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Apple Invites

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Re: Apple Invites

#511

Post by sfRattan »

Hackbraten wrote: post #464
chippiewill wrote: post #441

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, but at least those don't have hardware lock-in.

WhatsApp absolutely has hardware lock-in. You need to be an Apple or Google customer to use it, and you need at least one Android or iOS phone.

Is it possible to install WhatsApp on one of the three major 3rd-party AOSP-based operating systems (distros): Graphene OS, Calyx OS, or Lineage OS?

Each one has varying models for replacing functionality of the Google Play Services, and IIRC the Aurora store [1] allows for installation of apps from Google Play without a Google account.

It's not a combination of steps that would be accessible to the average user, but I think it should be possible to use WhatsApp without being an Apple or Google customer (nominally a customer of Google hardware---Pixel phones---if using Graphene or Calyx, and ultimately a customer of Meta/Facebook for WhatsApp itself).

[1]: https://aurorastore.org/

Re: Apple Invites

#512

Post by fabrice_d »

chem83 wrote: post #478
Hackbraten wrote: post #464

Earlier quoted context omitted.

WhatsApp absolutely has hardware lock-in. You need to be an Apple or Google customer to use it, and you need at least one Android or iOS phone.

You said it yourself -- customers have options. Also, you forgot KaiOS.

Unfortunately WhatsApp stopped supporting KaiOS.

Re: Apple Invites

#513

Post by nonchalantsui »

ACS_Solver wrote: post #474
nonchalantsui wrote: post #289

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Apple TV one is particularly bad due to them naming the service, the box, and the app the same thing. One of them has a + tacked on, who knows which. As long as they don’t start naming other things Invite, they might avoid that issue. Although maybe they’ll name their HomePod with a screen that and we’re back to square one.

I very rarely interact with any Apple tech. Recently I wanted to watch Severance, so I signed up for a trial period of Apple TV. It even worked on Firefox on my Linux desktop. But I only get 1080p video, while my screen is 1440p. The show didn't look good, and I found that yes, you can only get 1080p if you're not watching through an Apple device. I would have been happy to become a subscriber of the streaming servic…

Yeah I've heard similar, although I'm surprised you got 1080p out of Apple TV on Linux.

The streaming services landscape is very weird in general. Lots about DRM or what have you that cause very bizarre rules like Netflix only allowing Opera on linux to play full 1080, or how on mac Edge only does 720. Some of them refusing to show anything over 720p on browsers no matter which platform. Of course some have workarounds through extensions.

Certainly not the seamless experience one would have hoped from the switch away from cable services!

Re: Apple Invites

#514

Post by alistairSH »

lordofgibbons wrote: post #362

I really hope this fails. Apple will use it's dominant position to create lock in like how they did with iMessage instead of cooperating with other platforms on a common standard. Oder friends and family are surprised when they want to video call over Facetime and find it hard to believe other people's phones don't have Apple apps.

From the article… Guests can view and respond to an invitation using the new iPhone app or on the web without needing an iCloud+ subscription or an Apple Account

Sounds like there’s no Apple walled garden lock-in for recipients of the Invites? Only for creating/managing them?

Re: Apple Invites

#515

Post by kmoser »

WorldMaker wrote: post #217
dewey wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had a hard time connecting your comment to an event booking app. But I guess you are talking about the Memoji integration?

The article mentions in the future being able to use Apple Intelligence to create "splash artwork" for invites rather than just uploading a photo or using emoji/memoji backgrounds.

"Image Playground is built right into Apple Invites, giving users an easy way to generate original images that make their invitation even more unique."

I look forward to the aberrations this will inevitably produce.

Re: Apple Invites

#516

Post by 6thbit »

DRAGONERO wrote: post #70

“Additionally, participants can easily contribute photos and videos to a dedicated Shared Album within each invite to help preserve memories and relive the event.” This sounds like a great feature. Post event photo sharing is always a bit of a mess.

Massive if it truly works cross-platform.

Has anyone tried from android yet?

