What is the Generic iOS Device in Xcode 7.1 launch address list?

Question

I found a strange option on my simulator list in Xcode that I had never seen before. Generic iOS device in Build only device

Interesting, but when I try to build for this device - I get an error:

A build only device cannot be used to run this target. Please select an available device or choose a simulated device as the destination. 

Can someone explain - for what purpose do I need this option?

I have Xcode 7.1 and iOS 9.1

Answer 1

The goal of this goal is to create for iOS devices, even if your phone is not connected. You can compile for iOS architectures (armv7, armv8, arm64) and see if there are any compilation errors, as these errors may differ from when you create iPhone Simulator (i386 architecture).

This allows you to create ( ⌘ + B ) for iOS architectures, but you will not be able to run your executable file for this purpose, since you will not run the program.

Answer 2

Also super-useful now: Generic iOS Device allows you to archive without connecting a device, so you can pack the application and download it to iTunes Connect without the need for a device!