Apple now has plans to release universal apps "as early as next year" for the iPhone, iPad and Mac on the App Store, making it easier for developers to create one app which works equally well on all devices. We could expect an announcement during the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) which will take place in June.
In the past, many companies including Microsoft have made this attempt in the past, but it has been challenging. If Apple manages to succeed with this, it would be a difficult execution.
According to a report by Bloomberg, “starting as early as next year, software developers will be able to design a single application that works with a touchscreen or mouse and track pad depending on whether it’s running on the iPhone and iPad operating system or on Mac hardware.”
Codenamed ‘Marzipan’, this project could prove to be a great boon, especially for Mac users as the App Store is updated less frequently, compared to its counterpart App Store. Additionally, thanks to recent innovations in iPhones, such as a more powerful A11 Bionic processor, the iPhone could be capable of running desktop-quality apps. These apps will work with either, a mouse and keyboard for the Mac or with a touchscreen on iPhones and iPads. However, there is no information provided as to whether the company will combine its marketplace or keep it separate.
Steven Troughton-Smith, an app developer mentioned that 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 says, “This would be the biggest change to Apple’s software platform since iOS was introduced.”
Recently, Apple addressed claims from an app company that stated that the maker of iPhones slows down the performance of older phones. The blog Primate Labs, a company that makes an app for measuring the speed of an iPhone's processor, published data that appeared to show slower performance in the Apple's iPhone 6s and iPhone 7 models as they aged.
Apple acknowledged that the company does take some measures to reduce power demands - which can have the effect of slowing the processor - when a phone's battery is having trouble supplying the peak current that the processor demands. The problem stems from the fact that all lithium-ion batteries, not just those found in Apple products, degrade and have problems supplying the big bursts as they age and accumulate charging cycles, Apple said in a statement. The problems with peak current draws can also occur when batteries are cold or low on charge.
