Stage Manager is set to bring multi-window support to iPadOS 16, but was limited to M1 iPads at WWDC. Now it will come to more iPad models.
apple brings Manager support for more iPads without the M1 chip. The company first announced Stage Manager at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2022, but planned to limit the feature to M1-equipped iPads, citing concerns that the user experience on other models was unresponsive. not up to societal standards. Stage Manager support is something experienced iPad users might seriously consider when choosing to purchase or upgrade, as it brings true multi-window support for the first time. Additionally, Stage Manager could be crucial for a productive workflow for people trying to use an iPad as their primary (or only) computer.
Although the announcement that the Registrar would only come to M1 iPads was a disappointing part of WWDC 2022, it seemed like a justifiable decision. The M1 chip present in the latest iPad Air and Pro models is a laptop-class chip capable of better performance. It makes sense that multi-window support – providing a graphical user interface similar to laptops and desktops – requires more processing power. It would also require more RAM, and the M1 chip brought Virtual Memory Swap to iPadOS 16. The M1 chip can use Virtual Memory Swap to allocate part of the device’s storage as RAM to provide a better experience. With these hardware considerations in mind, Apple’s choice to make Stage Manager exclusive to M1 iPads made sense.
Apple has rolled out the iPadOS 16 developer beta 10, and after a quick look at the software update release notes, no major changes stand out. However, after updating older devices to the latest iPadOS beta, testers found one notable change: non-M1 iPads were able to turn on and use Stage Manager. Initially, only iPads with the M1 chip could use Stage Manager, and the feature was disabled by default. Additionally, the most recent beta version of iPadOS also removed external display support from all iPads. External display support was introduced as a flagship feature in iPadOS 16 and has been included in all developer betas to date, but was pulled from the tenth developer beta software release.
Apple confirms external display support is pending
Stage Manager will now support two other Apple chips beyond M1 – the A12X and A12Z. This brings Stage Manager to more iPad Pro models, including the 11-inch iPad Pro (first generation and later) and 12.9-inch iPad Pro (third generation and later). Although these iPads now support Stage Manager, the feature will only be available on the iPad’s built-in display. M1-equipped iPads will regain external display support later this year, but other models are still being left behind. But what led to the decision to bring Stage Manager to more iPad models?
Apple changed course after seeing significant demand for the feature among other iPad users, it said in a statement to Fingadget. “We introduced Stage Manager as a whole new way to multitask with resizable overlapping windows on both the iPad screen and a separate external display, with the ability to run up to eight live apps on screen at once”, apple said Fingadget. “Offering this multi-screen support is only possible with the full power of M1-based iPads.” Although he found that supporting eight simultaneous windows was impossible on the A12X and A12Z, these chips could maintain four windows.
“Customers with 3rd and 4th generation iPad Pro have expressed strong interest in being able to experience Stage Manager on their iPad”, the statement continued. “In response, our teams worked hard to find a way to provide a single-screen version for these systems, with simultaneous support for up to four live apps on the iPad screen.” The move is good news for iPad Pro users who haven’t upgraded to the M1 model, assuming the user experience is tolerable. Unfortunately, that remains to be seen as Apple has already delayed iPadOS 16 due to the complexity of Stage Manager. Either way, Apple’s continued response and heed to consumer demands in recent years is a positive trend that users hope to continue.
Source: Apple developer, Endgadget
