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

[rui no onna]

The issue is likely technical not financial

It’s likely both.

Apple stopped selling brand new A12X/Z iPad Pros over a year ago. These likely don’t have a large enough user base for them to bother allocating development and testing resources on fixing bugs and ensuring compatibility with external monitors.

The M1 iPads likely have an even smaller user base right now. However, they’re still selling them and generating revenue. Chances are that M1 might trickle down to even entry level iPads in the future (2024 maybe?) making R&D for M1 more cost effective.

 

[rui no onna]

But they never actually put out a specific and official statement “explaining” their reasons. They just did it, and some people might wondered why, but most would shrug it off. Putting out a specific statement and pretending to be technical about it would only draw more scrutiny on the decision, imo.

I don’t think there’s ever been as much backlash as now and Apple only explained after the backlash.

 

[4jasontv]

Yes, so half their lineup has the M1 processor. I can't imagine the stage manager experience on the mini would be all that great either.

Out of all the ipads, stage manager on the mini makes the most sense because it has the most to benefit from having another display added.

From personal experience, the mini is almost always the iPad I reach for when I want to do something on an iPad.

 

[dumastudetto]

My advice to anyone who doesn't already own an M1 iPad Pro is: BUY ONE. It is totally worth the money, and as you can see there's incredible productivity potential that's about to be unleashed later this year.

If you don't care about great features, you can stay with your A12 iPad Pros.

It's a simple choice really. No need to get angry or upset. Just decide whether you want to upgrade or not, and then get on with your life.

 

[hans1972]

How does it add complexity? It's the same base platform. It's not like previous gen iPads use completely different sets of instructions. The only difference, as Apple themselves stated, is the performance, as they claimed. So the code will be the same, and Apple claimed one runs it slower than the other, thus they didn't enable it on previous gen iPads. That's it. How is that adding complexity to the codebase?

There might be difference in how the CPU, GPU, memory, SSD and external screen communicate with each others.
It makes the planning and testing more complex and time consuming.

What do they do if something is fast on M1 and slow on the A-series? Requires more man hours.

What if the internal API library which is communicating with the external screens can use some fancy new hardware functionality in M1 which would require changing the algorithm in the API to workaround it in the A-seres? Adds more programming and much more testing.

Having extremely uniform hardware to program and test saves so much resources.

Just think about Microsoft and the enormous amount of people they have to have to support Windows. I'm pretty sure they have 3-4 times more people than Apple has for macOS.

 

[4jasontv]

My advice to anyone who doesn't already own an M1 iPad Pro is: BUY ONE. It is totally worth the money, and as you can see there's incredible productivity potential that's about to be unleashed later this year.

If you don't care about great features, you can stay with your A12 iPad Pros.

It's a simple choice really. No need to get angry or upset. Just decide whether you want to upgrade or not, and then get on with your life.

The M1 iPads are great, but my advice is to wait for an M1 mini. It's so much more useful as a tablet then the Pro's. If you want something big and powerful, at the same price, that M2 air looks great.

 

[jameslmoser]

Out of all the ipads, stage manager on the mini makes the most sense because it has the most to benefit from having another display added.

From personal experience, the mini is almost always the iPad I reach for when I want to do something on an iPad.

I can't imagine a use case where I would prefer an iPad mini if what I was going to do would benefit using an external monitor..... but to each his own I guess.

 

[BobSc]

So non-M1 iPads can run the entirety of iPadOS exactly as it is on the M1 iPad but one singular multi-tasking window function is the straw that broke the camel's back?

If there was that much of a difference in graphical capacity, we'd see it in many, many more (and obvious) ways than just one window management feature. This is clearly an intentional software lock-out.

So let me get this straight. You are not an Apple engineer. Your logic indicates you aren't a scientist (ever hear of the scientific method?). But you make an assumption (that you have no apparent basis to make) in your mind and then declare an unproven statement as if it's fact. No wonder.....

 

[jameslmoser]

The M1 iPads are great, but my advice is to wait for an M1 mini. It's so much more useful as a tablet then the Pro's. If you want something big and powerful, at the same price, that M2 air looks great.

I wouldn't be surprised if the mini always got the chip being used in the iPhones.

 

[4jasontv]

I can't imagine a use case where I would prefer an iPad mini if what I was going to do would benefit using an external monitor..... but to each his own I guess.

I think the average person only gets one iPad at a time, and the issue with the 12.9 pros is that it's way too heavy. The mini is a better overall tablet.

 

[ian87w]

I don’t think there’s ever been as much backlash as now and Apple only explained after the backlash.

Was there really a huge backlash? I probably missed it. I don’t think there were such backlash compared to things like antennagate or bendgate. CMIIW though. I think if Apple had said nothing, it wouldn’t even be news by today.

 

[rui no onna]

My advice to anyone who doesn't already own an M1 iPad Pro is: BUY ONE. It is totally worth the money, and as you can see there's incredible productivity potential that's about to be unleashed later this year.

If you don't care about great features, you can stay with your A12 iPad Pros.

It's a simple choice really. No need to get angry or upset. Just decide whether you want to upgrade or not, and then get on with your life.

Meh, I’d say wait until next or even next, next gen. The features are still in beta right now anyway. There’ll probably be some new iPad Pros come October/November after iPadOS 16 is officially released.

 

[AppliedMicro]

They‘d rather have a new feature run buttery smooth in virtually all scenarios - than provide a useful feature that stutters under heavier load / memory usage.

…or have it working at least with their own stuff (displays). Cause that’s what they’re showing it with: with their own 6K Studio Display or 5K Studio Display.

But here’s the thing: iPads without M1 do not support the 5K/6K displays at full resolution (with the exception of the third generation iPad Pros).

