Some iPhone Apps Not Making The Cut for iPad?

When Apple announced its new creation the iPad, consumers were promised access to thousands of apps on the new device. After all, it’s not smart to develop a whole new product and not take advantage of the work that’s already been done by iPhone developers. What Apple did not promise was all iPhone apps making it to the iPad. That’s now seems to be the case as not every app is going to fit on the iPad properly. You certainly don’t want those ported iPhone apps to look lousy on the iPad. But as Wired put it, some of those apps are going to be sorely missed:

But if you recall, the iPhone ships with some apps that appear to be left out from the iPad: Stocks, Calculator, Clock, Weather and Voice Memos. What gives?

Apple didn’t respond to a request for comment, but I’m willing to guess Apple will just stick those apps in the App Store for a free download, and they’ll be the same apps as they were on the iPhone. After all, it’s unlikely there’s much to do with those particular apps to make them visually special for the iPad.

Steve Jobs seems to have struck down a few of these apps as they didn’t fit the “iPad experience” he has envisioned. I do believe that Apple will eventually introduce these apps for iPad as the new device matures. The iPad development challenges for developers have not gone away however. It’s one thing to test your app on an emulator and hope for the best. It’s another thing to have the device in your hands and have the ability to test the app you have developed. Macworld described the challenge the best:

And yet developers are being asked to design applications to show off just how cool the device can be and enhance its appeal for millions of potential customers. It’s a little bit like being asked to decorate and furnish a room with your only reference being a photograph.

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Apple may have already provided its top developers with test units to help them develop their apps more conveniently. That’s something that should have happened for more than just a handful of developers. The company could have put aside a certain number of iPad units up for rent to help with the issue. Maybe next time.

The challenges of developing apps for iPad won’t take too much away from the momentum the device already has, even prior to its official release date. But expecting iPad to be a near perfect device is wishful thinking.