Apple released the iPadOS 16 on Oct. 24, 2022, and all the latest iPad models ship with it, but can users update an old iPad to the latest operating system? Apple unveiled the iPadOS 16 at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2022 before rolling out the iPadOS 16.1 developer beta in August.
However, the tech giant confirmed that iPadOS 16 would be delayed this year. Apple did not clarify why it postponed the release of iPadOS 16. In a statement to TechCrunch, it mentioned that it has “the flexibility to deliver iPadOS on its own schedule.” At the moment, iPadOS 16.1 is available as a stable upgrade.
Many users might not know this, but iPadOS 16 is only the fourth version of iPadOS released by Apple. With iPadOS 16, Apple has released many new features for iPad users, including the long-awaited Weather app, improved Files app, Mail, Live Text, iCloud Share Photo Library, and Stage Manager, among others. All the iPads Apple released in 2022 either launched with iPadOS 16 out of the box or received an update to the latest OS in the case of the iPad Air (5th generation) launched in March this year. But what about the older iPads? Can users with old iPad models update to iPadOS 16? The answer to this question is a little tricky.
These iPads Support The iPadOS 16
Whether an iPad supports the latest version of iPadOS depends on how old it is. Of course, the newest iPad models all ship with iPadOS 16, like the entry-level iPad (10th generation), the 2022 11-inch iPad Pro (4th generation) and the 2022 12.9-inch iPad Pro (6th generation). Apple is known for its excellent software update, though, and the iPad is no exception. The oldest iPad model that supports iPadOS 16 is the iPad Pro from 2015, which featured an A10X Fusion chip and ran on iOS 9 when it came out. Those with a seven-year-old iPad Pro can update it to the newest version. All the iPad Pro models released afterward support the latest operating system.
Things are a little different with the iPad Air series, with the oldest iPad Air devices missing out. Users with the iPad Air (3rd generation) from 2019 can update their tablets to use the new features of iPadOS 16. Finally, the iPad Mini (5th generation), released in 2019, can also run iPadOS 16. Anyone with an older iPad model than the ones mentioned here, like the iPad Air (2nd generation), the iPad (4th generation), or the iPad Mini (4th generation), will not get the latest version of iPadOS.
