OpenAI’s app platform may look like the future, but Apple’s control over the iPhone ecosystem — and a smarter Siri on the way — could be its comeback moment in the AI race.
The AI App Platform War Is Heating Up
This week, OpenAI unveiled a major upgrade: apps can now run directly inside ChatGPT, allowing users to book travel, generate playlists, or design graphics all within a single conversational interface.
With 800 million active users and an Apps SDK powering this shift, some are calling it “as important as the App Store’s launch in 2008.”
But one major tech player isn’t sitting this one out — Apple, despite its AI lag and Siri’s infamous shortcomings, might still be positioned to regain control of the next generation of app experiences.
Apple Still Has the Numbers — and the Leverage
- iPhone user base: 1.5 billion globally
- Hardware + OS control: Apple owns both, giving it deep integration advantages
- Developer loyalty: Decades of tooling, APIs, and frameworks are already embedded in the app ecosystem
- Privacy edge: Built-in system protections — something ChatGPT doesn’t yet offer
OpenAI’s new app layer may be powerful, but it exists within its own silo. By contrast, Apple’s vision is to reinvent the app experience without making people learn a whole new way to use their devices.
Apps Are Changing — But Apple Knows That Too
The way we use apps is evolving. The “Home Screen full of tappable icons” metaphor is aging fast. AI assistants now handle tasks that once required launching dedicated apps.
- Want a dinner reservation? You’re just as likely to ask Siri or Alexa than to tap into Yelp.
- Need music? Voice commands to AirPods replace scrolling through Spotify.
- Looking for info? ChatGPT or Google’s AI results now shortcut traditional search.
This transition reflects a new reality: apps aren’t disappearing — they’re becoming invisible.
And Apple is betting on that. Its strategy isn’t to kill apps. It’s to kill the friction that makes using them annoying.
OpenAI’s App System: Powerful, But Not Seamless
While OpenAI’s in-app functionality is impressive, it still faces real barriers:
- Clunky UX: Users must know the app’s name, type a prompt correctly, and avoid errors to get the experience working.
- Onboarding friction: Installing apps, granting permissions, logging in, and authenticating — all required before use.
- Limited flexibility: You can only use one app at a time in ChatGPT. No multitasking.
- Loss of identity: App branding, design, and personalized features vanish inside ChatGPT.
- Developer buy-in: Adoption of its Model Context Protocol (MCP) is still growing. Only a handful of apps currently work.
For now, ChatGPT’s app layer is a brilliant proof of concept, not a seamless experience — which gives Apple time to strike back.
Siri’s Redemption Arc Might Finally Begin
At WWDC 2024, Apple revealed its reimagined Siri, powered by Apple Intelligence. The plan? Let users talk or text to control their apps — without needing a redesign, a new download, or a third-party integration.
Key features coming:
- Natural commands: “FaceTime Grandpa” or “Show presenter notes” will invoke context-aware actions in supported apps.
- Developer-friendly upgrades: Apps already using SiriKit or App Intents will benefit immediately — no extra work needed.
- AI enhancements baked in: Features like proofreading, rewriting, and summarizing will be available system-wide, even in third-party apps.
- Focus categories: Apple’s targeting Notes, Messaging, Media, Payments, Reservations, Workouts, and more — high-use zones where AI adds value.
Unlike OpenAI, Apple’s system is tied directly to your existing apps, devices, and personal data (in a privacy-preserving way). And it works out of the box with popular apps like Uber, Amazon, YouTube, Threads, and WhatsApp, according to early tests.
Apple’s Unique Advantage: The Whole Stack
Apple owns:
- The hardware (iPhone, AirPods, Watch)
- The software (iOS, Siri, App Store)
- The distribution channel (1.5B users)
- The developer ecosystem (APIs, SDKs, and frameworks)
- The trust factor (privacy-first branding, parental controls, data transparency)
Meanwhile, OpenAI must build trust, create a new hardware form, and convince developers to shift to its system — a tall order.
A Hardware Battle Is Coming — But Apple Still Leads
Reports suggest OpenAI is working on a hardware device with Jony Ive, Apple’s former design chief, to find a new computing paradigm beyond the smartphone. But so far, even OpenAI has struggled to invent something better than an iPhone.
Consumers have also proven resistant to always-on AI hardware, citing privacy concerns and social discomfort — remember the backlash to AI-powered posters, celebrity likenesses, and surveillance fears?
The iPhone isn’t perfect, but it’s familiar, powerful, and ubiquitous. That matters.
Final Thoughts: The Race Isn’t Over
Yes, OpenAI is ahead in AI interface design — for now. But Apple doesn’t need to beat ChatGPT at AI. It just needs to integrate AI deeply and seamlessly into the iPhone experience. If Siri can finally work the way Apple promises, the need for a separate AI app platform may vanish entirely.
And with Apple’s smarter Siri expected to ship next year, the comeback clock has already started.
