Apple's pro apps, including Xcode, coming to iPad Pro 'within the next year'

iPad Pro (2020) (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

The iPad Pro can't run many "pro" apps, including Xcode.
Developers need Xcode to create apps for Apple's ecosystem.
A new report claims Xcode and more are coming to iPad.

People love to throw shade at the iPad Pro for many reasons, but the arrival of the Magic Keyboard has killed some of them off. Now Jon Prosser reckons that another one will be put to bed, too – that the iPad Pro isn't a real computer because it can't run Apple's "pro" apps.

In a tweet this morning Prosser said that he is now "100% confident that FCPX, Logic Pro & Xcode are coming to iPad Pro". That doesn't leave much room for ambiguity, does it?

I am now 100% confident that FCPX, Logic Pro & Xcode are coming to iPad Pro.

I cannot confidently say to what capacity, or with what limitations due to RAM management — but it’s happening within the next year or so.

You can choose to trust me on that, or not, I suppose 🤷🏼‍♂️😂I am now 100% confident that FCPX, Logic Pro & Xcode are coming to iPad Pro.

I cannot confidently say to what capacity, or with what limitations due to RAM management — but it’s happening within the next year or so.

You can choose to trust me on that, or not, I suppose 🤷🏼‍♂️😂— Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) April 22, 2020 April 22, 2020

The arrival of Final Cut Pro X, Logic Pro, and Xcode on iPadOS would be huge for both Apple and its users. The Magic Keyboard, enhanced trackpad support, and the sheer power inside the iPad Pro should make such apps doable. And that USB-C port won't hurt, either. Remember, iPad Pro is the only non-Mac device Apple makes with USB-C.

If Prosser is correct all that's left is to find out when these apps will come. When asked if they would arrive at WWDC, the answer was much less convincing.

I’d be lying if I said I knew that part.

I just know it’s happening within the next yearI’d be lying if I said I knew that part.

I just know it’s happening within the next year— Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) April 22, 2020 April 22, 2020

Well, at least it's a start.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.