Last week at WWDC 2023, Apple’s Craig Federighi had a positively joyous moment on stage with his triple-neck electric guitar, leaning into the notion thatApple is indeed the more fun tech giant, compared to Google. The event was equally electrifying for Apple as well, with the launch ofits sci-fi-esque Vision Pro headset, which had its own “one more thing” moment.
Among those flashy demonstrations, we also got a peek at Apple’s software roadmap for the next year. And these software changes are a clear sign that Apple, despite the chill vibes it’s putting out, is consciously staying true to its real self — one that wants to tighten its grip on the ecosystem its users rely on, even if (orespeciallyif) that means a worse experience for those on the other side of the fence.
Apple’s seamless cross-device connectivity really does make for an impressive demo. When you receive a call on your iPhone, you may take it on your Mac without even reaching for your phone. The AirPods automatically pair with all your Apple devices, with effortless handoff between them. You can use your iPad as a wireless display for your Mac, and again, the experience is seamless. There’s no shortage of examples of this “magic” that Apple fans swear by.
But things didn’t end up this way by accident. Ever since iCloud became the center of everything Apple, the company’s devices and services have been built more and more around intuitively accessing these resources. This approach makes business sense for Apple, as it can sell you more products and subscriptions. But more notably, it gives the users a sense of finesse with their gadgets thatjust workwithout a bunch of tinkering. This experience is easy to get hooked on and daunting to get out of, even if it means you’re forced to put up withsome of the quirks (read: inconveniences) of Apple products.
As far as I can see, it was meant to be this way all along. And Apple is only doubling down on this approach with its latest WWDC announcements. iOS 17 introduced a cool new way of exchanging contact cards, shooting past old-fashioned physical business cards and even modern QR code-based alternatives. And of course, NameDrop doesn’t use open standards for sharing the details, and instead relies on Apple’s proprietary tech. In other words, anybody with an Android phone will once again come off as the uncool one among iPhone diehards.
Worse, that isn’t even close to being the biggest blow to those rocking an Android phone in their friends group. In the name of enhancing the iMessage experience for iPhone users,Apple just made matters worse for Android phone owners. iPhone people can now reply and react to messages in green-bubble group chats, but none of what’s done with those enhanced features will show up for your friend on the other end with an Android phone.
While Android and iMessage have never gotten along, this new move from Apple will unapologetically harm the way iOS users are able to communicate with their Android peers, and risks leaving them feeling rejected. It almost seems like Apple’s aggressive answer to Google’s incessant (and increasingly embarrassing) jibes at the former forfailing to embrace RCS.
Even CarPlay is having its own green-bubble moment with the integration of SharePlay. Your friends will be able to contribute to your playlist with their own songs, and you can allow them to control the playback even if they don’t have their own Apple Music subscription. But once again, Android-using friends and family are an afterthought when it comes to this shared experience.
We also see Apple using entertainment to keep its existing customers from looking elsewhere. AirPlay can now automatically recognize your preferred HomePod speaker based on past usage and suggest playing your music through it. Of course, you may’t do that if you’re using one ofthe top smart speakerspowered by Google Assistant or Alexa — and the flip side isn’t much better, sinceHomePod speakers still don’t play as nice with YouTube Musicas they do with Apple Music.
The Apple TV 4K is getting a new quick setting panel for AirPods, and you can assume that earbuds from other brands won’t be treated to a similarly enriched interface. The streaming box will soon be able to display collage slideshows of your pics on Apple Photos. If you’re among the many iPhone users who preferGoogle Photosover Apple’s native solution for its excellent smart features, you’ll unfortunately have to either miss out on the experience or move everything over to Apple Photos.
WWDC 2023 was packed with tons more features that give you a reason to stay within Apple’s walled garden. You can check in on your family members and friends to ensure their safety with an iPhone, and your interactive iPhone widgets can now appear on your Mac’s home screen without installing the app on the computer. FaceTime on the Apple TV 4K can even use your iPhone as a wireless camera — something Google just can’t match with so much fragmentation on the Android side.
But for all that to work seamlessly — or as Apple intended it for you — you must be deep into the Apple ecosystem. And not just with devices but services, too. This doesn’t bode well for those using a MacBook along with an Android phone (which happens to be a popular pairing choice) or any other combination of Apple and non-Apple products. Sure,there are workarounds, but they are, well,workaroundsat the end of the day. If anything, they only highlight how very inconvenient it is not to do things the Apple way, and that’s by design.
An ecosystem of gadgets, as we know it today, is put together piece by piece, and Apple has been meticulously at it for years. Other companies have tried to replicate that, but even Samsung with its whole suite of smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, earbuds, and laptops hasn’t managed to reproduce the intricacies that Apple has achieved. Nobody else has been able to nail the connected ecosystem game — which Apple absolutely knows and is ready to put its advantage.
Many of the recent announcements at the WWDC stage further raise the walls of the Apple garden, making it difficult for those on the inside to peek outside — while also tarnishing the experience for people who like their non-Apple products as much as their Apple devices. From our perspective, as Android users and enthusiasts, there was little wiggle room already, and what remains has been shrinking by the day. Either you’re all in, just as Apple wants, or you’re forced to spectate from the sidelines. Because right now, the middle ground is just nothing but compromises.
