I think its clear that they are well aware of the anticompetitiveness and therefore made it a seperate downloadable app, instead of integrating it in other iPhone user and event touch points, such as Messages or Calendar. Honestly, this doesn't make sense as a stand alone app based on how they designed their ecosystem
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Partiful Calls Apple a Copycat for New Invites App
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I usually like to take the developer’s side on things like this, but come on. There’s a difference between copying a unique, original idea, and making an app like this. Invitation apps are not a new concept. Partiful was founded in 2020. Does anyone really think they were the first invitation app?
In fact, you can make an argument Partiful copied Evite-
Evite: Party Invitation Maker
Evite helps you connect with friends and family for your most important life moments—from kids' birthdays to weddings to holidays—by offering 1000s of Free and Premium digital invitations for every occasion. With Evite's easy-to-use invitation maker, you can be the invitation creator you've...apps.apple.com
And hundreds of other apps like that.
Did they have to copy their crown icon?
How about buying them instead of blatantly ripping them off
Fair enough, but remember, people were complaining for years that Apple didn’t include a frigging calculator app on the iPad when there were thousands of options available in the App Store.
Is it possible the "crown" icon is a industry standard to denote "Host"? I actually don't know so a real question.
I believe Discord has been using the crown to denote host/server for over 5 years.
I believe Discord has been using the crown to denote host/server for over 5 years.
I'm going to just step away from the copying controversy for a brief moment to ask what I feel is a more fundamental question: What on earth is the actual benefit to Apple providing this particular app? As others have already noted, there are already plenty of services -- apps and otherwise -- which fill this niche. Why did Apple bother spending resources on this in particular, when they could be using those resources in any number of other ways?
I think the crown icon is a pretty common symbol for a host online, I’m pretty sure I’ve played online multiplayer games with that symbol at least.
Simple….it ends up mostly nuking the cottage industry of third-party options and helps bolster their subscription iCloud plan offering
It’s basically just reallocating potential revenue from competitors to themselves
Exactly why this company needs to be regulated like crazy
Apple is not monetizing on a built-in iPadOS app unless one is forced to upgrade hardware in order to run iPadOS 18 which for some outdated and obsolete hardware may be the case. The other calculator apps in the AppStore are also free and some have paid options.
Partiful is free and Apple is copying the concept and including it in a paid service in this case monetizing. Yea, there is a difference.
Seriously. Apple just made you relevant.
I'll defend Apple right to make an app which isn't unique or has many of the same functionality as a lot of other apps including on Android.
Both of those images are from Partiful. They are NOT comparing side-by-side. Look at the actual Apple Invites app page. They do not look the same at all.
"Come up with your own ideas. We know you have them, so make yours come to life."
To be fair, Apple never said THEY had their own ideas, just that other developers do.
To be fair, Apple never said THEY had their own ideas, just that other developers do.
So? Next we’ll see a calculator app saying Apple took their idea 🙄
Apple has been shipping a calculator app since 1984 with System 1
The original iPhone in 2007 also shipped OOB with a Calculator app
Not the best example to choose honestly
Well this behavior is the fuel the EU needs to burn Apple. And I can’t blame them. This is the tip off the iceberg.
Respectfully, I disagree. I'm an Apple One subscriber, and Apple recently sent me a poll asking about my use of the service -- except that, they weren't really interested in my assessment of the overall Apple One subscription, so much as they were laser focused specifically on my use of the Apple Arcade subset of the subscription. Thing is, while I do play some of the games, (because it's there!) Arcade was by no means a deciding factor to me subscribing in the first place -- nor will it be a deciding factor if I cancel my subscription. Other services drove my decision to subscribe, and Arcade is really just not that important to me.
To me, this "Invites" app falls into much the same category. In fact, perhaps it falls into an even deeper pit of obscurity, as I could actually conceive of some people disagreeing with me about Arcade's value -- and unlike Arcade, I really can't even see myself going with the "because it's there!" justification for using Invites.
I just don't see how Invites is going to attract much to Apple's subscription services at all -- other than controversy. Rather, shoehorning Invites into a subscription service alongside other (arguably more useful) stuff is going to greatly minimize it's impact on that cottage industry* as you put it, because the type of person who is looking for that type of app isn't going to go subscribe to iCloud+ just to get it... they're going to do a quick search either via Google or the App Store, and use whatever free tool happens to look the most interesting, or whatever commercial tool looks the most flashy -- depending upon their personality.
* Invitations have existed since time immemorial... it's anything but a "cottage industry". Apple may or may not have copied their design from one specific app in their App Store... but they most certainly are not going to have any significant impact on the larger market for this type of service, digital or otherwise.
Me neither. Partiful is pitiful.
They just wanted the attention they knew they would get from sites like MacRumors.
Huh? I'm trying to parse and decipher your sentence but it doesn't seem possible to do so.
This is their advertising. It'll get them a ton of view, and since it's cross platform it'll strike a chord with the Apple haters. It doesn't even have to be as good as their actual competition, Evite and the other invitation apps that have been around forever.
Makes me afraid of coming up with an original idea for an app for the App Store, if Apple will just play like a Big Fish eating up the little fish in its own pond.
I have two guesses:
First, Apple is poking and prodding for the next software feature that keeps people locked-in to iPhone. They know they cannot replicate the success of iMessage, but they can build a moat around iOS with a lot of smaller apps. Maps, Translate, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, News, Measure, Find My, Passwords, Freeform, Health, etc.
Second, Apple in general sees themselves as a lifestyle company. Even if it makes them no revenue directly, invite management is something they have identified as a frequent pressure point for people and have decided to take it upon themselves to improve. It fits in with their other lifestyle improvement apps, such as the improving Calculator to work as a unit and currency converter, Reminders, Sports, Health, Passwords, Translate, etc.
Not really a particular feature of Apple fans.
Most Americans are altogether fully dedicated to kissing up and punching down.
