Apple could change its direction in the near future by moving its iOS operating system strategy to become more like that of Google's Android.
Any potential move in that direction would push Apple towards Android's model of device proliferation, and according to one senior IT professional, all signs point to such a shift occurring soon.
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"It's interesting the way Apple appears to be going - and of course we can't be sure - but there are very strong indications that they're going to move to more screen size and density diversity," Ivan Gowan, head of IT for financial trading firm IG told Computing.
IG has a "mobile first" strategy, with native applications allowing trading to take place via smartphones and tablets, with more than 30 per cent of trading now done through mobile devices.
According to Gowan, subtle shifts in how Apple develops its mobile operating systems suggest a desire to provide operating systems for a wider range of devices.
"They've changed their APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) since IOS 6 to make layouts much more easily defined and are encouraging developers to define them using relative layouts rather than an absolute, and that implies they're moving towards the Android model of more device proliferation and variation," he said, adding that IG is already planning for such a change.
"So we're preparing for that a little bit and are working hard on an iOS 7 app which we're moving more towards potentially supporting.
"That's an increasing challenge as the mobile device landscape continues to balloon," Gowan added.
