iPad Pro An App Experiment: How much do I really need dedicated Apps with a "desktop-class" version of Safari

[Yebubbleman]

(I am one of those 12.9-inch iPad Pro users that was fine with the functionality and feature-set of the original 12.9-inch iPad Pro (sans the never-ending repair extension program on that model's Smart Keyboard cover), only adopted the third generation iPad Pro because, at the time it was the only 12.9-inch option, and would otherwise be fine with a 13-inch iPad Air. All that to say that while I prefixed this post about the iPad Pro, what I'm writing here could easily be about any 12.9/13-inch iPad.)

Prior to the launch of the App Store, Steve Jobs told folks to make web-apps because a full desktop browsing experience on a 3.5" display was abysmal. Afterwards, the clear solution to getting things otherwise accomplished on a computer's web browser became apps provided on the App Store. Even on today's 6.1" iPhones, the experience isn't as good as it is on a desktop. While games and video apps are generally better as native apps anyway, most of the apps we use are basically compensating for the fact that the experience of using it in a browser is still sub-par.

While this is still true of Safari for iOS, Safari on iPadOS is certainly much closer to that of its Mac-based cousin. On something like the current iPad mini, I still appreciate the convenience of apps. But on a 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which is similar enough in size to my 13-inch MacBook Pro, maybe it's not as necessary. Add to this that there are still a larger-than-should-be number of iPad native apps that only operate in landscape mode (something that would be tolerable on a current generation iPad mini, but rather intolerable on any 12.9/13-inch model iPad Air/Pro).

So, with iPadOS 18, I'm going to do the following experiment on my third generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro:

I'm going to wipe it (I generally do DFU restores of all my Apple stuff to the new major releases each year, anyway; just to get as fresh a coat of paint as possible) and then, when it comes time to redownload my apps, I will ONLY redownload an app if I cannot perform those same functions (on those same exact services) in Safari or on a stock app. If I come across something that I want to run or do on this particular iPad and doing so in a browser either sucks or is outright impossible (e.g. any games), I'll download the corresponding app.

I have 95 apps. Let's see how many of those I actually need, given the promise of a (mostly) "desktop-class" web browser on a device that is, for all intents and purposes, the same size as a 13-inch MacBook Pro.

I'll update this thread on what apps I currently have (on my soon-to-be-former iPadOS 17 installation on said iPad Pro) as well as how many I needed to redownload vs. those that I didn't.

Hopefully it's useful/interesting to someone. Apologies if it's not.

 

[Nermal]

I wish you luck! With my own sites I always build them to run in "desktop mode" rather than than "phone mode" when on an iPad, but I'm sure there are some other sites out there that will realise that you're on iOS and try to force you into an app.

 

[Beefbowl]

Looking forward to seeing your results! I am very guilty of downloading single purpose apps for tasks that could easily be done on a web site.

 

[NastyMatt]

I wish Safari on the iPad was truly desktop class, this is my last wish of the iPad (maybe apart from removing the camera bump!). I try and be hardware agnostic on my apps so I can use any device and be productive, the iPad is probably 95% there for me but there is always a little issue I bump into - Salesforce I am looking at you.

 

[bondr006]

I am of the same mindset. Anything I use my browser for on my desktop, I use the same on my M1 iPad Pro Safari browser. I like to keep the apps at a minimum for only things the browser doesn't do. It is a very desktop type user experience, and been doing this for going on two years now. Good job @Yebubbleman! I will be interested to see what you think of the experience.

 

[dburkhanaev]

I wish Safari for iPadOS can be streamlined and easier to toggle tabs and modes in much the same way as in iOS. It feels like a convoluted mess. Apple software generally, but especially iOS and iPadOS are starting to feel a bit sloppy lately. Not loving about 60% of the changes and customization options don’t exist to put as much back as use to be the case.

 

[bondr006]

(I am one of those 12.9-inch iPad Pro users that was fine with the functionality and feature-set of the original 12.9-inch iPad Pro (sans the never-ending repair extension program on that model's Smart Keyboard cover), only adopted the third generation iPad Pro because, at the time it was the only 12.9-inch option, and would otherwise be fine with a 13-inch iPad Air. All that to say that while I prefixed this post about the iPad Pro, what I'm writing here could easily be about any 12.9/13-inch iPad.)

