Gruber: Apple's Cross-Platform App Support to Debut in 2019, Not 2018

[albeik]

Apps on iOS already support varying screen sizes and orientation using the same UI controls. Consider the idea that Apple may have an iOS update that offers iOS Apps support for even larger screens and perhaps even higher resolution. There have been rumors of a 'new Apple device/laptop" being in the works, perhaps replacing MacBook Air (?). My theory is that would be an iOS device of sorts. This device would be a more beefed up version of the old MacBook Air with all new Apple CPU and GPU. The device's primary input would not be a touchscreen, but a touch-keyboard/or something different. It will run a special version of iOS that supports multi-windows, menu bar, touchbar, mouse, FaceID, ... aka iOS-macified. (?)

It then makes sense for an app to have its UI controls be coded in a declarative way — offloading the UI decision making to iOS handing it based on the device.

This would support Tim's view of not merging macOS/iOS, but potentially grow iOS to move towards a "macOS-y" with an iOS foundation (step at a time). It also supports these rumors around "Cross-Platform App Support". Also note, that both got delayed "rumors" at around the same time.

Just thinking out loud... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Naaaaak]

Not looking good for iOS 12 or Mac OS 10.14. Only speed, performance and emojis.

You mean only emojis.

The speed and performance gains at this point, year over year, in each OS, are mostly negligible.

 

[itsmilo]

This is coming from the same company that cannot release something like iCloud Messages almost a year later sooooo

 

[Aldaris]

This is coming from the same company that cannot release something like iCloud Messages almost a year later sooooo

And I swear that originally the AirPower mat had a spring 2018 release notation to it.

 

[Dave245]

I like how some people are saying what’s the point of WWDC, this isn’t the only feature that Apple will have been working on we don’t know everything that’s planned. Maybe some hardware announcements are mixed in there as well much like last years WWDC.

 

[JSt83]

The iPad is eventually going to replace MBA's or vice versa.

According to Cook the non-TB MBP replaces the MBA.
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I like how some people are saying what’s the point of WWDC, this isn’t the only feature that Apple will have been working on we don’t know everything that’s planned. Maybe some hardware announcements are mixed in there as well much like last years WWDC.

I guess many of us just learned to lower our expectations below zero to prevent disappointment. Maybe this years expectations are finally low enough, but you never know these days

 

[Dave245]

According to Cook the non-TB MBP replaces the MBA.
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I guess many of us just learned to lower our expectations below zero to prevent disappointment. Maybe this years expectations are finally low enough, but you never know these days

Last years WWDC was very goood with a mixture of software and hardware, of course that won’t happen every year. WWDC isn’t really for the consumer it’s more for developers than anything else.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Just delay everything!

 

[dan9700]

Apple has become a delay company nothing is ever ready and im getting sick of it

 

[Seoras]

Am I the only one that doesn’t see how this can work? I don’t understand - you would have to implement so much UI and logic for each platform that apps will become bloated, no? You can’t simply scale apps for iPhone/iPad to Mac size, they wouldn’t look right. Not to mention touch vs. cursor input are used totally differently. Similarly, while the idea of layered pages swiping back/forth works for iOS, I don’t think it does for Mac.

If you can get past the most obvious problem (to me) of the lack of touch screen on MacOS which iOS Apps need then I would imagine the iOS Apps would run not like native apps but as widgets (remember them?)

If you download and fire up Xcode you'll be able to run iOS Apps (that you have the source code for) in the bundled Simulator on your Mac.
So it's effectively already done. It just needs the App Store and some form of Touch UI.
This rumour maybe a hint towards Apple relenting and adding touch gestures to Mac screens.

 

[Morgenland]

Is Gruber the new Ming-Chi Kuo? Plopping out timeframes is stupid and puts the developers under further marketing pressure. This is always bad for the product. I don't like such self-exposers!

At MacRumors I am interested in what Apple is planning, not when (this is always speculative and nothing else).

 

[Superhai]

Though I'm sure for it to function would require more than just porting the Homekit app over, there is likely a lot of underlying dependencies woven throughout the iOS operating system that they would need to put in macOS as-well.

Yeah, you would need HomeKit.

