While Apple has labelled the iPad a post-PC device since day one, the absence of full-fat Photoshop is one of the many reasons creatives remain beholden to their Windows 10 or macOS laptops.
However, that may be able to change, with Adobe confirming a desktop-class version of Photoshop is coming to Apple tablets next year. At its Adobe Max conference, the company previewed Photoshop Creative Cloud (CC) for iPad.
During the preview event, Adobe explained that the power of tablets like the iPad Pro has enabled it to finally bring the full functionality of its Photoshop software to the iOS arena. A demonstration showcased how multi-layered PSD files could be easily edited on the iPad Pro, with real-time additions of effects, with little-to-no rendering time.
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The Photoshop CC app for iPad also features full integration with the Apple Pencil, making it easy for users to retouch, duplicate and erase objects from the scene.
Thankfully, there’s also the full Photoshop toolbar. As 9to5Mac points out in its report, although there’s a new interface to account for the different medium, the positioning of the options will ‘respect much of the muscle memory built by longtime Photoshop users’.
As this is a Creative Cloud app, Photoshop users will also be able to sync their edits between their iPad and desktop apps, meaning they can edit in different locations on different devices.
Adobe is planning to quickly launch version 1.0 of the app, offering users the majority of the core features while adding in more and more over time. With this in place, it’s likely that Apple will choose to highlight the incoming presence of Photoshop CC when it announces the next-gen iPad Pro, rumoured to be before the end of the year.
A pair of devices running A12X processor with Face ID support and no Home button are expected to be announced in October. Whether Photoshop CC will be an iPad Pro exclusive remains to be seen.
Dos this finally make the iPad Pro a post-PC device? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
