Apple Explains Why Stage Manager is Limited to M1 iPads in New Statement

One of iPadOS 16's key new features is Stage Manager, which allows users to resize apps into overlapping windows for an improved multitasking experience. Stage Manager also fully supports an external display, allowing users to work with up to four apps on the iPad and up to four apps on the external display simultaneously.

ipados 16 stage manager
To the disappointment of some users, Stage Manager is limited to iPad models with an M1 chip, including the latest iPad Pro and iPad Air. In a statement shared with Rene Ritchie, Apple explained its rationale for this limitation by asserting that the Stage Manager experience "requires large internal memory, incredibly fast storage, and flexible external display I/O, all of which are delivered by iPads with the M1 chip."

Apple's full statement, as shared by Ritchie:

Stage Manager is a fully integrated experience that provides all-new windowing experience that is incredibly fast and responsive and allow users to run 8 apps simultaneously across iPad and an external display with up to 6K resolution. Delivering this experience with the immediacy users expect from iPad's touch-first experience requires large internal memory, incredibly fast storage, and flexible external display I/O, all of which are delivered by iPads with the M1 chip.

For example, the M1 iPad Pro is available with up to 16GB of RAM, compared to 6GB in the previous-generation iPad Pro. Apple also advertises the M1 iPad Pro as having 2x faster storage than the previous-generation model.

While the Stage Manager feature is limited to iPad models with an M1 chip, iPadOS 16 as a whole is compatible with all iPad Pro models, the third-generation iPad Air and newer, the fifth-generation iPad and newer, and the fifth-generation iPad mini and newer. The update is currently in beta for developers, with Apple planning to release a public beta in July. iPadOS 16 should be released to all users around September.

Related Roundups: iPad Pro, iPad Air
Related Forum: iPad

Top Rated Comments

Rory76 Avatar
19 months ago

Maybe, but why try to make new features work with old hardware that is approaching end of support?

I get it, nice for the customer, but as far as apple is concerned, it is adding complexity to the codebase for hardware that won't be viable for many more years.

And un-necessary complexity in software is a major source of bugs.
The 2020 iPad Pro is approaching the end of support??? ?
Score: 74 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HiVolt Avatar
19 months ago
They could have probably made the feature work on older iPad Pro's without the external display support, but you could still have it on the device.

The 2018/2020 were pretty powerful chips.
Score: 69 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Think|Different Avatar
19 months ago
It’s lose/lose — everyone will just comment they are “lying” as if they know the intricacies of their inner workings, engineering pipeline, or business track. Whether we like it or not, there’s a reason they are a multi-trillion dollar company and it’s not listening to Redditors or MacRumors commentators.
Score: 59 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lounge vibes 05 Avatar
19 months ago

It’s lose/lose — everyone will just comment they are “lying” as if they know the intricacies of their inner workings, engineering pipeline, or business track. Whether we like it or not, there’s a reason they are a multi-trillion dollar company and it’s not listening to Redditors or MacRumors commentators.
Yep, exact same with the whole iPhone 7 being dropped this year.
Explain how it’s clearly the lock screen and other features requiring the neural engine.
“Oh well they could easily just strip the new lock screen and everything else requiring NE out.”
Explain how ripping things out of the operating system, especially huge things like the Lock Screen, isn’t as easy as it seems and wouldn’t really be worth it to save one device.
“Oh well it’s forced obsolescence, because of course it is.”
Ask “how is it forced obsolescence if the iPhone 6S was literally the longest supported phone with a full seven years of updates, and the iPhone 7 is only one year behind that?”
“It just is OK, it’s forced obsolescence. It just is.”
Ask “well what about the fact that Apple didn’t change the support list for three OS’s in a row?”
“It’s still forced obsolescence because Apple bad my phone need to be supported forever company evil etc etc etc”
Literally no matter what Apple does people will complain.
Drop devices from the Support list and people complain.
Continue supporting old devices and people complain that they’re slow.
Introduce MacBook Airs in more muted colors and people complain that they are boring.
Introduce iMacs in fun shiny colors and people complain that they are childish.
Introduce M2 and people complain that it’s not that much different than M1.
Stick with M1 and people complain that Apples moving too slow and we should already be on M2.
Announce thin and light MacBook Pros and people complain that it should be thicker and heavier for bigger batteries and better cooling.
Introduce thicker and heavier MacBook Pro‘s and people complain that they’re tooth thick and too heavy.
And the list just goes on and on and on
Score: 48 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BF1M Avatar
19 months ago
To sell more iPads. Let’s be real. It’s Siri all over again.
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
19 months ago
Apple’s statement does not explain much. I think the simple answer is Apple wants us to upgrade to a new M1 iPad. Anyone remember the support for Siri.
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

