Apple’s Hit List: 4 Functions the Company Wants to Take Over

This year’s WWDC made something very clear: Apple wants to replace your third-party services and devices. The brand’s 2022 expansion plans are direct, targeting popular third-party options that Apple fans regularly use. That doesn’t sit well with Apple, which would much rather have you using its own Apple-based solution for these things, keeping it (and your money) all in the family.
We don’t know how successful this push to compete against third-party solutions will be, but we can see where Apple’s getting combative. Continue reading for what the current hitlist looks like.
Webcams
Apple’s Mac webcams…aren’t very great. There are much better options available, especially if you are willing to spring for a detachable webcam that you can set up and angle anywhere you want. But now Apple is sidling into this space with a new option for iPhone users: A MacOS update that will allow people to position the iPhone’s admittedly better camera on the top of Mac computers (plus a small accessory) so they can serve as much better webcams – and you don’t need to mess with any extra cables.
We’ll see how successful this is. It looks like angling the iPhone-cam could still be an issue, but it’s a cost-effective option for those who want it.
Laptops
The
iPad Pro has long been a laptop alternative for those who prefer it, but iPadOS
hasn’t been very friendly for those who really need a laptop experience.
Certain advances, such as a cursor-friendly mode used with the iPad Keyboard,
have helped. But now Apple is helping a whole lot more with its new Stage
Manager update coming to iPadOS 16. This is a slew of laptop-friendly features
that make using an iPad a lot like using a MacBook, from adding a dock to
allowing for detailed resizing and control of apps. It’s now more possible than
ever to use your iPad as a laptop.
Ironically,
this may most affect those who want to save money by getting an iPad instead of
a MacBook, but it could also compete with third-party laptops that users may now
debate getting.
Medication Apps
This was once rich ground for third-party apps made for medical purposes. What could be more natural than getting an app to remind you when to take your medication and what medications (or supplements) you are currently on? But Apple is grabbing that particular service with its new Medications app. This app ties into the Health app, can recognize medications from just a photo of a bottle, and syncs across Apple Watches, iPhones, and other devices. It can set reminders, allow users to access medication, and log everything for future medical review. Frankly, there’s not much reason to use any other app.
Password Managers
You don’t even have to wait and see what password features Apple is bringing with updates – Today’s iCloud keychain and Safari features already make it easy to see how Apple can store and manage your passwords, taking some of the shine from password managers that do the same thing. But it’s about to get more interesting: Apple is introducing new Passkeys, bits of encryption that can act as passwords and can be shared between Apple devices and even third-party devices in the future…and it appears to be entirely free, something today’s recommended password managers don’t really have.