iPadOS 16 is a joke. If Apple wasn't going to bring a true iPadOS 15 successor to iPads it released in the last year or 2 and only support iPad Air 5 and latest iPad Pro with M1 with all of its latest and best features, it should have come up with better solutions. So glad I sold my 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2018. This is going to confuse the hell out of customers who purchase the new iPad mini, 9th gen iPad, etc. when they find out none of the major new features are supported.
The whole "it needs M1" is marketing speak for buy an M1 iPad to really get iPadOS 16. Apple could and should do better, especially since it still can't get its iPad story straight after all these years. iPadOS 16 only highlights the fact.