Apple yesterday unveiled iPadOS 16, the newest version of the iOS operating system designed for the tablet form factor. iPadOS 16 has many of the features that are coming to iOS 16, but it also has some iPad specific updates.
One of those new features is an updated multitasking system called Stage Manager, but many iPad users are never going to get to test out Stage Manager because it only works on M1 iPads. There are just three M1 iPads at the current time, the M1 11-inch iPad Pro, the M1 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and the M1 iPad Air.
All other iPads that are using A-series chips simply will not get access to the new Stage Manager feature, and it is by far the biggest iPadOS 16 change.
Also available on Mac, Stage Manager is a whole new multitasking experience. You can overlap windows for the first time on the iPad, and resize those windows as well. The window of the main app that you're working on is front and center, with your other recently used apps off to the left for quick access when you need to swap.
You can have overlapping windows of different sizes, similar to on a Mac, and you can group apps together using drag and drop gestures. Stage Manager supports groups of up to four windows, plus another four if you have an external display attached to your iPad. Stage Manager also enables full external display support on the iPad.
The 64GB fifth-generation M1 iPad Air is the most affordable iPad that supports the Stage Manager feature, and it is priced at $599. The M1 iPad Pro models are priced starting at $799 for the 11-inch version and $1099 for the 12.9-inch version, but we do not recommend an iPad Pro purchase at this time as a refresh is in the works.
This doesn’t actually bother me as much as I thought it would. The iPad Pro is crazy expensive, it should get more functionality than $329 iPads. However there is a small caveat. I am very much annoyed that A12Z iPad Pro‘s that aren’t even two years old don’t get these features. They use that exact same processor for the Apple Silicon transition kit to run a complete version of macOS, so it is absolutely possible. It’s a real shame they’re leaving those customers who paid just as much or around the same amount for their 2020 iPad pros as those who purchased the 2021 iPad pros.
The 2020 iPad Pro is technically just the previous gen, it’s not fair that it doesn’t get this feature. It’s a $1000 device!
I don't think it's about fairness. What I find really really terrible is that the A12Z could easily handle the feature too and they're just gate keeping it 'because'
Tuesday December 12, 2023 10:20 am PST by Joe Rossignol
The first iOS 17.3 beta rolling out to developers today includes a new "Stolen Device Protection" feature that is designed to add an additional layer of security in the event someone has stolen your iPhone and also obtained the device's passcode. Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern and Nicole Nguyen reported about instances of thieves spying on a victim's iPhone...
Tuesday December 12, 2023 1:57 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple has made available for download its major end-of-year iPhone software update, iOS 17.2, featuring a large number of features and changes that users have been anticipating for quite a while. Below, we've listed 33 new things that your iPhone can do once you've installed the update. Check Settings ➝ General ➝ Software Update on your device to get downloading. 1. Help You Keep a Daily ...
With the launch of the iPhone 15, Apple introduced design changes like a curved frame and a frosted glass back. Information acquired by MacRumors suggests that Apple's next-generation iPhone 16 will build on these updates with modifications to the buttons and the camera layout. We have details on early pre-production designs for the iPhone 16, including a look at the variants and hardware...
Tuesday December 12, 2023 1:47 pm PST by Juli Clover
Earlier this year, General Motors (GM) announced plans to phase out Apple's CarPlay and Android Auto in its future electric vehicles, with the company instead relying on an infotainment system co-developed with Google. This has not been a popular decision with iPhone users, and today, GM provided some additional insight into the decision in a discussion with MotorTrend. According to Tim...
Monday December 11, 2023 10:46 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are still over nine months away from launching, there are already several rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped new features and changes expected for the devices so far. These are some of the key changes rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro models as of December 2023:Larger displays: The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped...
Monday December 11, 2023 9:58 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released tvOS 17.2, the second major update to the tvOS 17 operating system that came out in September 2023. tvOS 17.2 comes more than a month after tvOS 17.1, an update that expanded the availability of the Enhanced Dialogue feature. tvOS 17.2 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the Apple TV. Go to System > Software Update to get the new software. Apple TV...
Wednesday December 13, 2023 3:21 pm PST by Juli Clover
When Apple releases new software, iOS updates tend to get most of the attention, and there are sometimes useful new features in Mac updates that go under the radar. That's the case with macOS Sonoma 14.2. It doesn't have flashy features like the Journal app that came in iOS 17.2, but there are a number of useful improvements that make it worth installing. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube ...
Top Rated Comments
The iPad Pro is crazy expensive, it should get more functionality than $329 iPads.
However there is a small caveat.
I am very much annoyed that A12Z iPad Pro‘s that aren’t even two years old don’t get these features.
They use that exact same processor for the Apple Silicon transition kit to run a complete version of macOS, so it is absolutely possible.
It’s a real shame they’re leaving those customers who paid just as much or around the same amount for their 2020 iPad pros as those who purchased the 2021 iPad pros.