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Schiller says Apple & Adobe working on 'really amazing technology' for iPad Pro

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Apple marketing head Phil Schiller made an unannounced appearance at Adobe's MAX conference on Monday, bragging about the upcoming Photoshop CC for iPad, as well as the companies' ongoing collaboration — particularly as it involves the iPad Pro.

"At Apple, we care deeply about the evolution of the iPad into increasingly a tool that is essential to a creative workflow," Schiller said at the event. "That's why over the last few years we've been creating the iPad Pro line and we've been building unique technologies like our A-Series chips, special versions of that with the CPU and GPU performance for professionals."

The SVP added that "Adobe has understood the potential of the iPad Pro," and that the companies' teams have been "working together on some really amazing technology."

He didn't elaborate on that last point except to say today's MAX announcements are "the beginnings" of what Apple and Adobe can produce.

On the topic of Photoshop CC coming to iPad, and Apple's role in enabling creatives, Schiller said not much has changed since company co-founder Steve Jobs laid early foundations with the first Macs.

"As I think back on it, I know Steve showed us all the idea that people with passion can change the world. And Those words mean a lot to us. And we think long and hard about what Apple's role should be in supporting Adobe and all of the users out there," Schiller said. "It is that old line that Steve said, that, 'We exist at the intersection of technology and liberal arts.' And that focus on creativity and the arts to unleash that passion, unleash that vision is just as important to us today as it was from the very, very beginning. None of that has changed. What has changed is the technology. When we talked about that, we never envisioned a world where we would be running Photoshop on an iPad Pro everywhere you are. I mean that's just mind-blowing what's going to be created from all these brilliant people with that."

Photoshop CC for iPad, coming in 2019, will be Adobe's first iOS version of Photoshop to have all the same tools as its Mac and Windows counterparts. Professional artists and photographers have frequently complained that despite Apple positioning the iPad Pro as a laptop replacement, they haven't been able to do the same level of editing on the tablet.

Adobe also used MAX to unveil Premiere Rush CC, a cross-platform video editing tool that will include support for iPhones and iPads.



63 Comments

siretman 11 Years · 120 comments

I hope this means that the new iPad Pro announcement is around the corner along with MacBook upgrades. 

fred stein 11 Years · 78 comments

Could be big. Apple's A12 chip runs circles around Intel. But all the essential SW runs on IA. Perhaps Adobe and Apple have found a way to port to an all A12 and successor chip.

JWSC 7 Years · 1203 comments

Adobe and Apple working together again.  So I guess it’s been long enough since Steve’s ‘Thoughts on Flash’ for the animosity to ebb.

charlituna 16 Years · 7217 comments

i just want to be able to manually select faces in my photos and label them. and add keywords. in the native app on the iPad. and I actually tweeted Phil this AM to ask him why I still can't do something that simple when Abode can put freaking photoshop on the device 

gutengel 7 Years · 363 comments

Can you get Adobe CC subscription on iPad? Because that'd be the real reason Apple is playing so nice with Adobe. I really dislike the adobe subscription tears, because I don't use the suit enough to justify cost. On the other hand Adobe seems to be copying a lot from Affinity, a company that was born from developing creative tools for the iPad and sell great products fairly priced. That's why I think is a bit sad Apple ended up working with Adobe, just making is stronger and letting them charge whatever they want; instead of supporting a smaller company which would benefit the industry and consumer a bit more.