Apple’s upcoming iPadOS 16 operating system will allow apps on M1-powered iPad Pro and iPad Air models to use available storage as extra memory to better handle heavy workloads.
In the current iPadOS (iPadOS 15) certain apps can use up to 12GB of available memory on the highest-end M1 iPad Pro which has 16GB of total RAM. iPadOS 16’s virtual memory swap allows Apple to significantly increase the amount of available memory for apps by using available storage on the device.
For M1 iPads with 256GB of storage and above, apps can use up to 16GB of memory for the most demanding workloads.
Virtual memory swap and the higher memory ceiling join Stage Manager on a list of iOS 16 features that are exclusive to the M1 iPad Pro and iPad Air.
The new Virtual RAM feature will come in handy for users with M1-powered iPads, as users will be able to open multiple app windows at once overlayed on top of each other, much like a Mac’s Desktop. Stage Manager also provides full external display support on iPadOS for the first time.
iPadOS 16 is currently available to developers, while public beta users will gain access in July. iPadOS 16 will be available for all compatible iPads later this fall.
(Via MacRumors)