The M1 iPad Air: A Game-Changer Thanks to iPadOS 16
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Chapter 1: The Unexpected Purchase
I never anticipated making a change this quickly. I had firmly believed I wouldn’t budge on my stance regarding the M1 chip in the iPad. It seemed I had made a solid argument, but here I am.
Last week, I found myself ordering the M1 iPad Air, and it’s all due to the allure of iPadOS 16.
The Surprising Appeal of the M1 iPad Air
Addressing the inquiries surrounding Apple's latest tablet...
Despite my hopes for a major advancement in iPadOS during this year's WWDC, I was left feeling underwhelmed. There were no groundbreaking updates or the introduction of pro applications. However, the M1-exclusive enhancements in the upcoming iPadOS compelled me to finally embrace the newest hardware iteration.
But don’t worry—I have a strategy!
Why I Hesitated to Join the M1 iPad Revolution
I won’t repeat my previous critiques regarding the M1 iPad, as regular readers are aware of my skepticism—until now, perhaps.
I currently own four iPads, which is at least three too many for anyone with common sense. None feature the M1 chip, and I’ve never missed it. My collection includes a 2018 12.9-inch iPad Pro, the impressive iPad mini 6, an iPad 9, and a fourth-generation iPad Air.
I’m swapping out the latter for the M1 iPad Air 5, while keeping the others in active use. The iPad mini remains my primary device for note-taking and media consumption, the iPad 9 is essential for autocue tasks, and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is my go-to for media and lighting control in the studio.
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This has always been my stance on the M1 iPad: I’ve never felt like I was testing the limits of my existing devices. Even the 2018 model retains its speed and performance.
Yet, with iPadOS 16 on the horizon, this could all change.
What Excites Me About iPadOS 16
Two specific features in iPadOS 16 have truly captured my interest.
The first is Stage Manager, a novel approach to multitasking on Apple’s tablet. It mimics the interface found in macOS Ventura’s version of the same feature, but I find the iPad variant far more appealing.
Previously, I’ve expressed my dissatisfaction with Apple’s multitasking implementation in iPadOS. It often felt clumsy, cumbersome, and, worst of all, hard to discover. It seemed as if Apple would prefer if it simply wasn’t an option.
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Integrating Stage Manager into iPadOS 16, closely resembling its Mac counterpart, is a stroke of brilliance. It offers consistency across both platforms and finally introduces effective overlapping and resizable window management to the iPad. That’s all we ever wanted, Tim!
The second exciting feature tied to Stage Manager is enhanced support for external displays. Finally! You can connect your iPad to a monitor via Thunderbolt and enjoy an extended screen experience instead of a mirrored display.
With Stage Manager, this new capability allows users to view up to eight apps simultaneously (four on each screen) and effortlessly drag and drop applications between the displays. If the demos are any indication, this may be what fully integrates me into the world of iPad productivity.
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The Plan
My brand new M1 iPad Air is expected to arrive at the end of this month. Unless I face any shipping setbacks (which have been frequent over the past year), it should coincide perfectly with the public beta launch of iPadOS 16 in July.
Once available, I intend to shift some critical tasks to the iPad, utilizing Stage Manager, external display support, and the enticing updates to the Files app to evaluate its performance.
These tasks will primarily focus on blogging, but I suspect many administrative duties could also transition from my MacBook Air to the M1 iPad Air. We'll see how it goes.
Final Thoughts
I understand there are many iPad owners disappointed by the lack of non-M1 support for features like Stage Manager and the new external display capabilities. It’s a tough reality, especially for those who recently invested significantly in an iPad lacking the new chip.
This is often the nature of progress. Apple is making it increasingly clear that the M-series chips represent the future of the iPad. The features mentioned will likely be just the beginning of a wave of M1-specific updates. For those without compatible devices, the situation may only worsen.
I anticipate the M1 chip will eventually be incorporated into the iPad mini next year, and eventually into the standard Touch ID iPad. As the pace of change accelerates, we can expect the arrival of pro applications as well.
We are on the brink of a new era for the iPad, and while it may be challenging for some, I am eager to explore the public beta next month.
Expect plenty of insights!
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I've Finally Done It !!! | #shorts - YouTube
This brief video showcases the excitement and relief of finally making the decision to purchase the M1 iPad Air.
FINALLY FINALLY - TESTIMONY JOE - YouTube
In this video, the speaker shares their journey of finally embracing the new technology and its implications for productivity.