iPadOS 16 will come after iOS 16 starts hitting phones

• iPadOS 16.0 won’t be released until after iOS hits phones this fall.
• Apple has delayed individual components of its mobile OS before, but it’s a major move to forgo the first release.
• Many beta testers have commented that the Stage Manager multitasking system feels underbaked.

Apple announced iPadOS 16.0 won’t be released until after iOS hits phones. TechCrunch quoted “the company” as saying, “we have the flexibility to deliver iPadOS on its own schedule. This Fall, iPadOS will ship after iOS, as version 16.1 in a free software update.”

Apple normally releases iPadOS and iOS together, although this decoupling has been a possibility since Apple separated apart iPadOS in 2019. iPadOS 13.1 was launched less than a week after iOS 13’s tumultuous launch. Apple has delayed individual components of its mobile OSes before, but it’s a major move to forgo the first release of the OS.

This news comes with the first beta release of iPadOS 16.1. Apple’s developer site lacks 16.1 beta release notes. The business also released iOS 16 for iPhone developers, although it’s 16.0, not 16.1.

Apple didn’t immediately react to delaying of iPadOS. Many beta testers have commented that the Stage Manager multitasking system feels underbaked. My colleague David Pierce despised Stage Manager when he previewed the OS, and Federico Viticci just tweeted a request to Apple to delay the feature, alleging problems “every few minutes” and “UI flaws everywhere” Some of the feature’s design is “fundamentally misguided,” he said.

The fact that going back to classic Split View and Slide Over feels *so* nice right now is…pretty telling.

Advertisement

If Stage Manager is the future of iPadOS for pro users, I hope Apple understands that it can’t be rushed. We waited years for this; might as well get it in Spring 2023.

— Federico Viticci (@viticci) August 18, 2022

iPadOS doesn’t seem ready for primetime, but its delay could cause unusual behaviour for iPad users who quickly update to iOS 16. Based on the betas, iOS messages edited on an iPad will likely look different, and it’s unclear how iPadOS will handle iCloud Shared Photo libraries. As a beta tester, I can tell you it’s irritating to get used to features on one device and not have them on another with a similar OS. I could become annoyed if I forgot my iPad doesn’t have Passkeys or emoji dictation.

iPadOS’ delay raises questions about macOS Ventura and Stage Manager. On the Mac, it’s easy to ignore (I asked a colleague how to activate it), and Apple’s desktop OS isn’t updated with the iPhone.

Despite the risks, delaying an unfinished OS release is definitely a wise idea. Apple hasn’t officially released iPadOS (or iOS), but the wait is becoming longer.

Also Read

Don’t get iPhone 14, instead, get iPhone 13 Pro

The iPhone 14 Max could be the first time Apple has made...