I guess that the cross platform API will have methods to check whether a framework is available or not on the device. And apps will have to use those. And I doubt any dev will spend resources making any HomeKit app cross platform before the HomeKit framework is available on macOS.

About the cross platform support, I think there will be introduction and maybe some sort of beta for developers to play with, possibly at WWDC. But you will not be able to submit any app to the store until it is officially released, which could be the next year.

Many parts of iOS and macOS have shared APIs, so a cross platform framework, will not be so large of an undertaking. It is mostly just about naming. How to deal with UI will be a challenge for developers, but already you are able to make apps universal between iPad and iPhone, which have quite different display. So the same will apply for Mac, and I imagine same process for a developer.

And for all the non-developers lurking and commenting here, WWDC is not primarily a press and consumer event, but rather for developers. Introduction of next OS's are an important event, and also and introduction of other hw and sw, but WWDC is most important for all the sub-events, sessions, labs. It is where developers learn more about creating apps and using new technologies from Apple.

 

[The Game 161]

Not looking good for iOS 12 or Mac OS 10.14. Only speed, performance and emojis.

If it fixes the bugs then I rather they do that

 

[Dave245]

Apple has become a delay company nothing is ever ready and im getting sick of it

your complaining about something that was leaked and wasn't officially announced by Apple yet! i get your point about other things like the HomePod being delayed but it's better that than releasing it when it's not ready. Patience is a friend here.

 

[Abazigal]

My concern about the cross platform is that this would be a nice excuse for app developers to significantly increase app price. Many will be angry!

Or simply go subscription, to justify the costs of developing for all platforms.

 

[twistedpixel8]

I was thinking the same thing. As a developer, I hate just having to use the simulator to test input on my apps. Now these are not very advanced apps mind you, and I still loathe having to replicate gestures and touch input with a trackpad.

That being said, Apple wouldn’t roll out something like this without getting it perfect. Also, I foresee iPhone apps running at their native resolution in the form of menu bar drop downs or dock icon pop-ups. Maybe Apple will try and breathe some life back into the touch bar as well for MacBook Pro to assist in navigating the ported iOS experience. I’m sure it’ll be needing some rejuvenation by that point

Agreed with you until Touch Bar I hope that dies a painful death! It’s a complete waste of money. A nice gimmick, not worth $1,000.

 

[bluecoast]

If ARM macs are going to be a thing, you’d expect the following:

• The new macOS and iOS ‘cross platform’ framework making it way easier for the typical app to move to macOS
• App Store on the Mac featuring a cross platform app delivery mechanism. Mac App Store discontinued.
• The new framework being able to produce Mac apps that work on ARM
• Then ARM macs

Maybe though that is still going to happen, but from 2019 as Gruber says.

Perhaps then this WWDC will be focussing on:

• Privacy - big overhaul particularly affecting devs and end users
• Stability. Nuff said.
• A UX overhaul for iOS - optimising the interface for Face ID devices. Perhaps we’ll see the navigation bar go android and move to the bottom of the screen on those devices and an end to the weird ‘previous app’ breadcrumb link in the status bar
• macOS... I don’t know. Perhaps even nothing. A ‘snow leopard’ stability year where we maybe even don’t see a new macOS release. Just lots of stabilisation.
• watchOS and TvOS. Just because they have to say something about them, I suppose.
• And as others have said, lots of AR stuff.

Perhaps a year focussing on the foundation of iOS and the Mac is necessary before they can do the ‘marzipan’ (or whatever it’s called) framework.

Maybe a focus on stability and privacy this year isn’t too bad a thing at all.

But... I can’t help think that WWDC is going to be really really boring.

September 2017-September 2018 is going to go down as Apple’s largely self inflicted ‘annus horribilis’.

EDIT: I know that WWDC is meant to be meant for developers. The problem is that Apple also use it as a marketing event and a quasi replacement for the former Macworld keynote.

So it’s become a bizarre mix of consumer product launches and developer API introductions.

It would be way better for everyone if WWDC really was aimed at just developers with consumer product launches at separate March and September events.

 

[johannnn]

Not looking good for iOS 12 or Mac OS 10.14. Only speed, performance and emojis.

We heard strong rumors months ago that they will focus on stability before going crazy with new features. Knowing that Cook prioritizes stability first, there was no way new stuff like cross-platform apps would debut in 2018.

