Apple continues to push its iPad lineup as more than just large screen (blown up) iPhones. The company started on the path when it introduced the iPad Pro back in 2015. The iPad Pro continues to push the iPad to borrow more features from the Mac. The iPad Air is also beginning to borrow some iPad Pro centric features but it still falls behind the iPad Pro in terms of “Pro” grade features.
The big question now is: when will the iPad get Xcode for developing apps on the fly? Of course, the MacBook covers that but having detachable keyboard and touch input will be interesting.
iPad and Mac – same architecture
Apple has introduced some major new features in Xcode this year. The app is now also written for the ARM architecture – to support the M1 Macs. The interesting point to note is that the iPad chips are also based on the ARM architecture.
Xcode is at the center of all development on Apple’s platforms, and with Xcode 12, it has a fresh new look to match macOS Big Sur. New document tabs make opening multiple files fast and lightweight to support interface files, and logs and project files each open in their own tab. Navigator fonts now match the system size, or can be set to small, medium, or large. And Xcode 12 builds macOS Universal apps by default to support new Macs with Apple silicon.
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The future is likely not far in which the iPad could also be used as a development device. Earlier this year, major Apple leaksters rumoured that Xcode for iPad will be unveiled at WWDC 2020, however that did not happen. Apple could have postponed the launch of the iPad version of Xcode to next year.
Debuting alongside macOS Catalina at WWDC 2019, Mac Catalyst made it easy for developers to bring their iPad apps to the Mac. With macOS Big Sur, Mac Catalyst apps automatically inherit the spacious new design, while giving developers powerful new APIs and greater control over the behavior of their apps.
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