14 DAY TRIAL // iOS 8 is very likely to include its own versions of two handy apps from OS X, TextEdit and Preview, according to “sources with knowledge of these initiatives,” cited by 9to5mac.
Already boasting a portfolio of several iOS 8 leaks, Mark Gurman today shares with the world that Apple is “working on a pair of new iCloud applications for iOS as well as improved tools for developers to build iCloud-infused applications,” citing the aforementioned knowledgeable sources.
The brainchild of Senior VP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi (and his unified iOS and OS X teams), this initiative has been in the works for the past year or so.
The report clearly states that “Apple is developing versions of the Mac operating system’s Preview and TextEdit applications that are optimized for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.”
Users won’t be able to do much in the way of editing, but they will be able to view and perhaps manage libraries of files created with these two applications. PDF editing will be encouraged using the iBooks application, the sources say, while document editing will still be done with Pages (of the iWork suite).
“... the apps are built to serve as tools to view Preview and TextEdit files stored in iCloud by OS X,” the sources reportedly tell Gurman.
Still in the early stages of development, the iOS-centric TextEdit and Preview are slated for release this year, but it remains unclear whether they will be ready to ship with the first installment of iOS 8.
The goal is to eliminate the classic file system in OS X and make synchronization completely seamless. Both apps will also bring “improved feature parity between the two Apple operating systems,” according to the info dished out by the sources.
Lastly, Apple is looking into iCloud storage tools “to make the development of server-integrated App Store applications for iOS simpler,” the report adds.
iOS 8 isn’t expected to arrive anytime soon, but the company is likely to offer the world a preview of the software at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June.
The Cupertino giant usually ships a developer preview for the first run of public testing, followed by a number of betas and culminating with a Golden Master (GM), ahead of the final launch. If that’s the case this year as well, we can expect iOS 8 to drop around fall, likely along an all-new version of the iPhone.