Quick thought. What if widgets in iOS 14 will actually be one of the ways we interact in augmented reality?
Quick thought. What if widgets in iOS 14 will actually be one of the ways we interact in augmented reality? When a new platform launches, one of the hardest things is finding content for that platform. You might not remember it, but when the app store launched, there's probably only a handful of apps we cared about. We actually see this on the Oculus App Store right now. They have a great device and platform, but the content just isn't there. When Apple launches their augmented reality headset, they'll run into the exact same issue. They'll likely have great hardware and other capabilities. But they won't have a whole lot of apps that you'll want to use. But hold up! I actually think they're already solving this problem. In iOS 14. They launched widgets that you can add to your home screen. For years, they already had widgets, but why spend energy making them better? We know the goal of every AR headset manufacturer is to show contextual information based on what you're doing and where you are. I remember vividly having my mind blown when Google glass showcased a guy running through the airport, trying to catch a flight and a departures board was shown in his glass. So let's look at popular widgets today. I've been shocked with how many people have been excited about the photos widget. I've seen multiple people mention on Twitter, how much they love the widget. By launching the photos widget today, they can learn which photos you'll like and which photos you'll interact with. Now, imagine in the future you woke up and as you're walking into the kitchen, you see an AR photos widget that you placed on the fridge. You see a fun Halloween photo of your daughter from a few years ago, and you nod in approval. Let's take this further. I look at the weather widget daily at the exact same time around 7:00 AM. So let's head back to our fridge. I nodded in approval at the Halloween photo. I quickly made my cereal and started eating. I then look out the window to see what the weather looks like. One in the top right corner of my window pane. I see the good old trusty weather widget telling me about the weather coming today. How about third party widgets? I saw my favorite podcast player now has an up next widget. I was pretty stoked to see the same UI being used in CarPlay. But let's get back to the dining room table where you're already halfway through your breakfast when you realize it's so quiet. You look towards the wifi speaker . When all of a sudden the podcast up next widget pops up. With third-party widgets, Apple will likely to be paying attention to which widgets you're using and where you're using them. And they'll definitely ensure that those third-party developers create specialized AR versions of those popular widgets. So I hope you can see by launching iOS 14 widgets today, Apple can improve their widgets. So you're more likely to use them in augmented reality in the future. They'll also learn about your habits and be able to show widgets when and where you need them. And of course they'll learn which widgets you find most utility in and make sure that those widgets are there on AR headset launch day. What widget would you like to see an augmented reality? Send me a message on Twitter @mikkoh. And if you haven't subscribed, it would be so nice if you did. This is Mikko Haapoja. Thanks for listening to my quick thought.