“Apple is working on a new type of ‘user experience’ that combines iPhone, iPad and Mac apps, according to Bloomberg,” Nicholas Fearn writes for V3. “The project could see the company produce an operating system and chip platform uniting iPhone and Mac in a way originally envisaged by Canonical with its failed ‘Ubuntu for phones’ project of 2013.”
“Although Apple hasn’t officially announced the plans, [Bloomberg reporter Mark] Gurman’s sources believe that the company will start by rolling out some sort of framework to software developers next year,” Fearn writes. “”Starting as early as next year, software developers will be able to design a single application that works with a touchscreen or mouse and trackpad depending on whether it’s running on the iPhone and iPad operating system, or on Mac hardware,” he wrote.”
“Gurman spoke to leading app developer Steven Troughton-Smith, who believes that these plans would streamline software development,” Fearn writes. “‘Unifying the apps could help the iOS and MacOS platforms ‘evolve and grow as one, and not one at the expense of the other,’ he said.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Moving Macs to Apple processors won’t happen tomorrow, but it’s certainly a possibility longer term.
Think code convergence (more so than today) with UI modifications per device. A unified underlying codebase for Intel, Apple A-series, and, in Apple’s labs, likely other chips, too (just in case). This would allow for a single App Store for Mac, iPhone, and iPad users that features a mix of apps: Some that are touch-only, some that are Mac-only, and some that are universal (can run on both traditional notebooks and desktops as well as on multi-touch computers like iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and – pretty please, Apple – Apple TV). Don’t be surprised to see Apple A-series-powered Macs, either. — MacDailyNews Take, January 9, 2014
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I’ve always wanted to own and control the primary technology in everything we do. — Steve Jobs, October 12, 2004
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• In order to build the best products, you have to own the primary technologies. Steve felt that if Apple could do that — make great products and great tools for people — they in turn would do great things. He felt strongly that this would be his contribution to the world at large. We still very much believe that. That’s still the core of this company. — Apple CEO Tim Cook, March 18, 2015
SEE ALSO:
Why Apple would want to unify iOS and Mac apps in 2018 – December 20, 2017
Apple to provide tool for developers build cross-platform apps that run on iOS and macOS in 2018 – December 20, 2017
The once and future OS for Apple – December 8, 2017
On the future of Apple’s Macintosh – February 6, 2017
Tim Bajarin: I see Apple moving many users to an iOS-based mobile device over the next 3-4 years – November 7, 2016
What comes after OS X? – January 9, 2014