Apple’s Acquisition of Pixelmator Could Finally Resolve One of My Main iPad Gripes

On Friday, Pixelmator, known for its popular photo-editing applications on Apple devices, announced that it will be acquired by Apple. While there are valid concerns regarding this acquisition, I am hopeful it may address one of my main frustrations with the iPad.

Issues with iPad Software

I’ve spent considerable effort trying to transform the iPad into a genuine laptop alternative. Although the hardware of the iPad has improved significantly over time, the software has often lagged behind. One major concern for me has been the absence of a robust photo editing application.

Adobe introduced Photoshop for the iPad about five years ago, and while I’m sure it’s a powerful tool, my initial experience during the free trial was satisfactory. Over the years, it has certainly moved closer to achieving feature parity with its desktop counterpart.

The drawback, however, is that Adobe uses a subscription model, which I’m not particularly fond of. This is especially true considering I have already made a one-time investment in outstanding applications like Pixelmator Pro on my Mac.

Affinity Photo is another well-known photo editing app that offers an iPad version. Like Pixelmator Pro, it also requires a one-time purchase with no ongoing subscription fees. Nonetheless, I find Affinity Photo less intuitive, and despite having purchased the app for my iPad, I often prefer using Pixelmator Pro on my Mac for photo editing tasks.

Potential for Pixelmator Pro on iPad

That being said, I genuinely hope Apple releases Pixelmator Pro (or another Apple-branded app resulting from this acquisition) for the iPad. In my view, the iPad sorely needs an effective photo manipulation application that is easy to navigate.

Previously, members of the Pixelmator team have indicated that they were developing Pixelmator Pro for iPad, but so far, nothing has materialized over the years. Here’s to hoping Apple follows through with this initiative. The seamless design and extensive features of Pixelmator Pro would be a fantastic addition to the iPad’s offerings. I also believe there’s potential for some innovative Apple Pencil functionalities.

Additionally, I hope that Apple does not convert Pixelmator Pro (or any new app they develop) into a subscription service. Given that they’ve adopted this model for Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro on the iPad, this remains a significant concern.