One of Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) releases at the current Worldwide Developers’ Conference (WWDC) indirectly confirms that larger iPhone displays are likely in the near future. The latest iteration of Xcode, which is an integrated development environment useful for programmers working with both Mac and iOS, includes an iOS simulator that enables designers to check how their apps will work and look at any desired screen size. This feature is new to Xcode 6 and is not found in earlier versions, which assumed a single display size for iPhones.
Clearly, Apple Inc. (AAPL) is laying the groundwork for The designers of Xcode knew that astute developers would quickly infer the intended screen sizes of the actual iPhones if these were included in the software. Therefore, the resizing option is infinitely adjustable, showing any resolution the designer chooses rather than showing only preset sizes. Nevertheless, it is a clear confirmation that Apple intends to release larger iPhones soon.
Intriguingly, there is also a “Resizable iPad” feature, enabling the same resolution shifts but in iPad screen ratios. Techno Buffalo, among other sites, mulls whether this means the 13 inch iPad Pro may be an actual product nearing release, rather than “rumorware” that exists nowhere except in the fevered imaginations of Apple fans. The possibility that this part of the program is actually a red herring has also been raised.
Besides these fascinating hints, Xcode 6 includes full support for the Swift programming language, up to and including apps written solely with Swift. Objective-C text will be viewable as Swift syntax instead for those who prefer that language, too. Other features include live rendering, a powerful and easy to use debugging view, performance testing, and so on.
At a WWDC that disappointed some fans by its lack of hardware previews, this information provided a welcome glimpse into some possible future plans of the Cupertino technology giant. It is also a prudent step to prepare app developers for writing apps that work on multiple form factors, as Apple (AAPL) moves to meet popular demand by offering several different smartphone display sizes.