Stage Manager has been all anyone has talked about since Apple announced the feature back at WWDC 2022, but it appears to be causing even more problems for Apple.
A new report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has claimed that Apple will be delaying the official launch of iPadOS 16 until October 2022. The software was initially scheduled to launch in September of this year alongside iOS 16 and watchOS 9. The delay in Apple's tablet software seems to be attributed to Stage Manager.
"The delay of the software is due, at least in part, to an ambitious effort to overhaul the iPad's multitasking capabilities. The update includes a feature called Stage Manager that lets users operate several tasks at the same time, resize windows, and bounce between different clusters of apps," Gurman said.
While many people were hoping for new and improved multitasking features on their best iPad, Stage Manager has faced its share of criticism since the iPadOS beta was released. While bugs are expected in beta software, some users have found Stage Manager confusing and unintuitive. There were a few grumblings about the Stage Manager not working on older iPads when it was first realized despite Apple explaining that it couldn't run on the older hardware.
Delay could be a blessing in disguise
A delay may be disappointing for some, but it's not new for Apple to delay the release of something if it doesn't feel the product or feature is up to its standard. Plus, it could be a blessing in disguise for Apple.
As of right now, iOS 16, watchOS 9, and macOS 13 Ventura are all scheduled to launch on time, which should correspond with the arrival of the iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Series 8. However, the rumored iPad release widow — likely for the M2 iPad Pro — was looking to be October anyway. If the software is truly delayed, it could now match the launch of the hardware that's probably going to utilize the iPadOS 16 to its fullest potential.
