I’ll admit it. I’m that guy that pretends to turn off my iPad when the plane takes off and lands. So far, I haven’t caused an accident. Sometime early next year, we may not even have to pretend anymore.

The rules on when to turn off electronic devices on airplanes have long been a sour, and sometimes contentious, point for travelers. But faced with a surge of electronics on airplanes and under pressure from a growing number of tech-savvy — and increasingly tech-dependent — passengers, the Federal Aviation Administration recognized that change was inevitable.