Many iPhone apps will become Universal, offer compatibility with iPad
Earlier this week, Apple updated iTunes to version 9.1 in anticipation of the launch of the ever-magical iPad this Easter weekend. In addition to watching their kids scramble around looking for those brightly colored eggs, parents will be scrambling to fill up their new toy with apps, but if they already have an iPhone or iPod touch, it'll be crazy simple with no additional cost involved for apps that have already been purchased once.
Starting yesterday, iPad-specific apps were already taking up residence in the App Store, but many of the current iPhone apps are being updated to Universal applications. As you can see in the above screenshot of my iTunes library, there is now a new category for apps that work across all devices, and I was prompted to update those four apps. Many developers will probably end up taking this route at first, choosing to update their apps to upscale properly onto the new larger screen.
These new Universal versions contain a small "+" icon in the App Store and state "This app is designed for both iPhone and iPad," plus they will appear separately in searches for both general and iPad-only apps. Once selected, there is a toggle button that will switch to the screenshot views for each version, not including any HD apps that are designed strictly for the iPad.
[iLounge]
