Why is my older 9.7” iPad Pro twitchy and slow after os 16.1 update?

iPadOS 16.1 is the first full release - and may still have some latent issues that will be resolved, or at least improve, a successive updates are issued.

I have myself noted that screen scrolling and App transitions are not particularly smooth and can indeed be quite “choppy” - noting that this performance is being seen with a 2021 iPad Pro 12.9” M1. As such, your much older first generation iPad Pro 9.7” may be experiencing significantly more noticeable performance issues.

As such, while replacing your current iPad Pro with a more recent model might well improve matters, you might not fully resolve them. At present, the best advice that can be offered is to wait and see how matters improve.

In the meantime, there are two avenues to pursue.

1) Perform a forced-restart - as this will often clear a post-update issue:

• On an iPad with a Home button: Press and hold the top button and the Home button at the same time. When the Apple logo appears, release both buttons.
• On an iPad with Face ID: Press and quickly release the volume up button, press and quickly release the volume down button, then press and hold the top button. When the Apple logo appears, release the button.

2) Consider contacting Apple Support for advice. You can contact the Support Team using the Get Support link at top-right of this page.

Alternatively, you can initiate and manage your support cases using the excellent Apple Support App. If not already installed on your iPad, the App can be downloaded from the App Store:

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/apple-support/id1130498044