iPadOS 16.1 Beta Out, Stable Release Scheduled After iOS 16: Report

iPadOS 16.1 beta version is out now and Apple has confirmed that it will skip the iPadOS 16 public release, as per a report. The company further said that the tablet's operating system will be available for users after the release of iOS 16 — essentially confirming earlier reports that suggested that the Cupertino-based giant will delay its next major iPad software update. Speculations are rife that both iOS 16.1 and iPadOS 16.1 updates will release at — or around — the same time.

As per a report by TechCrunch, Apple said that it has the flexibility to deliver iPadOS on its own schedule. “This is an especially big year for iPadOS. As its own platform with features specifically designed for iPad, 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,” the Tim Cook-led company was quoted as saying.

The delay in launching iPadOS 16 was first reported by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman earlier this month. He claimed that Apple may not release the newest iterations of both iOS and iPadOS at the same time and, in fact, delay the major iPad software update by about a month. Apple is expected to release iOS 16 at or soon after the purported September 7 iPhone 14 launch event.

Gurman claimed that the delay of the software is due, at least in part, to an ambitious effort to overhaul the iPad's multitasking capabilities. He further noted the drawbacks of not launching the major software update for the smartphone and tablet at the same time. He claimed that the move of launching iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 (or iPadOS 16.1 as reported above) might prove to be sensible for the Cupertino-based company, but for those who are using both an iPhone and an iPad may have to deal with problems with the seamless working of apps.

Both iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 were unveiled and talked about at length at this year's WWDC conference. Apple released the public beta of iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, tvOS 16, and WatchOS 9 in July. One of the most talked about features is the Stage Manager that lets users operate several tasks at the same time, resize windows as well as bounce between different clusters of apps.