I believe you have all watched Apple’s annual developer conference?
As a dual Apple and Android user, I felt nothing after watching this video, because no matter whether it is iOS 18, iPadOS 18 or macOS Sequoia, they all have too many Android shadows. Apart from Apple AI, only the calculator is slightly worth looking at.
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But my colleague sitting next to me was quite excited.
As a staunch iPhone fan, he considers the features of iOS 18, such as support for call recording, app locking, free arrangement of icons, and customizable lock screen shortcuts, to be “epic” upgrades. Apple has finally listened to his advice this time!
Not only did our editorial department have mixed reactions to this year's Apple WWDC, but the online reviews also had two completely different styles.
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Many Android users are complaining that Apple is becoming less and less innovative, and that many of the new system features are leftovers from Android a long time ago;
However, many Apple users feel that since it is made by Apple, it should be better polished, and they are already considering whether to refresh the system of their devices in advance.
In recent days, news about Apple's new system and new features have been trending on major platforms such as Weibo, Xiaohongshu, Bilibili, and Zhihu more than once.
All I can say is that the industry is still as lively as usual. Netizens are arguing, but in the end, no one can convince anyone else. However, one thing is certain:
With the release of this new system, the official has started to make a certain application, and next a batch of third-party apps will be killed by Apple.
Take the calculator for example. The iPad has never had a calculator before, so if you want to use it, you have to download one yourself.
Now if we search for calculator in the App Store, we will see hundreds, if not thousands, of third-party calculators:
Many of these calculators either charge according to function or subscription, or have various built-in advertisements.
It cannot be said that there are no third-party calculators that are completely free and ad-free, but there are very few. After all, not everyone can generate electricity with love. It can be said that Apple has supported this large number of apps~
Apple also gave an explanation for why its own devices do not support calculators. I remember the answer given by a senior executive at the time was: Calculators are simple to make, but since we want to do it, we will make the best one. He was very confident and arrogant.
Of course, Apple has the capital to be proud of it. Although it took a little longer, it did it.
The built-in calculator of iPadOS 18 not only supports regular calculations, but also supports handwritten calculations. It can update the calculation results in real time based on handwritten variables, and can even draw function curves directly.
In short, it beats third parties in every way. As a result, most third-party calculators in the app store have no need to exist at all!
A few days ago, foreign technology media TechCrunch wrote a tweet like this, counting the third-party apps that are likely to be “killed” by Apple after this year's Apple WWDC. As a result, you don't know until you check it out. Once you check it out, you will find that there are quite a few third-party apps affected by the release of the new system.
In addition to the calculators introduced above,This time, the new macOS has added a new function for cross-device interconnection of iPhone and supports iPhone mirroring. We can view and control iPhone directly from Mac, which means that third-party iPhone mirroring tools like Bezel are basically dead.
The native version does not require a data cable and can be used even if the phone is placed in the next room. If you use a third-party app, you still need to plug in the cable, so how can you make the call?
In addition, Apple has also launched an official password app that supports us to manage all iOS/iPadOS/MacOS passwords. All passwords can be stored in it. At the same time, these passwords can also be viewed across devices and automatically filled. It even has a Windows version.
With this app, I estimate that many people will switch from third-party password management software such as 1Password and LastPass to Apple's official one.
Not to mention other third-party software like recording/transcription tools: TapeACall, customized Emoji: Newji, customized maps: Alltrails, and macOS window plug-in Magnet. These apps are designed to achieve a specific function. With native ones, who would use third-party ones?
Of course, I am not saying this to feel sorry for these apps.
When Apple doesn't develop a certain feature, they complain that iOS doesn't even have it; when Apple actually develops these features, they say that the official has stepped in to force third-party apps to death – it turns out that all the good and bad things have been said by these foreign media.
On the contrary, I think that Apple's fate is definitely a good thing, because many of the functions mentioned above should have been built-in to the system (refer to domestic mobile phones). There is no need for users to spend extra money to buy many small and beautiful third-party apps to fill the functions that the system itself does not have.
For example, when we went out for interviews before, we had to spend money to buy the iFlytek App, and then use it to convert voice into text. Now many Android phones have built-in recorders that can do this, which is equivalent to saving us money. Even now, many domestic mobile phones support AI summary of voice, which is very convenient to use.
To give an inappropriate example, in the past, after buying an iPhone, you had to buy various tool apps to use it comfortably.
It’s just like now, after we buy a Model 3, if we want the dashboard to appear on the steering wheel again, we have to spend a few hundred dollars to buy a third-party one from Taobao.
But cars should have dashboards, right? (Anti-bumper patch: I know the Model 3 main screen can display speed, but I personally prefer traditional dashboards~
And as far as I know,Many mobile phone manufacturers' built-in recorders still use iFlytek's technology, and they have to pay iFlytek. These third-party manufacturers are still alive and well, but the money payers have changed from consumers to mobile phone manufacturers. By integrating third-party services into the system, they are more convenient to use.
Of course, a company as strong as Apple would definitely choose to do it itself first. If all else fails, it can still use its “cash power” to make a wave of acquisitions.
Third-party weather software Dark Sky, third-party extension tool Workflow, third-party testing platform TestFlight, etc., were all integrated into Apple's own system after being acquired by Apple. Even Siri was acquired by Apple at the beginning.
Apple is very experienced in acquisitions.
To those software developers, what I want to say is, don’t expect to make money without doing anything forever. You still need to have a sense of crisis and strive to make some differentiation in the software.
As a consumer, I want to say, Apple, please work harder. You can never have too many useful features. Please add more~