apple card 1

Apple Ending Apple Card Partnership With Goldman Sachs

Tuesday November 28, 2023 3:09 pm PST by
Apple is ending its credit card partnership with Goldman Sachs, according to The Wall Street Journal. Apple plans to stop working with Goldman Sachs in the next 12 to 15 months, and it is not yet clear if Apple has established a new partnership for the Apple Card. Apple and Goldman Sachs will dissolve their entire consumer partnership, including the Apple Card and the Apple Savings account....
iOS 17

Everything New in iOS 17.2 Beta 4

Tuesday November 28, 2023 12:18 pm PST by
Apple is wrapping up development on iOS 17.2, with the update expected to come out in December. While we're getting to the end of the beta testing period, Apple is still tweaking features and adding new functionality. We've rounded up everything new in the fourth beta of iOS 17.2. Default Notification Sound Under Sounds & Haptics, there's a new "Default Alerts" section that allows you to ...
ios 17 namedrop

Police Departments and News Sites Spreading Misinformation About How iOS 17 NameDrop Feature Works

Monday November 27, 2023 5:11 pm PST by
Apple with iOS 17.1 and watchOS 10.1 introduced a new NameDrop feature that is designed to allow users to place Apple devices near one another to quickly exchange contact information. Sharing contact information is done with explicit user permission, but some news organizations and police departments have been spreading misinformation about how NameDrop functions. As noted by The Washington...
All New CarPlay Five New Features Article 2

What to Expect From All-New CarPlay, Still Listed as Coming 'Late 2023'

Tuesday November 28, 2023 7:44 am PST by
At WWDC in June 2022, Apple previewed the next generation of CarPlay, promising deeper integration with vehicle functions like A/C and FM radio, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, increased personalization, and more. Apple's website still says the first vehicles with support for the next-generation CarPlay experience will be announced in "late 2023," but it has not shared...
iOS 17

iOS 17.1.2 Update for iPhone Likely to Be Released This Week

Monday November 27, 2023 8:24 am PST by
Apple will likely release iOS 17.1.2 this week, based on mounting evidence of the software in our website's analytics logs in recent days. As a minor update, iOS 17.1.2 should be focused on bug fixes, but it's unclear exactly which issues might be addressed. Some users have continued to experience Wi-Fi issues on iOS 17.1.1, so perhaps iOS 17.1.2 will include the same fix for Wi-Fi...
Apple 5G Modem Feature Triad

Apple to Discontinue Custom 5G Modem Development, Claim Reports

Wednesday November 29, 2023 4:19 am PST by
Apple is discontinuing in-house modem development after several unsuccessful attempts to perfect its own custom 5G modem chip, according to unconfirmed reports coming out of Asia. According to the operator of news aggregator account "yeux1122" on the Naver blog, supply chain sources related to Apple's 5G modem departments claim that the company's attempts to develop its own modem have...
Apple Logo

Apple Discontinued These 5 Products This Year

Monday November 27, 2023 7:03 am PST by
As the end of 2023 nears, now is a good opportunity to look back at some of the devices and accessories that Apple discontinued throughout the year. Apple products discontinued in 2023 include the iPhone 13 mini, 13-inch MacBook Pro, MagSafe Battery Pack, MagSafe Duo Charger, and leather accessories. Also check out our lists of Apple products discontinued in 2022 and 2021. iPhone Mini ...
Google Drive

Some Google Drive Users' Files Have Mysteriously Vanished

Tuesday November 28, 2023 3:55 am PST by
Google Drive users have been warned not to disconnect their account within the Google Drive for desktop app, after a spate of reports of files going missing from the cloud service. Alarm bells began ringing last week on Google's community support site when some users reported files mysteriously disappearing from Google Drive, with some posters claiming six or more months of data had...