iPad 16.1, new iPads likely to arrive in the last week of October

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman tweets that iPadOS 16.1 will launch in the final week of October, likely along with new iPad Pros.

From his tweet: iPadOS 16.1 is on track to be released the week of Oct. 24th — barring any new bugs or issues. Apple has historically held launches the week of its earnings calls in October.

About iPadOS 16.1

iPadOS 16 was previewed at June’s Apple Worldwide Developer Conference. Apple says it’s a “major update that makes the iPad experience even more versatile.”

Taking advantage of the power of the M1 chip, the controversial Stage Manager in iPadOS 16 brings a new way to multitask with multiple overlapping windows and full external display support. Collaboration is easier than ever with new ways to start working with others in apps across the system using Messages, and the new Freeform app (which probably won’t arrive with iPadOS 16.1) provides a flexible canvas to brainstorm on together, Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering, said at WWDC.

New tools in Mail are designed to help users be more productive. Safari adds shared Tab Groups to browse the web with others, and the browsing experience gets even more secure with passkeys. 

The new Weather app takes full advantage of the iPad display, and Live Text now interacts with text in video. New pro features — including Reference Mode and Display Zoom — make iPad an even more powerful mobile studio, says Federighi, who says the “iPad is our most versatile device.

New features in Messages are designed to make it easy to start collaborating and manage shared content across Files, Keynote, Numbers, Pages, Notes, Reminders, and Safari, as well as third-party apps. When users send an invitation to collaborate via Messages, everyone on the thread is automatically added to the document, spreadsheet, or project. 

When someone makes a change to a shared file, everyone can see updates right at the top of the Messages thread. And when a user is working on a collaborative project, they can easily jump into the associated Messages conversation or just tap to start a FaceTime call with their collaborators.

Users can now edit or recall recently sent messages, recover recently deleted messages, and mark conversations as unread so they can come back to them later.1 Additionally, users can now begin a SharePlay session via Messages, so they can choose a shared activity — like a movie, TV show, workout, or game — and enjoy it together in sync while chatting via Messages.

New iPad Pros

Along with iPadOS 16.1, Apple will also certainly debut new iPad Pros. The new tablets are rumored to pack a M2 processor and perhaps be equipped with MagSafe charging. Other rumors about the 2022 iPad Pro:

° It will have a glass back for wireless charging. 

° It will get a notch akin to that of the iPhone 13 models.

° It will sport an M2 processor.

° It will have a bigger battery.

° It will have an OLED display.

° Apple will provide more 5G bands.