macOS and iOS software developers will soon be able to code on an iPad or even iPhone, if an unconfirmed report is correct. iPadOS 14 and the iPhone equivalent will reportedly include support for Xcode, Apple’s software development environment.
This report comes from Jon Prosser, founder of YouTube channel Front Page Tech, who recently correctly predicted the launch date of the 2020 iPhone SE. On Monday, Prosser said via Twitter, “XCode is present on iOS / iPad OS 14. The implications there are HUGE.”
I’m not gonna say that Final Cut is coming to iPad…
But XCode is present on iOS / iPad OS 14.
The implications there are HUGE.
Opens the door for “Pro” applications to come to iPad.
I mentioned this last week on a live stream, but figured it was worth the tweet ♂️
— Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) April 20, 2020
Bring on Xcode for iPad
Currently, developers create iOS, iPadOS and macOS software with the Xcode environment. Apple promises Xcode delivers “everything you need to create amazing apps and to bring your apps to even more devices.”
It supports a variety of languages, including Apple’s own Swift, C++ and Python. But Xcode only runs on macOS. At least for now.
A significant iPad Upgrade
Whenever anyone suggests that iPads have become as powerful as MacBooks, someone always asks, “Does it do Xcode?” The implication is that iPads are just toys — only Macs are real computers. But if Prosser is correct, devs will be able to use iPad or Mac, whichever they prefer.
This is part of Apple steadily upgrading the capabilities of its tablets over the years, especially the iPad Pro line. These versatile tablets now come with USB-C ports, support for accessing external media, mouse and trackpad compatibility, etc. And top-tier iPad processors prove as powerful as Apple laptops.
