Apple has just rolled out iPadOS 16.1 beta to enrolled developers ahead of the fall’s iOS 16 release, suggesting the company will likely be skipping iPadOS 16.0 and going straight to 16.1 (via TechCrunch).
A few weeks back, it was reported by Mark Gurman that Apple is delaying iPadOS 16’s release date by one month to October, due to the upcoming overhaul of the iPad’s multitasking features.
Since Apple is expected to debut a new iPad Pro with M2 chip and entry iPad, Gurman said the staggered iPadOS 16 release may coincide better with the expected hardware announcement.
Today’s release also seems to confirm the fact that the first version of iPadOS 16 will ship to non-beta users after the arrival of iOS 16.
In a comment to TechCrunch, the company notes, “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.”
Looks like future iPadOS releases will no longer be tied to the iOS release schedule. The company can update the tablet’s operating system as it sees fit.
As of now, Apple’s website for iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 still says “coming this fall”.