 

[thekeyring]

Am I the only one that doesn’t see how this can work? I don’t understand - you would have to implement so much UI and logic for each platform that apps will become bloated, no?

No. Currently, one app is hosted on the App Store for various iPhones and iPads. When you hit "download" it only downloads what you need. So, if you're on an iPhone X, it downloads the iPhone X version only (not iPhone 8, 8 Plus or iPad versions.) Presumably the same will be true if Mac apps are thrown in, too.

You can’t simply scale apps for iPhone/iPad to Mac size, they wouldn’t look right. Not to mention touch vs. cursor input are used totally differently. Similarly, while the idea of layered pages swiping back/forth works for iOS, I don’t think it does for Mac.

Agreed. I think in your mind you're picturing what Microsoft tried to do with Windows. Apple have said time and time again this will not work, so it would be more than a little surprising if they took this route.

I think this rumour is more about making it so it is less work to port iPad apps to Mac and vice versa. As you say, the UI will need a bunch of work, but the underlying logic / algorithms of an app could perhaps be written once and run everywhere. Think: Original iPhone running Mac OS X, even though the UI was totally different.

 

[JSt83]

Last years WWDC was very goood with a mixture of software and hardware, of course that won’t happen every year. WWDC isn’t really for the consumer it’s more for developers than anything else.

WWDC as a whole isn't for the consumer, but the keynote very much is. Why else would Apple broadcast it live, contrary to for example their recent edu focused event.

 

[thekeyring]

So it begins the inevitable decline of Apple.

What's always coming and never arrives? The decline of Apple, as predicted by people on MacRumours.
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WWDC as a whole isn't for the consumer, but the keynote very much is. Why else would Apple broadcast it live, contrary to for example their recent edu focused event.

Agreed. Why else would they give so much time to new iMessage features or launching Apple Music?

People bitch and moan because they think this mirror what Apple is offering developers: "emojis iMessage stickers and not a lot else". Clearly the opening keynote is watched by huge numbers of people (like me!) who aren't developers.
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Is Gruber the new Ming-Chi Kuo? Plopping out timeframes is stupid and puts the developers under further marketing pressure. This is always bad for the product. I don't like such self-exposers!

At MacRumors I am interested in what Apple is planning, not when (this is always speculative and nothing else).

Gruber actually has sources within Apple, not just the supply chain. Gruber successfully predicted Apple aiming for an all-screen iPhone, before the launch of iPhone 7.

I agree with you about marketing pressure, but in my view (and please correct me if I'm wrong) doesn't this reduce pressure, because now fewer people will expect this at WWDC 2018?

 

[twistedpixel8]

No. Currently, one app is hosted on the App Store for various iPhones and iPads. When you hit "download" it only downloads what you need. So, if you're on an iPhone X, it downloads the iPhone X version only (not iPhone 8, 8 Plus or iPad versions.) Presumably the same will be true if Mac apps are thrown in, too.



Agreed. I think in your mind you're picturing what Microsoft tried to do with Windows. Apple have said time and time again this will not work, so it would be more than a little surprising if they took this route.

I think this rumour is more about making it so it is less work to port iPad apps to Mac and vice versa. As you say, the UI will need a bunch of work, but the underlying logic / algorithms of an app could perhaps be written once and run everywhere. Think: Original iPhone running Mac OS X, even though the UI was totally different.

Yeah I think you’re right. It would be a lot of work to unify APIs though. I guess potentially slightly easier if Macs move to ARM but not all Macs can do this (as far as I understand) for example, the Professional grade ones with Xeon chips. There aren’t any comparable ARM chip equivalents yet, right?

 

[ikir]

The new Apple: no new Mac Pro, no updated Macbook Air, no new unified UI framework...watch bands it is then.

You are the proof users always whine. You just took 3 "negative" things and ignore everything else. You could write a very long list of cool features introduced in the last year across Apple OSes but no... just troll.

 

[diipii]

How is speed, performance and emojis not good?

This makes sense, given the comments that iOS 12 scraped the homescreen redesign to focus on stability.

Irony.

 

[Dremmel]

And all those apps will be auto renewing subscriptions. No thanks.