6 ms·

Is it just me, or does it feel like Apple is putting more effort behind WebKit as of late? It’s slowly becoming closer to chromium in cutting edge feature sup

Is it just me, or does it feel like Apple is putting more effort behind WebKit as of late? It’s slowly becoming closer to chromium in cutting edge feature support.

deergomoo 3y ago
They probably see the writing on the wall for their current restrictions on third-party browser engines, and are as interested in avoiding a Blink monoculture as the rest of us.
jug 3y ago
I was thinking the same when I saw the release notes of the latest Safari stable version but wasn't sure if it was just me paying more attention than usual... :)
echelon 3y ago
Apple simultaneously doesn't want to become a thin client to the browser, yet they also see 3D/GPU/AI as the future and want to be at the forefront. They don't want to cede local compute to cloud and edge services. This is shaping up to be a fun battle ahead.
mplewis9z 3y ago
I agree. They know their time is coming with being forced to allow other browser engines, and are actually putting in an effort now that there’s competition on the horizon.
brycewray 3y ago
If only Apple would free Safari from the OS release cycle, the way Microsoft did with Edge when the latter became Chromium-based.
- deergomoo 3y ago
  I'd like to see it extended to all their bundled apps. I don't understand why a new version of e.g. Notes needs to be tied to an OS release.
  - dylan604 3y ago
    if you were using updated apps on an outdated OS, then there's that much less incentive for you to upgrade the OS
- TheCoreh 3y ago
  It's mostly free from the OS release cycle now: They have been shipping major web platform features in Safari versions that ship with their minor OS updates. (e.g. macOS 14.2, iOS 17.1) so every ~3 months, which is a nice cadence. The major OS release cadence only seems to affect major UI revamps which aren't that frequent anyway, so it's not that much of a limitation. You can now also update Safari independently of macOS, which is nice for IT environments that restrict major macOS updates until they have been approved. Hopefully in the future they will also allow that for iOS, so that older devices that can't update have some more longevity for web apps (and so that we as web developers don't need to support as many older versions)
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
  - mcfedr 3y ago
    It's not disconnected when it ships with os updates
    - zshrc 3y ago
      Apple has released os updates that have specifically targeted Safari issues. Usually point z releases as needed like big bugs and security fixes. Still not as ideal but it’s better than before. Mind you the version string in Safari might not change as well. Gotta look at the build number.
jacobp100 3y ago
They’ve been hiring celebrity developer advocates too like Jen Simmons and recently Nichole Sullivan. But it has improved so much in the past few years too.
- MBCook 3y ago
  This is sort of my sense. It feels to me more like it’s just more people knowing about/noticing it. As a Safari user since release day I never felt like they slowed development or that they have accelerated it lately. But people are certainly more aware. Maybe it’s more of an “it’s all coming together” for a number of longer term things just hitting around the same time?
freediver 3y ago
WebKit is already better than Blink for many cutting edge features, it is just that Apple and Google have different priorities in terms of what cutting-edge means.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

Is it just me, or does it feel like Apple is putting more effort behind WebKit as of late? It’s slowly becoming closer to chromium in cutting edge feature support.

deergomoo 3y ago

They probably see the writing on the wall for their current restrictions on third-party browser engines, and are as interested in avoiding a Blink monoculture as the rest of us.

jug 3y ago

I was thinking the same when I saw the release notes of the latest Safari stable version but wasn't sure if it was just me paying more attention than usual... :)

echelon 3y ago

Apple simultaneously doesn't want to become a thin client to the browser, yet they also see 3D/GPU/AI as the future and want to be at the forefront. They don't want to cede local compute to cloud and edge services. This is shaping up to be a fun battle ahead.

mplewis9z 3y ago

I agree. They know their time is coming with being forced to allow other browser engines, and are actually putting in an effort now that there’s competition on the horizon.

brycewray 3y ago

If only Apple would free Safari from the OS release cycle, the way Microsoft did with Edge when the latter became Chromium-based.

deergomoo 3y ago
I'd like to see it extended to all their bundled apps. I don't understand why a new version of e.g. Notes needs to be tied to an OS release.
- dylan604 3y ago
  if you were using updated apps on an outdated OS, then there's that much less incentive for you to upgrade the OS
TheCoreh 3y ago
It's mostly free from the OS release cycle now: They have been shipping major web platform features in Safari versions that ship with their minor OS updates. (e.g. macOS 14.2, iOS 17.1) so every ~3 months, which is a nice cadence. The major OS release cadence only seems to affect major UI revamps which aren't that frequent anyway, so it's not that much of a limitation. You can now also update Safari independently of macOS, which is nice for IT environments that restrict major macOS updates until they have been approved. Hopefully in the future they will also allow that for iOS, so that older devices that can't update have some more longevity for web apps (and so that we as web developers don't need to support as many older versions)
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- mcfedr 3y ago
  It's not disconnected when it ships with os updates
  - zshrc 3y ago
    Apple has released os updates that have specifically targeted Safari issues. Usually point z releases as needed like big bugs and security fixes. Still not as ideal but it’s better than before. Mind you the version string in Safari might not change as well. Gotta look at the build number.

jacobp100 3y ago

They’ve been hiring celebrity developer advocates too like Jen Simmons and recently Nichole Sullivan. But it has improved so much in the past few years too.

MBCook 3y ago
This is sort of my sense. It feels to me more like it’s just more people knowing about/noticing it. As a Safari user since release day I never felt like they slowed development or that they have accelerated it lately. But people are certainly more aware. Maybe it’s more of an “it’s all coming together” for a number of longer term things just hitting around the same time?

freediver 3y ago

WebKit is already better than Blink for many cutting edge features, it is just that Apple and Google have different priorities in terms of what cutting-edge means.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]