Plenty of Apple, iPhone, and iPad news gets released every single day – but we know you’re busy, so we’ve got your back. Here, we’ve picked out some of the most important stories from the past week or so and summarized them for easy digestion. You’re welcome.
Let’s take a quickfire look at some of the most interesting recent headlines of late. As ever, click through to read the full stories if you want to know more!
Apple did get Flash working on iOS after all
In one of the most high profile clashes of the early smartphone era, Apple flat out refused to support the then-ubiquitous Flash standard on its fledgling iPhone, spelling the beginning of the end for Adobe’s multimedia software platform. However, it’s emerged that Apple actually made considerable efforts to support Flash on its platform, only to be put off by its ’embarrassing’ performance. As spotted by 9to5Mac, in a taped deposition for the Epic Games v. Apple trial, former iOS chief Scott Forstall revealed: “We [Apple] tried to make Flash work. We helped Adobe. We definitely were interested. Again, this is one where I thought if we could help make it work, this could be great.”
Eddy Cue pushed for iMessage on Android
It’s become a key signifier of the divide between iOS and Android – those little blue message bubbles that mean you’re in the Apple club, or else the generic green bubbles that mean you’re on team G. But if one high profile Apple executive had gotten his way, this wouldn’t even be a thing. As revealed by another deposition in the Epic Games v. Apple case – this time spotted by The Verge – Apple’s SVP of Internet Software and Services, Eddy Cue, wanted iMessage on Android way back in 2013. At a time when Google was threatening to buy WhatsApp, Cue wanted Apple to head off any challenge by making iMessage “the industry standard.” He was ultimately overruled by his fellow executives.
Clips app updated with new AR Spaces
Apple has updated its Clips video creation app to version 3.1, bringing with it a brand new augmented reality feature. AR Spaces utilises the LiDAR function of the iPhone 12 Pro and iPad Pro to enhance their shot-form videos with “immersive visual effects that map to the contours of a room.” Think dynamic lighting, falling objects, and immersive scenes. There are currently seven new AR Spaces effects to choose from, but Apple promises to release “monthly content releases containing new filters, stickers, and more.”
Spotify takes on Apple Podcasts with subscription podcast service
Barely a week after Apple announced a subscription podcast service at its Spring Loaded event, streaming juggernaut Spotify has issued a stinging riposte. Currently available in the US, and coming to other territories in the coming months, Spotify now offers its podcast creators the option of positioning their content behind a “subscriber only” paywall. At present there are three monthly fee tiers to choose from: $2.99, $4.99, and $7.99. Crucially for Spotify, joining up will initially cost creators nothing, with a 5 percent fee deferred until 2023. Apple Podcasts demands 30 percent of a podcast creator’s first year subscription fees, followed by 15 percent thereafter, in addition to a $19.99 yearly fee for signing up to the Apple Podcasters Program.