What is Apple 'Invites'?
- tafadzwais
- Apr 8
- 3 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
With the increase of productive everyday apps, Apple is set to release their new and improved calendar application - Invites.
"a new app that brings people together for life’s special moments".
Apple released an official article on their Newsroom page announcing that Invites can now be downloaded on the App Store.
The app looks to serve the iCloud ecosystem, bringing an innovative way to set up functions, meetings and invites. The product is open to all users to respond to invitations via RSVP but the feature to create invitations is only available to iCloud+ subscribers. The creation feature enables subscribers to integrate the Photos, Weather and Maps for accurate & fun information to engage guests before and on the day of the event. The ecosystem continues as collaborative playlists enable Apple Music subscribers to make changes to an events playlist.
Historically, Apple products have been known to hold exclusivity with their products functioning on their software. Apple Invites looks to be an integration-focused application. The app also looks to be ad-free and aims to be a hallmark iOS application like Notes and Clock.
Competitors
The market has been chattering at the similarity Invites has with event planning application - Partiful. Partiful ended 2024 as Google Plays Best App of 2024 and an App Store 2024 Finalist. The app looks to be the standard of scheduling and invitations - like a social media app based on what event is happening next.
The current calendar market already faces competition as the app calendar market is set to grow 3x at a compound annual growth rate from $5.71 Billion in 2023 to approx. $16.37 Billion by 2030 (verifiedmarketresearch.com).
Leading the way is Google. Mega Technology conglomerate with a reported 23.75% market share of the collaborative calendar market (6sense.com).
The scheduling app market share has Calendly taking the top spot with a market share of 26.56% (explodingtopics.com).
Other key players include:
Fantastical
Outlook Calendar
Schedule Once
The use of calendar applications may still be evolving, moving on from noting a time, and date and providing a description.
Calendar marketing is now being utilised and described as 'very crowded now', 'all marketers are definitely fighting to get attention and we are using the exact same approaches. It’s very difficult to come up with something unique. The calendar is a blank canvas for creating an audience.' Quote from Addevent CEO Michael Nilsson, a company based on the Call-To-Action 'Add to Calendar' button for one-time and multiple events. With a reported 1.59% market share with competitors such as Eventbrite.
Future
Other popular uses of calendar apps include the integration into the education, networking and training spaces.
iCloud+ Premium Features (plans from £0.99)…
Expanded Storage
Private Relay
Hide My Email
HomeKit Secure Video
Custom email domains
Family Sharing
Although it may seem that another app in the market is not exciting news, the difference is the brand behind it. Apple releasing their free built-in iOS calendar app makes it the new 'thing' that will be hard to miss. Whether you end up liking it or not it will have you talking and you may continue to use it because as it stands the calendar app we have now is nothing special but who knows what seamless possibilities Apple Invites will usher.
Glossary
Application... the use of technology to solve problems or perform tasks (e.g. mobile and desktop apps).
Chief Enterprise Officer (aka 'CEO')... the is the highest-ranking executive in a company whose primary responsibilities include making major company decisions, including all resources of a company toward specific strategic goals (usually set by themselves and the board of directors), and acting as the main point of communication between the board of directors.
Compound Annual Growth Rate (aka 'CAGR')... the rate of return that an investment would need to have every year to grow from its initial balance to its ending balance, over a given period.
Conglomerate... a significantly large company which is multi-industry, one that has been formed over a period of time either through acquisition, expansion or extension.
Ecosystem... the integration of technologies, hardware, software, and services that allow a user to consume these goods and services within the same environment.
iOS... stands for iPhone operating system and is designed for use with Apple's multitouch devices, the Operating System supports input through direct manipulation and responds to various user gestures.
Market... a space where there are buyers (demand) and sellers (supply). This can be physical (retail outlet) or virtual (stock market).
Market Share... the percentage of total sales in an industry generated by a particular company, which is calculated by dividing the company's sales over a certain period by the industry's total sales during the same period.
Comments