Apple confirms iPadOS 16 delay

Apple has announced that iPadOS 16 will not be made available to the public until after iOS 16 hits mobile devices.

Despite the fact that Apple has historically released the new iPadOS and iOS concurrently, this separation has always been a possibility ever since Apple separated the iPad's operating system in 2019.

Apple has a history of delaying particular aspects of its mobile operating systems, but it's an entirely different matter to delay the operating system itself, skipping the initial release. This announcement also validates an earlier rumour.

Several beta testers for the future operating system have commented that the Stage Manager multitasking system on iPadOS 16 feels extremely unfinished.

Despite the fact that iPadOS may not be ready for prime time, its delay may result in strange behaviour for iPad users who instantly update to iOS 16 for their iPhones. Messages edited on iOS will almost probably appear differently on an iPad, based on the beta system's behaviour, and it's uncertain how iPadOS will handle iCloud Shared Photo libraries.

The delay of iPadOS raises questions about macOS Ventura, which contains Stage Manager as well. However, it is simpler to ignore on the Mac as Apple's desktop operating system does not have the same history of being updated as the iPhone.

Even with the possible drawbacks, it is probably a good idea to delay the introduction of an unfinished OS. Apple has not officially announced a release date for iPadOS, but the wait is now confirmed to be longer.

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