Apple job posting suggests more apps for Android a possibility
Apple is bringing its Music and Move apps to Android this fall, but it might not be stopping there.
A job listing for “Applications SW Engineer – Android” posted on Apple’s site Tuesday seems to indicate the company’s desire to bring more apps over to the Android platform. 9to5Mac first reported on the job listing in a post on their site Wednesday.
“We’re looking for engineers to help us bring exciting new mobile products to the Android platform,” said the job listing on Apple’s site. This implyies Android ambitions beyond its Music streaming app and its Android-to-iOS switcher Move.
While there’s no official release timeline yet, Music and Move for Android are expected to launch this fall. Currently, there are no Apple apps for Android, unless you count Beats Music on a technicality. Currently, there are no Apple apps for Android, unless you count Beats Music on a technicality.
With the possible Apple invasion of Android, one can’t help but think of when iTunes was first made available for Windows in 2003. Steve Jobs boasted that iTunes was “probably the best Windows app ever written” at the launch event in October 2003.
The original Windows app for iTunes was notable for the fact that it functioned identically to its Mac counterpart, with Jobs quipping to journalist Walt Mossberg that it was “like giving a glass of ice water to someone in hell.”
Apple also brought its Safari web browser to Windows in June 2007, with support being killed in 2012.
Tim Cook said in 2013 he had “no religious issue” with bringing Apple apps to Android, but he’d only do so if it made sense.
Interestingly, the Music app for Android features elements of Google’s Material Design in place of cues from iOS, though iOS style on Android would probably be needlessly confusing. Google apps on iOS feature a mix of Material Design and iOS elements as well.
The question which remains is; what will Apple bring over to Android? Mark Gurman over at 9to5Mac posits iMessage, iTunes and Safari could all be possibilities. Perhaps Apple could develop a new iCloud app allowing Android users to access their iCloud data. Surely there’s a number of Android phone users who also use Mac computers.
Or, as was the case with iTunes for Windows, this could be an opportunity for Apple to give Android users a taste of iOS, with the hopes they’ll switch devices with the handy Move app.
We’ll find out soon enough what Apple is planning on doing, so in the meantime, rampant speculation will be a necessity.
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