Prior to the launch of the App Store, Steve Jobs told folks to make web-apps because a full desktop browsing experience on a 3.5" display was abysmal. Afterwards, the clear solution to getting things otherwise accomplished on a computer's web browser became apps provided on the App Store. Even on today's 6.1" iPhones, the experience isn't as good as it is on a desktop. While games and video apps are generally better as native apps anyway, most of the apps we use are basically compensating for the fact that the experience of using it in a browser is still sub-par.

While this is still true of Safari for iOS, Safari on iPadOS is certainly much closer to that of its Mac-based cousin. On something like the current iPad mini, I still appreciate the convenience of apps. But on a 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which is similar enough in size to my 13-inch MacBook Pro, maybe it's not as necessary. Add to this that there are still a larger-than-should-be number of iPad native apps that only operate in landscape mode (something that would be tolerable on a current generation iPad mini, but rather intolerable on any 12.9/13-inch model iPad Air/Pro).

So, with iPadOS 18, I'm going to do the following experiment on my third generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro:

I'm going to wipe it (I generally do DFU restores of all my Apple stuff to the new major releases each year, anyway; just to get as fresh a coat of paint as possible) and then, when it comes time to redownload my apps, I will ONLY redownload an app if I cannot perform those same functions (on those same exact services) in Safari or on a stock app. If I come across something that I want to run or do on this particular iPad and doing so in a browser either sucks or is outright impossible (e.g. any games), I'll download the corresponding app.

I have 95 apps. Let's see how many of those I actually need, given the promise of a (mostly) "desktop-class" web browser on a device that is, for all intents and purposes, the same size as a 13-inch MacBook Pro.

I'll update this thread on what apps I currently have (on my soon-to-be-former iPadOS 17 installation on said iPad Pro) as well as how many I needed to redownload vs. those that I didn't.

Hopefully it's useful/interesting to someone. Apologies if it's not.

It's been awhile since you posted this. I'm curious how your experience reducing the use of apps was?

 

[Boyd01]

I've been buildiing a complex web app for a number of years now. As a developer, this makes my app available on all platforms and devices where it works exactly the same. And it also has the advantage that you can use it like any other website without installing the app. But with mobile Safari, there's a big advantage to installation because it will have persistent storage for your data which would otherwise be automatically deleted after a week if you don't visit the site.

As far as desktop/mobile, the first time you visit my site, it asks you which you want to use and makes a suggestion based on your screen size. But you can choose whichever version you like and you can change at any time with a simple preference setting. The desktop version is optimized for big screens with a keyboard and mouse. The mobile version has the same functions but a simpler user interface designed for small touchscreens. The mobile interface automatically changes when you rotate between landscape/portrait to take advantage of the available space.

I'm happy with what I've done and am not very interested in creating dedicated app store apps where I have to make different versions for each platform, register as a developer and follow their rules.

People like to complain about web apps but that often seems to be more about a developer's choices and not limitations of web apps themselves. There are a few things that are hard to get around, although they aren't typically the ones I see people complaining about. My own app is for maps and becomes more like a handheld GPS on a phone. For that usage, the biggest limitation is accessing locally-stored data. A "real" app could store a gigabytes of map data on your device and access the filesystem as needed. Web apps can't access your filesystem - and shouldn't be able to, for security reasons. You can store data on a device in a web app, but it's much more awkward and limited.

Another limitation is that a web app can't run in the background. So, for a GPS web app, if you answer a phone call it stops tracking your position until you bring it back to the front again. And a web app can't keep your phone awake while you use it, so if you don't touch it, your phone/iPad will auto-lock based on your system preference even if it's actively tracking your position.

And there's no way to automatically force your app to update when you change the code, so it may crash because users still have a cached version on their device that's not compatible with the changes you made.

Admittedly, there could be ways around these and I'm just not smart enough to know about them. Anyway, I'm a big fan of web apps, but mine is rather unusual. It's free, there are no ads, no registration and I'm not selling anything.