And then, 5K/6K is a massive amount of pixels to push. Even 4K.

Apple is the kind of company that‘s going to withhold a new feature from devices on which it doesn’t work that well - and then cite „technical“ limitations and reasons for it.

Will you see an Apple Store employee demo Stage Manager to people - and when they ask if it also works with their wife’s / son’s two-year old iPad (that’s been updated to iPadOS 16) reply: „Yeah - but only with your old ****** Samsung display, not with the shiny new ones we‘re selling“?

 

[4jasontv]

I wouldn't be surprised if the mini always got the chip being used in the iPhones.

I would love an M1 iPhone mini with a wireless external display stage manager... 😍

 

[hans1972]

Because during the initial Dev phase this very question would have come up and there very likely is a test build set that runs, or tries to run, on the pre-M1 iPad Pro.

I'm pretty sure this is something they decided before they programmed one line of code.

They don't have to prove that it won't work.

Usually decisions like these are very simple to do:

Manager: Can these feature be implanted on older iPads?
Developer: Maybe, but it would require a lot of engineering resources and we're pretty sure it's going to be problematic due to little memory on older iPads. We're not sure we can guarantee a fast experience.
Manager: Are there are any other reasons to not support older iPads?
Developer: Yes, M1 has faster IO to both storage for swapping which can delay slowdown if running low on memory and communicating with the external screen
Manager: How about testing?
Developer: We can save a lot of testing resources and time by not having to test old iPads at all
Manager: Sounds good. I'm going to recommend we drop old iPads for this feature

Upper level manager: You make good technical arguments, but how about sales?
Manager: Worst case, they will still use their old iPad and pay for apps and services where we get a cut, best case: people will buy a new expensive iPad.
Upper level manager: Approved!

 

[4jasontv]

…or have it working at least with their own stuff (displays). Cause that’s what they’re showing it with: with their own 6K Studio Display or 5K Studio Display.

But here’s the thing: iPads without M1 do not support the 5K/6K displays at full resolution (with the exception of the third generation iPad Pros).

And then, 5K/6K is a massive amount of pixels to push. Even 4K.

Apple is the kind of company that‘s going to withhold a new feature from devices on which it doesn’t work that well - and then cite „technical“ limitations and reasons for it.

Will you see an Apple Store employee demo Stage Manager to people - and when they ask if it also works with their wife’s / son’s two-year old iPad (that’s been updated to iPadOS 16) reply: „Yeah - but only with your old ****** Samsung display, not with the shiny new ones we‘re selling“?

Counterpoint: Walmart doesn't sell the Studio Display.

 

[coolfactor]

I always run apps in max-zoom size (not full-screen, but windows taking up the full screen). How does Stage Manager work in this regard? If you attempt to max-zoom a window, does it take up 90% of the screen, allowing the stage-right sidebar to remain uncovered? Is there an artificial boundary that windows can't grow beyond?

 

[jameslmoser]

I would love an M1 iPhone mini with a wireless external display stage manager... 😍

I guess I should have been more specific... I don't see the M1 (or M2, M3, ....) coming to the iPhone, and I wouldn't be surprised if the mini never got it either. =)

 

[4jasontv]

I always run apps in max-zoom size (not full-screen, but windows taking up the full screen). How does Stage Manager work in this regard? If you attempt to max-zoom a window, does it take up 90% of the screen, allowing the stage-right sidebar to remain uncovered? Is there an artificial boundary that windows can't grow beyond?

I was curious about this too. When I first saw it I thought, is there a reason these windows aren't being presented in the dock?

 

[4jasontv]

I guess I should have been more specific... I don't see the M1 (or M2, M3, ....) coming to the iPhone, and I wouldn't be surprised if the mini never got it either. =)

That would be a real shame as the mini is hands down the best tablet Apple makes. The larger iPads are solid choices for people with basic computer needs, but they are just not as good of a tablet.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

So we’re designing features exclusively for the current generation of hardware now? That’s a decision, all right.

Yeah, it’s been a thing for quite awhile. Apple introduced LIDAR cameras at the same time that they enabled LIDAR features in the software.

 

[Tubamajuba]

My advice to anyone who doesn't already own an M1 iPad Pro is: BUY ONE. It is totally worth the money, and as you can see there's incredible productivity potential that's about to be unleashed later this year.

If you don't care about great features, you can stay with your A12 iPad Pros.

It's a simple choice really. No need to get angry or upset. Just decide whether you want to upgrade or not, and then get on with your life.

The amount of snark in your comment shows that you take it personally when people criticize Apple. Nice try though!

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Upper level manager: You make good technical arguments, but how about sales?
Manager: Worst case, people will buy a new expensive iPad.
Upper level manager: Approved!

Well, I mean WORST case, people DON’T buy a new iPad. And I’m fairly certain that, of the 400 million folks that currently own iPads, only 5% will be buying a new iPad, roughly 20 million. Most of those iPad bought probably won’t be able to use this new feature. And, that’s ok!

I understand that there’s a lot of people that have severe FOMO, but them having FOMO is not equivalent to Apple forcing them to buy a new iPad. And, be assured, most folks really have no problem just letting life go by and being happy with what they have. You don’t hear about them because they’re not on forums because they’re not afraid to miss out on what’s said.

 

[hans1972]

Apple could have further constrained the number of windows allowed if only 8GB ram was available you think for iPadOS Stage Manager?

That's not the Apple way when it comes to iOS and iPad OS. Apple likes consistency for a feature across devices. And so do customers.

Having different limits based on iPad models isn't very elegant, will lead to confusion and I think something Apple really just hates.

 

[hans1972]

There wqs no web. And all of humanity was better for it.

Exactly. But Apple has to face reality sometimes and deal with the web.