Does the iPad Pro 2021 Receive Phase 2 of iPadOS Updates?

If you've been following Apple's staged rollout strategy or reading about iPadOS update phases, you've probably run into questions about which devices stay in the loop — and for how long. The iPad Pro 2021 sits in an interesting position: powerful enough to handle nearly anything Apple ships, but no longer the newest model on the block. Here's what you actually need to know about how Apple's update phases work and where the 2021 iPad Pro fits.

What Is "Phase 2" in the Context of Apple Updates?

Apple doesn't publicly label its update rollouts as "Phase 1" or "Phase 2" in official documentation, but the concept maps to two real and distinct things depending on the context:

Staged software rollouts — Apple sometimes releases major iPadOS updates in waves, where a percentage of eligible devices receive the update first, with broader availability expanding over days or weeks.
Feature availability tiers — Within a single iPadOS release, some features are available to all supported devices immediately, while others are restricted based on hardware capability, chip generation, or regional availability.

When people ask whether a specific iPad model "receives Phase 2," they're usually asking one of these questions:

Will it eventually get the full update, or does it get a trimmed-down version?
Will it receive the second batch of features that Apple rolls out after launch?

Both are worth unpacking separately.

iPadOS Staged Rollouts: How They Work

Apple uses a gradual rollout mechanism for major iPadOS updates. This isn't unique to Apple — Google does the same with Android. When iPadOS 17 or 18 launches, for example, Apple may initially push it to a smaller subset of eligible devices, then expand availability as stability is confirmed.

The iPad Pro 2021 is an eligible device for current iPadOS major releases. As a supported model, it participates in these staged rollouts the same way any other eligible iPad does. If you check Settings > General > Software Update and your device shows the update as available, you're in. The staged nature of the rollout doesn't create a permanent divide — it just affects when you receive the prompt, not whether you do.

Key factors that influence your position in a staged rollout:

Region and App Store country setting
Whether you're enrolled in Apple's beta program
Device storage availability (low storage can delay update delivery)
Current OS version (some users on older versions may need intermediate updates first)

Feature Tiers Within an Update: Where It Gets More Complicated 🔍

This is where the iPad Pro 2021 situation gets genuinely nuanced. Apple increasingly segments features within the same iPadOS release based on chip generation.

The iPad Pro 2021 ships with either the M1 chip (standard configuration) or — in the case of the 12.9-inch model — the same M1 with the Liquid Retina XDR display. The M1 is still a capable chip, but Apple has introduced features in recent iPadOS releases tied specifically to M2, M4, or Apple Intelligence-compatible hardware.

Here's how that breaks down in practice:

Feature Type	iPad Pro 2021 (M1) Eligible?
Core iPadOS UI updates	✅ Yes
Stage Manager (basic)	✅ Yes
Apple Intelligence features	❌ No (requires A17 Pro or M1+ with 8GB RAM — check device spec)
Advanced AI writing tools	❌ Restricted to newer hardware
Standard security patches	✅ Yes
ProRes video workflows	✅ Yes (with compatible accessories)

Note on Apple Intelligence: Apple Intelligence was introduced in iOS/iPadOS 18.1 and requires specific hardware configurations. The M1 iPad Pro has been listed as compatible in some configurations, but feature availability depends on RAM allocation and regional rollout — not just chip generation alone. This is worth verifying against Apple's current compatibility list, as Apple updates these specifics with each point release.

Why Hardware Generation Matters More Than Ever

Apple has shifted toward a model where the chip generation gates feature access rather than just performance. This means two iPads running the same version of iPadOS may have meaningfully different feature sets visible in their Settings apps.

For the iPad Pro 2021, this creates a split experience:

Users who primarily use productivity apps, creative tools, and standard multitasking will find the device fully capable and receiving all relevant updates.
Users chasing Apple's newest AI-native features may find some capabilities unavailable or arriving later, if at all.

Variables that shape your actual experience:

Which specific iPad Pro 2021 configuration you own (Wi-Fi vs. cellular, storage tier, and display size can correlate with RAM differences)
Which iPadOS version you're currently running
Which specific features matter most to your workflow
Your region (Apple Intelligence and some features have phased geographic rollouts)

The Longer-Term Support Picture

Apple typically supports iPad Pro models for five to seven years with major iPadOS updates. The iPad Pro 2021 launched with iPadOS 14 and has received every major release since. As of current releases, it remains on Apple's supported device list.

However, "supported" doesn't mean "fully featured." Each new iPadOS generation tends to introduce at least a handful of capabilities gated behind newer silicon. The gap between what a supported older device receives versus what a current-generation device receives has been widening. 📊

That gap is worth thinking about in the context of your own use — because whether the 2021 iPad Pro's update tier works for you depends entirely on which features you're actually trying to use, how long you plan to keep the device, and whether the hardware-gated features are ones you'd realistically adopt or ignore.