What are actually the benefits of using Xcode simulator instead of Flash Builder's simulator? As far as I have understood, you can not at least measure the performance with that simulator any better.

The Flash Builder ios "simulator" is just a standard Adobe Air window, really. The actual iOS runs much less smooth, much much slower and I don't always get the resolution issues right until I try it out on a device. So I too am interested in running this in the simulator.

Now, if we look at the new ADT.exe ( the tool that actually packages your app for iOS, I believe Flash Builder uses this tool?) you can see a couple of new options. I think in this case we are looking for "DEVICE-OPTION" : ios-simulator. I've never run an app through the adt.exe manually before. So I think we have to wait for a Flash Builder update before we can use all this new goodness.

If you did not know yet, you can also use Xcode for copying the app to a device. It's much more convenient compared to iTunes.

When you have Xcode running and the device connected with USB, you can see the device on the Xcode's left bar below a header "Devices". Under the connected device name is a subheader "Applications", just browse there and drag the ipa file there from Finder. The yellow light shows that it is syncing and when it turns back to green your app is synced to the device.

Imho, you do not need a xcode project to run your ipa in the ios-simulator.

quoted from the releasenotes (air 3.3 beta 2):

Simulator Support

 

As the Simulator on iOS is x86 therefore two new targets have been added in ADT for it . Please note that Packaging for simulator is supported only in interpreter mode.

Targets are:

 

1.) ipa-test-interpreter-simulator

2.) ipa-debug-interpreter-simulator.

 

To start testing your application on Simulator there is no need to obtain a developer certificate from Apple (which is a time consuming process) or create a provisioning profiles before starting to develop an AIR application. (A p12 certificate, which can be created by the user himself would be suffice)

To package application for simulator execute following commands.

 

*Interpreter Target*

adt -package -target ipa-test-interpreter-simulator -storetype pkcs12 - keystore Certificates.p12 -storepass password Sample_ipa_name sample_ipa-app.xml sample_ipa.swf

 

*Debug Target*

adt -package -target ipa-debug-interpreter-simulator -connect -storetype pkcs12 -keystore Certificates.p12 -storepass password Sample_ipa_name sample_ipa-app.xml sample_ipa.swf

 

*To install application in simulator *

adt -installApp -platform ios -platformsdk (path to sdk like /Developer/Platforms/iPhoneSimulator.platform/Developer/SDKs/iPhoneSi m ulator5.0.sdk) -device ios-simulator -package Sample_ipa_name.ipa

 

*To launch application in simulator *

adt -launchApp -platform ios -platformsdk (path to sdk like /Developer/Platforms/iPhoneSimulator.platform/Developer/SDKs/iPhoneSi m ulator5.0.sdk) -device ios-simulator -appid Sample_ipa_name

Incase this saves anyone some trouble along the way of helping to figure this out, xcode 5 on Lion has the sdk here:

/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneSimulator.p latform/Developer/SDKs/iPhoneSimulator5.1.sdk

Also, you have to download it afterwareds from the downloads tab in the preferences.