One of iPadOS 16's key new features is Stage Manager, which allows users to resize apps into overlapping windows for an improved multitasking experience. Stage Manager also fully supports an external display, allowing users to work with up to four apps on the iPad and up to four apps on the external display simultaneously.
To the disappointment of some users, Stage Manager is limited to iPad models with an M1 chip, including the latest iPad Pro and iPad Air. In a statement shared with Rene Ritchie, Apple explained its rationale for this limitation by asserting that the Stage Manager experience "requires large internal memory, incredibly fast storage, and flexible external display I/O, all of which are delivered by iPads with the M1 chip."
Apple's full statement, as shared by Ritchie:
Stage Manager is a fully integrated experience that provides all-new windowing experience that is incredibly fast and responsive and allow users to run 8 apps simultaneously across iPad and an external display with up to 6K resolution. Delivering this experience with the immediacy users expect from iPad's touch-first experience requires large internal memory, incredibly fast storage, and flexible external display I/O, all of which are delivered by iPads with the M1 chip.
For example, the M1 iPad Pro is available with up to 16GB of RAM, compared to 6GB in the previous-generation iPad Pro. Apple also advertises the M1 iPad Pro as having 2x faster storage than the previous-generation model.
While the Stage Manager feature is limited to iPad models with an M1 chip, iPadOS 16 as a whole is compatible with all iPad Pro models, the third-generation iPad Air and newer, the fifth-generation iPad and newer, and the fifth-generation iPad mini and newer. The update is currently in beta for developers, with Apple planning to release a public beta in July. iPadOS 16 should be released to all users around September.
Top Rated Comments
The 2018/2020 were pretty powerful chips.
Explain how it’s clearly the lock screen and other features requiring the neural engine.
“Oh well they could easily just strip the new lock screen and everything else requiring NE out.”
Explain how ripping things out of the operating system, especially huge things like the Lock Screen, isn’t as easy as it seems and wouldn’t really be worth it to save one device.
“Oh well it’s forced obsolescence, because of course it is.”
Ask “how is it forced obsolescence if the iPhone 6S was literally the longest supported phone with a full seven years of updates, and the iPhone 7 is only one year behind that?”
“It just is OK, it’s forced obsolescence. It just is.”
Ask “well what about the fact that Apple didn’t change the support list for three OS’s in a row?”
“It’s still forced obsolescence because Apple bad my phone need to be supported forever company evil etc etc etc”
Literally no matter what Apple does people will complain.
Drop devices from the Support list and people complain.
Continue supporting old devices and people complain that they’re slow.
Introduce MacBook Airs in more muted colors and people complain that they are boring.
Introduce iMacs in fun shiny colors and people complain that they are childish.
Introduce M2 and people complain that it’s not that much different than M1.
Stick with M1 and people complain that Apples moving too slow and we should already be on M2.
Announce thin and light MacBook Pros and people complain that it should be thicker and heavier for bigger batteries and better cooling.
Introduce thicker and heavier MacBook Pro‘s and people complain that they’re tooth thick and too heavy.
And the list just goes on and on and on