Apple is reportedly about to launch a brand new iCloud-based service, codenamed Confetti, that’s tied to the iOS 18.3 Calendar app. Listed here are three benefits Apple’s providing might present over its competitors.
What’s ‘Confetti’?
Over the weekend, Mark Gurman at Bloomberg shared {that a} new iCloud-based ‘Confetti’ service was launching as early as this week. He wrote:
Because the festive code title implies, the service provides a brand new technique to invite individuals to events, capabilities and conferences. For years, Apple has been looking for to revamp its calendar app — and this new initiative might be the start of a broader effort.
My colleague Filipe Espósito was the primary to report on this service’s existence based mostly on iOS 18.3 code he found referencing an ‘Invitations’ app. Now, it appears Apple is sort of able to debut the brand new providing.
Based mostly on each experiences, it seems like ‘Confetti’ shall be a cloud-based service that’s baked into the prevailing Calendar app and maybe provides a standalone iMessage app too.
Different apps and companies provide comparable schedule coordinating performance, however listed here are three potential benefits Apple might carry.
#1: Free and ad-free
I’ve used quite a lot of scheduling companies and apps through the years. Sadly, I’ve but to seek out one which’s each free and ad-free.
It’s comprehensible, in fact. Providers must pay the payments.
Apple, nevertheless, makes most of its income from {hardware}. Thus, constructing a brand new scheduling-type function and giving it free to Calendar customers is sensible.
#2: Seamless multi-calendar use
By tying its new ‘Confetti’ function to the prevailing Calendar app, Apple can faucet into one in every of that app’s chief advantages: being a calendar aggregator.
Contained in the Calendar app, customers can (and do) arrange numerous completely different calendars from a number of companies. You may have calendars from Google, Microsoft, iCloud, and extra.
Since all of those calendars can exist in a single place, the ‘Confetti’ function will provide a extra seamless expertise for anybody utilizing a number of calendar companies. Fantastical, once more, does this properly. However now Apple will present comparable ease of use that’s accessible to its billions of customers.
#3: Images app integration
Lastly, one function I hope we see from ‘Confetti’ is Images app integration.
After a celebration or outing, the method of getting pictures and movies from different attendees is messy. A few of my pals have gotten within the behavior of utilizing AirDrop earlier than leaving, whereas others ship a shared Google Images album after the actual fact and ask individuals to add there.
Since there’s no commonplace apply, a number of post-event picture sharing simply doesn’t occur.
However Apple might construct Images app help into the ‘Confetti’ function such that attendees can seamlessly share their pictures proper from the Calendar occasion.
Maybe a brand new sort of Calendar notification might even gently immediate customers to share their pictures the day after the shared occasion ends.
Apple Calendar’s ‘Confetti’: wrap-up
Apple left its Calendar app largely stagnant for years, however that’s lastly beginning to change. ‘Confetti’ seems like an amazing addition to the current UI upgrades in iOS 18 and new Visible Intelligence function in 18.3.
As soon as ‘Confetti’ ships, iPhone customers ought to be capable of manage events and conferences with an amazing, free addition that’s constructed proper into the OS—that’s a compelling benefit.
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