Until yesterday afternoon, Dark Sky announced its acquisition by Apple. For many users from outside the US or UK, this app is completely anonymous. But it is proved by they have a very good knowledge of the local climate, per minute. Apple's ambition for this app rested both on form machines, and at that level in detail.
Apple's climate and climate are different
In Spain we were unable to test this weather app, as it only shows minute forecasts in the US and UK. And as a result Only available on the App Store for these countries. Therefore, we view it as something we do not know. But in these countries there has been built a reliable base of enthusiastic users.
Able to predict the weather accurately, with minute changes and mostly done at home it is very useful in regions where it rains most often (such as New England or Great Britain). For these reasons, Dark Sky is an app number one US state of the weather apps. In the past, Apple has highlighted the program from others, saying the following:
Being able to monitor atmospheric pressure in the nearest billionaire sounds impressive and everything, but sometimes you just want to know if it's going to rain. The Sky Sky tells you exactly how much of the sky is expected and when expected, it offers customized alerts and the timelessness of local cloud movements that are almost as exciting as jumping off a cliff.
And of course, notifications and alerts have been an integral part of this app's experience. The reason it also has an API that consumes other weather apps, usually in combination with other sources. It is evident that we are looking at a to rent Apple, a way to attract talent to the company through adoption. But also the technology behind it.
Another basic point of this experience is the care and transparency of privacy. In a world where data is trafficked as if work, its difference is unquestionable. It's too early to predict the arrival of functions like iOS 14. Generally, Apple needs about 12-18 months to integrate adoption. It all depends on the work already done or starting at the beginning.
Finding a service in a competitive climate market is not anti-competitive
As always with the announcement or acquisition of Apple in recent months, the narrative focuses on whether or not to compete. It's amazing how the conversation from "when will we see this feature integrated on iOS" has turned to "Apple bought a high-end app, I wonder if that would be legal." At this time, this doubt is also expressed, increases with two acquisition results:
- Apple will close APIs that share Dark Sky data with third parties by the end of 2021. New API registrations are not supported.
- Apple has removed the Android and Wear OS version from the Google Play Store. These changes will cease to be effective on July 1, 2020 and users will be refunded the difference.
Dark Sky Edition is still available on iOS, priced at $ 3.99. Ironically, since the discovery of Workflow, the company did it for free from the first minute (there was no Android version). These actions taken by the company after the acquisition raised suspicions.
To view adoption as anti-competitive, whether or not alternatives should be considered, as well as the price of the app or service after adoption. The market for weather apps you have alternatives everywhere. It's very competitive, with options with different business models. From free agents who sell information and ads to paid and subscribers.
In the weather app market, Dark Sky is a niche app during a storm of various choices
Leveraging a niche option in a mature market is not a problem of consumer choice. But the price, Apple keeps it as it is. Not minimizing or uninstalling it would indicate that it will still take some time to take advantage of Dark Sky for your purposes (perhaps a complete re-creation of time?).
The increase in scrutiny comes after an investigation by large technology companies that they occur in Europe and the United States. Later, the focus is more on Google and Amazon. Until various public sector efforts are resolved, the allegations behind each purchase will remain.
