Apple reportedly delays the release of iPadOS 16 due to pacing and quality difficulties

After the iOS 16 update for iPhones was released in September, Apple will not release the iPadOS 16 software update until well into October. The information was found in a Bloomberg report that cited insiders.

In September, along with new flagship iPhone models, Apple often launches iPadOS, which is closely tied to iOS. Though it has occasionally arrived a little later, this would be an exceptionally long delay between releases.

The report’s sources claim that the delay might be attributed, at least in part, to the planned redesign of the multitasking capabilities of the iPad, which will include the new Stage Manager feature that is also coming to Macs in macOS. These functions were unveiled in June during Apple’s developer conference.

This year’s iPadOS testing phase has been somewhat difficult due to delayed release dates and some open criticism from developers. One complaint is that Stage Manager can only be used with the most recent iPad models, but other issues have included bugs and user acceptance.

The new release date will enable Apple to concentrate more of its efforts in the near future on the iPhone’s software, whose beta testing period has also been running behind schedule, in addition to providing the company more time to work out any problems or make more significant modifications.

According to report, an October release date for iPadOS 16 would coincide with the introduction of new iPad hardware that will use it, specifically an iPad Pro with an M2 chip and a less expensive entry-level iPad that switches the exclusive Lightning port for the more common USB port, as has already happened to the rest of the iPad lineup.

The fact that macOS updates normally arrive in October rather than September could also result in Stage Manager being released at about similar times on both the Mac and iPad platforms, rather than the iPad being released first.

Third-party app developers and their users may also experience difficulties as a result of the delay, particularly those who are developing universal apps. For instance, depending on how developers went about implementing them in their efforts to support both platforms, the delay in iPadOS 16 could result in delays in some capabilities for iPhone apps employing iOS 16 features.

The article points out that as always, when the product and software launches for this autumn get closer, Apple’s plans could alter.