With iPadOS 16, Apple announced multiple new features that are exclusive to iPads based on the M1 chip, such as Stage Manager for running apps in windows and also virtual memory swap for the first time on an iOS device. Interestingly, while memory swapping is reportedly one of the requirements to have Stage Manager, it turns out that the base model iPad Air 5 lacks this capability.
For those unfamiliar, virtual memory swap is a feature often used by computers to reallocate some storage as virtual RAM when the computer’s actual RAM is already being fully utilized by the system and apps. Even Macs do memory swapping, and now this feature will be available on iPads for the first time with iPadOS 16.
According to Apple, iPadOS 16 allows the most demanding apps to use up to 16GB of storage as temporary RAM. And of course, amid the controversy of limiting the Stage Manager feature to iPad models with the M1 chip, Apple claims that running iPad apps in windows requires super-fast virtual memory swap, which is theoretically only possible with the M1 chip.
But here’s the thing. As noted by developer Steve Troughton-Smith on Twitter, the base model of the iPad Air 5 is not compatible with virtual memory swap. That’s probably because the 64GB of internal storage is not enough for memory swapping. As Apple quietly suggests on its website, memory swapping on the iPad requires at least 128GB of storage in addition to M1.
This is totally understandable, but then comes the question: Why does Apple keep saying that virtual memory swap is a requirement for Stage Manager when the 64GB iPad Air 5, which supports Stage Manager, clearly has no virtual memory swap?