Reports have emerged that Apple is mulling to combine apps on its three platforms – the iPhone, Mac and iPad in a bid to make it easier for users to access apps on all platforms without them having to purchase separate version for all three.
People familiar with the matter have revealed to Bloomberg that developers working on iPhone, iPad and Mac apps 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.
As of now developers are required to develop two sets of apps – one for iOS and other for MacOS. This in effect is a lot of work and developers and customers have been complaining about Mac not getting as many apps as iOS. With a single app for all machines, Mac, iPad and iPhone users will get new features and updates at the same time.
Reports also suggest that the iPhone maker intends to roll out the changes as part of next fall’s major iOS and macOS updates. The roll out will be part of a secret project, codenamed “Marzipan”.
Theoretically, the plan could be announced as early as the summer at the company’s annual developers conference if the late 2018 release plan remains on track. Apple’s plans are still fluid, the people said, so the implementation could change or the project could still be cancelled.