San Francisco: Tech giant Apple has started rolling out iPadOS 16.1 beta to enrolled developer devices.

According to TechCrunch, it is a change from the usual release cycle, which has linked the tablet operating system with iOS, its mobile counterpart, since its initial release in 2019.

"This is an especially big year for iPadOS. As its own platform with features specifically designed for iPad, we have the flexibility to deliver iPadOS on its own schedule," the company was quoted as saying.

"This Fall, iPadOS will ship after iOS, as version 16.1 in a free software update," it added.

As per the report, the tech giant might be skipping the iPadOS 16.0 release in the fall and going straight to 16.1. This means the first version of iPadOS 16 will ship to non-beta users after the arrival of the first iOS version.

Although Apple has not said so, the report mentioned that it appears likely that the two 16.1 updates will be released at the same time.

iPadOS 16 debuted earlier this year at the company's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) event.

One of the main features of the new software is Stage Manager, which like its macOS counterpart, facilitates smoother multitasking and app switching.

(IANS)