Organize "Five Points to Watch for Apple's Future" from WWDC 2021

Part 1: Significant expansion of FaceTime

This year, Apple took the time to explain its video calling service, FaceTime.

The most noticeable enhancement was the renewal of "FaceTime"

What's new in iOS 15 ... Although it was an introduction, FaceTime is a service used by all Apple products, and there are few parts dedicated to iOS 15. In the first place, the OS used in each Apple product has a detailed UI optimized for each device, but the core is the same technology, and the services used on it are also the same. It is also a great value for each hardware to cooperate. Therefore, the part that can be explained "iOS" and "macOS" is steadily decreasing compared to the past. FaceTime is one such thing.

It goes without saying that the need for video conferencing and video calling has increased due to the Korona-ka. However, did FaceTime steadily increase the number of users there ...? That's not the case. Perhaps more people are using more "video conference" services such as Zoom and Teams.

I think FaceTime has a different beauty from Zoom and Teams. In particular, it is superior in terms of "easy communication" such as the sound quality of voice calls and the small delay. However, the service is suitable for communication between individuals, not for video "conferences". It doesn't change much after autumn.

In the press, it is sometimes written as "counter-Zoom", but I personally think that this improvement is a little different. Unlike services for meetings, FaceTime does not have document sharing or seminar functions. This time too, that point has not been strengthened. That's why Zoom is better for meetings ... After all, the aim is "individual". Taking advantage of the original strength of "easy to talk", I have the impression that individuals are making improvements that make it easier to talk and make them want to talk.

The best of these is "Shere Play".

SherePlay is close to the "feature to watch videos with people far away" that Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu Japan and others have. The difference is that it has a function shared by the OS and supports multiple services.

"Share Play" to enjoy videos and music with people who are talking on FaceTime

It's simple to use.

When you play a video or music you want to share while talking on FaceTime, the message "Do you want to use SharePlay?" Appears. If you choose yes, the video or music will be played even at the person you are talking to.

Operations such as fast forward and pause are also linked, so it feels like "everyone is having fun together." You can use it on your iPhone or iPad, but you can even enjoy it on your TV with your Apple TV.

Share Play also supports viewing on Apple TV

It should be noted that this function is positioned as "synchronizing the playback operation of each content while making a video call". The content itself is not streamed to the other party via the net.

Therefore, people who enjoy content on SharePlay at the same time need to be able to play the same content. The point is that you have to be in the same subscription service, have the right to play, or something like that.

Therefore, SharePlay can be thought of as "used by people who subscribe to the same service." Not to mention Apple's "Apple Music" and "Apple TV +", Disney +, Hulu, NBA, etc. will be supported in the United States. However, please note that the Disney service here is "American" and the system is different from the one being developed in Japan. At the stage of writing the article, it is unconfirmed whether it will be supported in Japan as well.

A group of services that support SharePlay in the United States from the beginning. Please note that Disney + etc. are just "announcements for American services"

However, since the API for supporting SharePlay has been released at WWDC this time, video services that support SharePlay may come out using this.

Also, "spatial audio support" will be a plus for strengthening communication.

However, this spatial audio has nothing to do with that of Apple Music, which will be described later, or the Dolby Atmos support realized in movies. The FaceTime call itself is not three-dimensional.

Spatial audio support means that you will be able to hear the voice that speaks according to the position where you are displayed on the screen. In the actual space, you can hear the voice from "the place where the person is", but you want to reproduce a feeling that is a little closer to that. Certainly it will be effective for smooth communication.

FaceTime's "spatial audio" support is of the nature that you can hear the voice of the person speaking from a place close to the displayed position.

Even if you talk about it like this, some people will say, "But I don't feel like using FaceTime very much." Until now, it could only be used between Apple products. Not being able to use it on Android or Windows clearly narrows the range of users.

The point is that Apple has made improvements to that. We will not publish apps for Android or Windows, but by making FaceTime available on the web, it can be used on any platform. The hurdle is very low because it is good if the browser supports Edge or Chrome and the environment can play videos with H.264.

Personally, I would like to pay attention to the fact that FaceTime has a movement of "environmental noise reduction".

Currently, various services and devices are equipped with "noise reduction using AI". On a daily basis, I also use an app that removes key-type sounds from the voice of video calls so that the other party does not hear the type sounds.

FaceTime calls correspond to "active removal of ambient noise".I don't know how loud the noise will disappear

I don't know how effective it is yet, but FaceTime also has a function to remove environmental noise by AI processing and deliver voice preferentially. I think this is a very important function in the sense of "making it easier to talk". I'm looking forward to the time when I can try the effect.