windows fanbase. If both get implemented, Apple would have copied not one but two flagship features from Windows and Surface tablets.

Split-screen multitasking is said to be reserved only for iPad use, as an iPhone’s screen is not big enough to make it work.

Although iOS 8 will (most likely) be showcased at WWDC, its public release won’t occur until later this year, likely in the fall period and coupled with the launch of the highly-anticipated iPhone 6. A new wave of iPads isn’t expected until next year, though.