Is Apple getting into video conference apps?
With a billion iPhones using it, any changes to iOS are very impactful. The new iOS 15 is set to release this fall season (Sept-Dec). Due to current beta testing going on we got to get our hands on it, and it felt awesome.
But some of the new features added to FaceTime points towards Apple getting into video conference services.
The major players in the professional video conferencing space are Cisco Webex, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and Xoom. And currently, they don't have competition from Apple. Changes to Facetime and the introduction of Share play makes apple a viable competitor in the video conference space.
New features in iOS15:
FaceTime: FaceTime is getting a big upgrade with iOS 15. Below are some of the features coming to IOS 15:
- Group chats are more natural because of the spatial audio, separating each person’s voice and making it as if the voice is coming from the person's relative position on the screen.
- Grid view shows everyone in the same size and highlights the person talking
- Isolation mode eliminates the background noise
- New portrait mode blurs backgrounds
- Let’s you know when you are muted
- You can schedule a facetime meeting using FaceTime links.
- Even windows and android users would be able to use the link and join your call on the web.
Share play: Apple has come up with a new feature called Share play where you can listen to music, watch videos or even share your screen when someone is a facetime call with you.
Though there are interesting features related to audio and video like:
- Audio and video playback will be synced.
- The whole group would be able to build and play a collaborative Playlist
The highlight of this change is the ability to share a screen giving anyone the ability to view powerpoints, documents, or any other apps running on the device. Screen sharing can work across Apple devices.
Apple has quietly added all the features available in top video conferencing apps. This makes us wonder if FaceTime wants to become a competitor to meeting apps. It’s very much possible and they can easily top this up with added features to have call-ins and a full-fledged video conferencing app is ready to use.
