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Speaking of iPadOS 26, I may have to get a keyboard case with touchpad for my iPad Air 13" if I want to fully exploit its features, especially now with its MacOS-like controls.
 
Speaking of iPadOS 26, I may have to get a keyboard case with touchpad for my iPad Air 13" if I want to fully exploit its features, especially now with its MacOS-like controls.

Don't you find it ergonomically "bad" to use your iPad like this?

I keep getting told around here that's why we can't/shouldn't have touchscreen MacBooks.
 
It appears that the new UI for iPadOS 26 is not yet "feature complete." Hopefully it will be by the time the first public beta arrives in the second week of July 2025.
 
Why can’t preview come to iOS?

Why does the weaker iPad mini get to run a Split View/multitasking but the more powerful iPad Pro somehow can’t? Like it doesn’t even need to offer all the windows, etc. but let us have two apps running together isn’t unreasonable…

Is this all being gatekept for the “iPhone fold” next year?

Preview did come to iOS 26.
 
So, windowing available on non-silicon devices?

did they kill stage manager? i didnt hear it mentioned once. (i am multitasking)

I know you mean Mx series processors, but for clarity all iPads and iPhones have always been running on apple silicon processors.
 
I don't get this
  • iPad Air (M2 and later)
  • iPad Air (3rd generation and later)
What if you have an iPad Air M1?

update: Just saw that someone got the same question as me.....
Ok I think we have the answer here

iPadOS 26 allows for multiple app windows, each of which can be resized freely on the display. The feature works on all ‌iPad‌ models able to run iPadOS 26, though there are limitations on how many apps can be open at once. On older iPads, for example, you're limited to four apps. Newer iPads can have more open app windows.

So iPad Air M1 should be limited to 4 apps at the same time, while still be compatible with iPadOS 26, and the M2 and M3 would be able to suit more.
 
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So, windowing available on non-silicon devices?

did they kill stage manager? i didnt hear it mentioned once. (i am multitasking)

The current iPads are all Apple Silicon. They're just not all M-series.

Hmm, I think even the OG iPad was Apple Silicon (Apple A4, iirc). It's not like the iPads ever had an Intel version. The first iPhones were normal ARM though.
 
Ok I think we have the answer here

iPadOS 26 allows for multiple app windows, each of which can be resized freely on the display. The feature works on all ‌iPad‌ models able to run iPadOS 26, though there are limitations on how many apps can be open at once. On older iPads, for example, you're limited to four apps. Newer iPads can have more open app windows.

So iPad Air M1 should be limited to 4 apps at the same time, while still be compatible with iPadOS 26, and the M2 and M3 would be able suit more.

The M1 iPad Air (5th gen) has 8GB RAM. The 4-app limit is probably for even older iPads with less RAM:

  • iPad mini 5: A12 3GB
  • iPad Air 3: A12 3GB
  • iPad 8th gen: A12 3GB
  • iPad 9th gen: A13 3GB
  • iPad 10th gen: A14 4GB
  • iPad Air 4: A14 4GB
 
liquid glass more like windows vista

Looks pretty nice, but tech is boring nowadays and that's all they can come up with besides new carplay and widget shenanigans.
 
The M1 iPad Air (5th gen) has 8GB RAM. The 4-app limit is probably for even older iPads with less RAM:

  • iPad mini 5: A12 3GB
  • iPad Air 3: A12 3GB
  • iPad 8th gen: A12 3GB
  • iPad 9th gen: A13 3GB
  • iPad 10th gen: A14 4GB
  • iPad Air 4: A14 4GB
I get what you say, but the report on iPad M2+ and iPad 3rd+ generation iPadOS 26 compatibility were coming from Apple support site. Maybe it's more graphic intensive for more than 4 apps and requires M2+?. So I don't know what to tell you other than we need a beta (which Im not installing but hope someone does) or wait for the final release to really know.
 
I get what you say, but the report on iPad M2+ and iPad 3rd+ generation iPadOS 26 compatibility were coming from Apple support site. Maybe it's more graphic intensive for more than 4 apps and requires M2+?. So I don't know what to tell you other than we need a beta (which Im not installing but hope someone does) or wait for the final release to really know.

If you're talking about how it's listed like this, that's just because the official names changed.

The M1 iPad Air is officially called the iPad Air 5th generation. Apple changed the naming convention with the iPad Pro (M4) and iPad Air (M2). The M2 iPad Pros are called the iPad Pro 12.9-inch 6th generation and iPad Pro 11-inch 4th generation.

Going by your logic, only the iPad Pro (M4) will have more apps open while M1 and M2 will only have 4 apps which is unlikely.

iPadOS 26 supports the following iPad models:
  • iPad Pro (M4)
  • iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later)
  • iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later)
  • iPad Air (M2 and later)
  • iPad Air (3rd generation and later)
 
If you're talking about how it's listed like this, that's just because the official names changed.

The M1 iPad Air is officially called the iPad Air 5th generation. Apple changed the naming convention with the iPad Pro (M4) and iPad Air (M2). The M2 iPad Pros are called the iPad Pro 12.9-inch 6th generation and iPad Pro 11-inch 4th generation.

Going by your logic, only the iPad Pro (M4) will have more apps open while M1 and M2 will only have 4 apps which is unlikely.

iPadOS 26 supports the following iPad models:
  • iPad Pro (M4)
  • iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later)
  • iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later)
  • iPad Air (M2 and later)
  • iPad Air (3rd generation and later)
That would make sense now. I didn't notice they changed the naming convention. Thank you for figuring that one out. But I certainly understand how it can be confusing for the end consumer.
 
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