On Friday, Pixelmator, the team behind some great photo-editing apps for Apple devices, announced that Apple will be acquiring them. While I understand why some folks are skeptical about the deal, I’m feeling hopeful it could finally address one of my biggest frustrations with the iPad.
iPad software shortcomings
I’ve spent a lot of time trying to turn my iPad into a more effective laptop replacement. While the hardware keeps getting better, the software has always seemed to lag behind. One of my biggest frustrations has been the lack of a solid photo manipulation tool.
Sure, Adobe brought Photoshop to the iPad about five years ago, and I’m sure it’s a great app. When I tried the free trial, I found it pretty decent. Over the years, it’s even gotten closer to matching the features of desktop Photoshop.
The only downside is that Adobe requires a subscription, and I’m not a big fan of that payment model—especially when I’ve already paid for great apps like Pixelmator Pro on my Mac.
Another popular option is Affinity Photo, which does have an iPad version. Like Pixelmator Pro, it’s a one-time purchase with no subscription needed. However, I’ve never found Affinity Photo to be the most intuitive to use. So even though I bought it for my iPad, I always end up turning to Pixelmator Pro on my Mac instead.
Apple could bring Pixelmator Pro to iPad
With all that in mind, I really hope Apple brings Pixelmator Pro—or whatever new app comes out of this acquisition—to the iPad. I think the iPad has needed a good photo manipulation tool that’s intuitive to use for a long time.
In the past, the Pixelmator Team has mentioned they were working on a version for iPad, but nothing has materialized over the years. Here’s hoping Apple can make it happen! I think it would be fantastic to see Pixelmator Pro’s sleek design and impressive features available on the iPad. Plus, I’m sure they could come up with some awesome Apple Pencil features to enhance the experience.
And let’s hope Apple doesn’t turn Pixelmator Pro—or whatever new app they create—into a subscription service. They went that route with Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro on the iPad, so it’s definitely a possibility, which is unfortunate.
