Big news from WWDC: FaceTime will beavailable on Windows and Android! Apart from! Not really! Because the port! Is total shit!
In case you missedthe update, Apple has spent the past year trying to copy Zoom. Part of this is that FaceTime, its video calling app, is opening up. This is all well and good — besides the fact that you can’treallyuse FaceTime if you’re not on an Apple device.
Can you you participate in a FaceTime call if you’re on on Windows and Android? Yes! But can you start a FaceTime call? No! Can you share your screen? Nope! Can you add or remove people from the FaceTime call? Of course not! And can you use the new SharePlay feature? You must be having a fucking giggle!
Look, I get why Apple’s done this: anyone not using an iPhone can suck a big, stinky, hairy fleshmound. But it did get me thinking. What other Apple services, features, and apps could the company spitefully fuck up for users of other operating systems?
And, importantly,howcould they do it? I’ve got the answers.
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Apple TV+
Yeah, you can watchTed Lassoon your Google Pixel or Roku or Android TV in general, but now it’s only gonna stream at 460p. Have fun enjoying that delightful blend of British and American comedy when you can’t tell which character is which, losers.
iMessage
Say it with me now: Android users will only receive iMessages in Wingdings. Everything they send to the chosen ones (AKA iOS users) will be in normal text, but everything they get in return? Well, it’ll look like this:
Apple Fitness+
What happens if a Windows user wants to get fit usingApple’s guided workouts? Well, they can. They can exercise to their heart’s content. They’ve just got to get used to being called a fat piece of worthless shit every 30 seconds. A trade worth making.
Memoji
“I’ve got an idea, Tim.”
“Shoot.”
“We let Windows and Android users have Memoji.”
“…”
“But their avatars are ugly.”
“I’m listening.”
“And where their mouths should be, there are glistening rectums instead.”
“Continue.”
“And shit literally falls out of their assmouths whenever they talk.”
“Go on.”
“And their Memoji rub their faces in it and shout about how much they like being covered in shit.”
“Ship it.”
Fin.
Some may say this article is childish and petty and spiteful. In response to that, I’d like to direct your attention to the Windows and Android ‘port’ of FaceTime. Thanks for your time.
Story byCallum Booth
Callum Booth is a freelance journalist with over a decade of experience. Previously, he was the Managing Editor of TNW, where his reporting(show all)Callum Booth is a freelance journalist with over a decade of experience. Previously, he was the Managing Editor of TNW, where his reporting was cited widely, including in VICE, the FT, and the BBC.
Callum’s writing has appeared in The Verge, The Daily Telegraph, Time Out, and many more. He covers the full spectrum of technology, with a particular focus on how it shapes our daily lives. And a lot of regulation stuff too.
Outside of work, Callum’s an avid bookworm, a Fisherman’s Friends addict, and resolutely unshaven. Follow him on Twitter @CallumBooth or visit www.callumbooth.net.
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