Adobe Photoshop For iPad Coming Soon

Apple's iPad will soon get Photoshop for iPad, a version of Adobe's popular photo editing software optimized for use on Cupertino's tablets. The new app, which was first announced last year, is expected to come to iPadOS soon.

At the time of announcement, Adobe promised that Photoshop for iPad will be “the real Photoshop” and will have almost the same features as that of the desktop version, 9To5Mac noted. Some people who were invited to try out the beta version earlier this year, however, said that it's not.

One of the testers told Bloomberg that Photoshop for iPad “ feels like a beefed-up cloud-based version of their existing iPad apps and not ‘real Photoshop’ as advertised. ” Other beta testers said the app seems “inferior” to other apps like Affinity and Procreate at the moment.

Testers revealed that key Photoshop features like filters, the pen tool, custom paintbrush libraries, vector drawing, color spaces, RAW editing, smart objects, layer styles, and options for mask creation will not be available during launch.

Adobe confirmed this, saying the app will indeed be released without these features included. These features will be added to the app after some time by way of app updates.

Disappointment?

Daring Fireball's John Gruber noted that the disappointment over Photoshop for iPad's “lack” of features can't simply be blamed on Adobe. He said that “When Adobe described [the app] as “real” Photoshop, what a lot of people heard was “ full ” Photoshop, and that was never the plan.”

Photoshop for iPad is using the same code that the desktop version has been using for years. This means that users who work on the app using the iPad can transfer their file to the desktop and continue working there. Furthermore, it also means that Adobe might be able to add features after the app gets released for the Apple device.

Gruber added that “Adobe is genuinely all-in on Photoshop for iPad.” This information comes from “multiple reliable sources” who added that the developers behind the app see it as a “top shelf project for creative professionals.” These developers, the sources noted, plan to add features to the app on an “aggressive schedule.”

With that said, Photoshop for iPad can still be seen as a good tool that will allow creatives to take their work wherever they go.