it’s increasingly clear that the early success of the Vision Pro, and much of the answer to the question of what this headset is actually for, will come from a single app: Safari.
That’s right, friends. Web browsers are back.
...at least at first, the open web is Apple’s best chance to make its headset a winner. Because at least so far, it seems developers are not exactly jumping to build new apps for Apple’s new platform.
Some of the high-profile companies that have announced they’re not yet building apps for the Vision Pro and its visionOS platform — Netflix, Spotify, YouTube, and others — are the very same ones that have loudly taken issue with how Apple runs the App Store.
But what if you don’t need the App Store to reach Apple users anymore? All this corporate infighting has the potential to completely change the way we use our devices, starting with the Vision Pro.
...we’ve all stopped opening websites and started tapping app icons, but the age of the URL might be coming back.
If you believe the open web is a good thing, and that developers should spend more time on their web apps and less on their native ones, this is a big win for the future of the internet.
The problem is, it’s happening after nearly two decades of mobile platforms systematically downgrading and ignoring their browsing experience...Mobile platforms treat browsers like webpage viewers, not app platforms, and it shows.
There are some reasons for hope, though...the company appears to be still invested in making Safari work.
Safari for visionOS will also come with some platform-specific features: you’ll be able to open multiple windows at the same time and move them all around in virtual space.
With a good browser and powerful PWAs, many users might mostly not notice the difference between opening the Spotify app and going to Spotify.com. That’s a win for the whole web.
here’s the real question for Apple: which is more important, getting the Vision Pro off to a good start or protecting the sanctity of its App Store control at all costs? As Apple tries to create a platform shift to face computers, I’m not sure it can have it both ways.
Great article by David Pierce. As part of my website stats, I should probably start also counting authors I reference since many of the articles from the Verge I've previously linked to are written by David.
As someone who accesses services - "apps" - primarily through the web browser on desktop, this is exciting to see. While native apps have their advantages, the types of cross-platform connected experiences that can be delivered through the browser can't be ignored. First-class support for browsers in various platforms can only make these experiences even better. With more folks building their own platforms on the web on top of open standards that have been around for decades, I'm excited for the future of the web.