Re: Apple Invites

#517

Post by apparent »

alistairSH wrote: post #514
lordofgibbons wrote: post #362

I really hope this fails. Apple will use it's dominant position to create lock in like how they did with iMessage instead of cooperating with other platforms on a common standard. Oder friends and family are surprised when they want to video call over Facetime and find it hard to believe other people's phones don't have Apple apps.

From the article… Guests can view and respond to an invitation using the new iPhone app or on the web without needing an iCloud+ subscription or an Apple Account Sounds like there’s no Apple walled garden lock-in for recipients of the Invites? Only for creating/managing them?

Just creating them. You have to have an iCloud+ subscription to be able to create them. Anyone can RSVP.

When I think of people I know who have iCloud+ subscriptions, it's mostly people who thought they needed them because of the scary notifications their phones sent them about running out of their initial 5GB of storage (which of course is not enough for any modern phone).

These are not people who are going to download and figure out how to use a new invite app. They are going to keep using evite just like they always have.

There are some people who may use iCloud+ or a bundle because they like the fitness features or have a family that makes it make sense. I probably know some people like this. But I have never had a conversation with anyone about iCloud+, ever in my life. Only dealt with questions from non-tech-savvy family members who were scared about notifications that they were running out of space and needed to "upgrade" to this paid service.

Re: Apple Invites

#518

Post by m463 »

crazygringo wrote: post #501
m463 wrote: post #491

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> And the cheapest tier is $0.99/mo. for 50 GB so it's not exactly breaking the bank. This is a huge trick. Like any other service where the most friction is setting up billing... then they can increase the price easily. Do upgrades to other tiers require confirmation?

You have to explicitly upgrade. There's no trick as far as I can tell. And they haven't increased the price of the $0.99 tier ever, and it's been around for 8 years I think. I don't think they've ever increased the price of any storage plan in the US ever -- prices in other countries have changed but that seems to do more with currency fluctuations. Apple is known for their transparent pricing and easy cancellation.…

> There's no trick as far as I can tell.

I think that is the trick.

99 cents is so innocuous, that people set up billing to allow it. People who set up their apple id without a credit card will probably attach a card to their account to get the 99 cent storage "deal".

At that point, upgrading to the next tier is inevitable as phones have been steadily increasing in storage capacity.

I think it would be nicer if your icloud storage capacity matched your primary device.

Re: Apple Invites

#519

Post by cyberax »

ZekeSulastin wrote: post #236
cyberax wrote: post #203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And the alternative on iOS is...? What exactly? RCS is a flaming trash dump of failure.

Other messaging platforms; the one most commonly cited seems to be WhatsApp.

On iOS? Don't make me laugh. Apple will die before they implement custom configurable messaging providers in iOS.

Re: Apple Invites

#520

Post by n0rdy »

dmitrygr wrote: post #445
n0rdy wrote: post #405

I have 2 conflicting feelings about this: - I'm glad to see this, as it might be an easily accessible alternative to Facebook events, which I tend to miss as I'm checking my FB only once in a while - on the other hand, each new Apple release adds apps that might kill some small start-ups that are offering similar services for the small fee. Having a free alternative on your phone out of the box with most of your cont…

To point 2: who cares? As a consumer I prefer (1) a team that will not run out of money and sell my data and (2) a free service built-in and well integrated, and (3) not yet another subscription to forget to cancel

I see your point. There are a few objective moments, imho, that I'd consider, though:

> a team that will not run out of money and sell my data

While "not run out of money" is true, the "sell my data" part is not given. For example, in 2023 Google sold its domains business (https://domains.google/) to Squarespace. Also, while not directly selling your data, they might sell the outcomes of your data in a form of ads or AI models, for example. I believe that can objectively bother some people.

Another point: this is the way to build a monopoly, or a global dominance on the market, and then dictate the rules. I see that stories about some Big Tech monopoly controversial moves are often quite popular on HN, as those situations resonate with many tech enthusiasts.

As for the rest of the point, I agree with you, that a free, high-quality, and decent service is a benefit for us, consumers, over another subscription. I still feel sorry for small bootstrapped services. But that's my subjective feeling, I'm aware of that.

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