Apple has delivered: With iPadOS 16, the cult manufacturer has turned the iPad into a real workhorse. Above all, the “Stage Manager” function opens up completely new possibilities for productive work – all the more annoying that Apple artificially limits it.
A commentary by Kaan Gürayer.
iPadOS 16 with new window management
At the keynote for WWDC 2022, Apple also showed a new version of its iPad operating system. iPadOS 16 once again takes Apple’s notebook and desktop computers as a model and makes the iPad a little more Mac replacement. This is the one in particular thanks to the new window manager Stage Manager. For the first time, overlapping app windows like macOS or Windows are possible on the iPad. In connection with that enhanced support for external displays Apple promises a “new multitasking experience.”
The demo at the developer fair was indeed impressive. “Stage Manager” could finally turn the iPad into the workhorse that iPad owners have been asking for since the introduction of the Pro series in 2015 at the latest.
The crux of the matter: the compatibility.
Stage Manager only available on iPads with M1 chip
If you want to use Stage Manager, you need an iPad with an M1 chip. To date, only two models have it: the iPad Pro 2021 and the latest iPad Air, which Apple presented in the spring. All other iPads look in the tube. The same limitation applies to external display support.
Apple’s tying software features to hardware conditions is nothing new. Intel Macs can tell you a thing or two about this. With each new macOS version, they are put a little further on the sidelines. As a rule, however, such restrictions are understandable. For example, many of the newer macOS features are based on the Neural Engine in the M1 chip, which is missing on Macs with Intel processors. In the However, this is not the case with Stage Manager.
There’s no reason why, say, an iPad Pro 2020 with powerful A12Z Bionic and up to 12GB of RAM shouldn’t be able to run the new window management in iPadOS 16 – after all the M1 chip is based on the A12Z Bionic.
All new features of iPadOS 16:
Apple wants to persuade iPad owners to upgrade
There are apparently no technical reasons for Stage Manager’s M1 exclusivity. Rather, Apple is likely to be pursuing a simple goal with the restriction: to persuade owners of older iPads to upgrade to new models with gentle pressure.
And I hate to admit it, but it worked for me! In autumn my “old” iPad Pro 2018 will be replaced by a 2022 model that will hopefully be presented again.