(taken from Apple’s official website)
In addition to releasing three new hardware products, Microsoft’s autumn new product launch also announced some new contents of the Windows 11 system.
Among these new features, the cooperation between Microsoft and Apple is the most striking.
First, Microsoft is currently testing a new Photos app that connects to Apple’s iCloud Photo Library, allowing users to manage their photos and videos smoothly and conveniently on the Windows platform.
This is not the first time the two sides have cooperated. Apple has launched iCloud applications on the Windows platform before, and this cooperation will allow Windows users to have a better experience.
Even Windows users can get Mac-like operation with the new Photos app for Apple users.
In recent years, Apple has been moving towards a more open ecological environment. In addition to continuously improving its hardware products, Apple is also promoting more of its own software products to log in to other systems.
In Microsoft’s case, in addition to the Photos app, Apple plans to launch desktop versions of Apple TV and Apple Music on Windows PCs next year.
Not long ago, Apple Music has been quietly put on the Xbox platform, and users can download it for free.
Prior to this, Apple TV and Apple Music have also landed on the SONY Playstation platform to enrich players’ entertainment experience.
It is not difficult to find that Apple is gradually starting to launch self-developed software products on other platforms, so that more users can understand the charm of Apple software, and it is gradually changing its conservative attitude.
From widgets to dynamic islands, Apple is slowly rolling out more open software content.
And this is related to the software service business that Apple is paying more and more attention to.
Relying on Apple’s powerful hardware products, Apple has always maintained a relatively closed software ecosystem and maintained an integrated software and hardware ecosystem.
But as revenue growth from Apple’s hardware products slowed in 2015, Apple gradually began to promote the development of its software business.
According to Apple’s second quarter 2022 financial report, Apple’s service business revenue reached $19.821 billion, accounting for 20.4% of total revenue, second only to Apple’s iPhone business.
Since 2015, Apple has successively launched subscription content services such as Apple One, Fitness+, Apple Arcade, and APPLE TV, attracting a large number of software content users, who have made Apple’s service business one of the pillar businesses.
However, Apple’s third-quarter 2022 financial report shows that Apple’s services revenue is facing a trend of slowing growth.
The third-quarter financial report showed that Apple’s software business achieved operating income of 19.6 billion US dollars, which was lower than market expectations. Revenue growth was also only 12.2%, the slowest growth since the fourth quarter of 2015.
The slowdown in software revenue has led Apple to turn its attention to third-party platforms.
Whether it is adding entertainment content to the XBOX and Playstation platforms, or cooperating with Microsoft to put its own software products on the Windows platform, the ultimate goal is to increase the audience of Apple’s software and increase the revenue of software service business.
Of course, with years of development and constant updates, Apple still has an unparalleled position in the global hardware market.
But in the face of more and more competitors, Apple has to start changing its habits and try to open up its own software content.
Although this kind of opening is not comprehensive enough at present, it is indeed an attempt worthy of encouragement, and Apple, which has begun to cooperate with competitors, may bring more fresh ideas to users.
This article is published with the authorization of Pinwan, and the original title is “Windows 11 supports iCloud’s gradual opening of Apple’s software ecosystem」
