iPad users have been waiting for years for Apple to bring Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro to the tablet, and Apple finally did it. But the way the Cupertino-based tech giant dropped the news is incredible. Rather than give Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro their own segments at WWDC 2023 next month, Apple casually announced them on an indistinct Tuesday via a bland press release.
That means Apple has no time to give the iPad versions of the video editing and music app proper introductions at WWDC 2023. The event will be so packed with announcements that big reveals like Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for iPad have no place in the main keynote. But Apple needed to unveil both products on this particular Tuesday.
That’s incredibly exciting in the grand scheme of things. You might not care about Final Cut Pro on iPad or Logic Pro. But if you’re an Apple user, you care about WWDC 2023.
Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro only work on iPads with an M1 processor or higher. That’s still a big deal for video and music creators. You can score a relatively affordable iPad Air 5 and run both programs once you select the subscription that fits your needs.
With both apps finally out on iPad, Apple is ready to take advantage of the M1 and M2 silicon powering its best iPads. But why did Apple need to make the announcement on this particular Tuesday? Why not wait for the week before WWDC 2023? There was no pressure from users to see these apps out. And rumors said iPad will get them only next year.
Pixel Tablet who?
One plausible explanation concerns marketing. Having Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro out this week is a terrible message to Google. After all, Google will unveil the Pixel Tablet on Wednesday at I/O 2023. The device isn’t quite an iPad Pro or iPad Air rival when it comes to performance. But it could be a good alternative to the iPad mini and regular iPad.
Apple releasing Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for iPad before the Pixel Tablet comes out is a move to protect its tablet sales. Creators will want an iPad, not a Pixel, to run products like Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro on the go.
It also makes the world talk about Apple products, shifting focus away from I/O 2023, even if only slightly. Let’s not forget that Google will have a ton of other interesting announcements at the event, including both hardware and AI software.
Apple’s big WWDC 2023 event
But Apple releasing Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro on iPad with nearly a month to go until WWDC 2023 sends another powerful message. The upcoming Apple event should be packed. Apple has so many things lined up for the roughly two-hour keynote it can’t afford to waste any time on big reveals like Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro.
As a reminder, Apple should unveil at least two pieces of hardware at the show. That’s the 15-inch MacBook Air and the first-gen AR/VR headset. Obviously, the mixed reality glasses is the most exciting Apple product coming out of the show.
Apple will also unveil the new realityOS operating system running on the headset. Then there’s iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, the most exciting software upgrades coming out of WWDC 2023. Add to that software updates for the Mac, TV, and Apple Watch, and you end up with one of the most consequential WWDC events in Apple history.
That’s because the mixed reality headset might be the stepping stone of Apple’s post-iPhone future. And that should impact all of Apple’s products down the road.
There’s a lot of speculation in all of this, of course. I’ll also note that Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro running on M1 and M2 iPads means that the unannounced Apple mixed reality headset should be able to run the same apps at some point in the future. After all, rumors say the wearable will have access to iPad apps. And the wearable gadget should feature an M1 or M2 chip.
We’ll soon learn what Apple has in mind for the new AR/VR headset and its operating systems. WWDC 2023 will happen on June 5th at Apple Park and the event will be streamed online.
