Apple’s walled garden just got higher on its iPhones, iPads and Macs

In the technology industry, the Apple ecosystem of devices is often referred to as the “walled garden”, an idyllic world of technology in which all of the company’s devices work together as Apple controls complex details of how they work. In a few months this wall will be a little higher.

The tech giant will be released sometime in the fall iOS 14, iPadOS 14 and MacOS Big Sur, the software for iPhones, iPads and Mac computers. The company added new features to the software that are free for existing device owners and offer both convenience and greater appeal to immerse you in the world of Apple.

The “Sign in with Apple” feature introduced a year ago will connect you to apps more closely so you can create accounts, sign up for new apps, and sign in to existing apps with your Apple ID. Apple also has a virtual car key feature that creates a digital key that you can only use to unlock and start your car with your phone. If you want, you can share these car keys with friends using Apple’s encrypted iMessage service.

Speaking of news, this app also has new features that make group chats more attractive by offering thread conversations like in Facebook and Slack, as well as the ability to get someone’s attention by writing their name.

“Today, the world is counting on all of us and on the products and experiences we create to move forward,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook on Monday the livestream keynote at his company’s Worldwide Developers Conference, WWDC for short. “We have not stopped innovating and doing the work that will enrich people’s lives in the years to come.”

Apple’s efforts to tighten the links between its services are nothing new, but the announcements made by the company on Monday bring this interoperability to a level that users have never experienced before. Apple’s efforts to control the experience on its devices have helped to develop reputable software for popular devices such as Mac computers, iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches. However, increasingly, you either have to go all-in on Apple devices or risk missing out on many of the key benefits.

At the same time, governments around the world have questioned the way the company exercises this power, possibly excluding rivals. The European Union has launched two investigations into how Apple deals with external developers. Apple also doesn’t have popular key technologies like that iMessage encrypted chat service, available for phones with Google’s Android software.

“Apple has always wanted to build the world people want to live in,” said Bob O’Donnell, analyst at Technalysis Research. It’s unclear whether Apple’s latest features are enough to convince people to only do Apple.

The company has quietly opened two key elements of iOS, with the next version making it possible Change the default email address and browser on your iPhone. Apple never mentioned the feature during the keynote, as the unveiling is included in one of the presentation slides.

The number of people who have iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers is small, said O’Donnell, noting that many more people have an iPhone and a computer made by different companies. However, as Apple continues to add features that competitors have had for years, e.g. For example, small apps called home screen widgets or thread conversations in the messaging app may attract more people to the company site.

“You spend so much time on these devices,” he added.

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Not just functions

The biggest news at Apple’s Monday event was not the new features for the iPhones, but the changes to the company’s Mac computers.

Apple announced that computers with chips similar in design to the iPhone and iPad will start selling in the fall. These chips, of which the latest names like A13 Bionic bear, first appeared in 2010 in the first iPads. According to Apple, the chips today are more than 100 times faster than the original chips.

In addition, Apple can further optimize its software by building its own chips for its computers in order to offer an optimal experience.

“This means, above all, that iOS and iPadOS applications will be able to run natively on MacOS in the future, which will make it easier for Apple’s 23 million developer partners to build applications for all Apple products,” wrote Katy Huberty, an analyst at Morgan Stanley , in a note to investors after Monday’s announcement.

For consumers, this means being able to transfer some of the apps they already use on their iPhones to Macs, which gives them an incentive to look at other Apple hardware.

Mobile future

For years, industry observers have been wondering whether Apple would eventually connect its ultra-portable iPad tablet to the MacBook laptop. Apple routinely rejected the idea, despite positive reviews for Microsoft’s surface laptops that popularized the idea of ​​a computer-tablet hybrid.

But with iOS 14, iPadOS 14 and MacOS Big Sur, Apple still married her effectively. By allowing the new Mac computers to run iPhone and iPad apps, only a few things remain that separate the Mac from its mobile cousins. The Mac has more storage space and is designed for more advanced tasks like professional video editing and graphic design. Other than that, a touchscreen and some additional connections, they don’t differ as much anymore.

Apple even did this by rebuilding its cards App on the Mac with its iPhone and iPad app as a basis. The company did the same with its messaging app. “It is a full-fledged Mac app that runs natively and is designed to match the Mac,” said Craig Federighi, head of Apple software, during the company’s presentation.

For Apple, it is only the latest option to tie the devices even closer together and build this wall ever higher to ensure the best possible experience.

“From the beginning, the Mac redefined the entire computer industry. The Mac has always been about innovation and bold progress, with big changes being made to stay at the forefront of personal computing,” said Cook. “We have not stopped innovating.”