Apple has released the first beta of macOS Big Sur 11.3 which brings major new changes. The most important being the improvement to iPhone and iPad apps running on M1 Macs. Last year, Apple announced the move of Mac from Intel to Apple Silicon bringing the Mac very close to the iPhone and the iPad. As a result, iPad and iPhone apps can run natively on the Macs powered by Apple Silicon. However, the experience of using iPad apps on the Mac has not been very enjoyable as the apps are not properly scaled to be used on Macs.
The new macOS 11.3 beta update makes iPadOS apps take more space on the screen – everything looks large compared to before. Beta testers can also reportedly personalize “touch alternatives” keyboard combinations. As Mac computers do not support touch input, Apple embedded touch alternatives as a way to interact with iPhone & iPad apps on M1 Macs. Touch gestures like tap, drag, and swipe can be replaced with keyboard commands. The new macOS 11.3 update also brings support for multi-finger gestures to iPhone & iPad apps on M1 Macs.
Unifying all platforms into one
Apple has been pushing for a more unified approach to building apps for all of its platforms. By moving to ARM based processors on the Mac, the company has brought the iPhone, the iPad, and the Mac closer than ever before. Developers are now able to write code once and have their app on all the platforms with ease. However, the company has been pushing for unifying apps even before Apple Silicon with Catalyst and SwiftUI.
M1 Macs have received extremely positive reviews from both users and critics alike because of their high performance and high efficiency. The future of the Mac looks positive once again, after having a rough couple of years.
