Explore iPhone's 'Smart Island” and discover more ways to play

Cuteness is perhaps the most important productivity!

Author | Meiyi

##Editor | Jingyu

In this world, there may be only one company that can truly "turn bugs into features" and make people all over the world go crazy with it.

This company is obviously Apple

The "pill screen" of the iPhone 14 series is called "Dynamic Island" by Apple, and it has successfully broken the stereotype in just one year. Let global users turn from initial criticism to praise. The launch of this innovative screen design marks Apple's resistance to "hole digging" and full screens. Developers with very honest bodies also took a fancy to this "island" and began to develop adaptations for it. However, at present, third-party applications are still mainly focused on very "practical" functions such as instant delivery, travel, and e-commerce. Some of them focus too much on practical applications. Of course, there are also developers with great imagination. I figured out how to play on this "Adventure Island"

.

For example, iOS software developer Christian Selig transformed "Smart Island" into a home for "electronic pets", allowing this small game that was only remembered after the 1980s to be successfully launched on the latest iPhone On mobile phone

So, how to play with the electronic pets on "Smart Island"?

01,

Electronic Pets on the "Island"

After downloading and installing this application directly to iPhone14 Pro, the "Electronic Pet" will Automatically appear on your "Smart Island", they may stay quietly on the top of the "Smart Island", or they may "run around" on the island. In the original version of the Pixel Pals app , you can "adopt" "electronic pets" in a nostalgic pixel art style, and you can also name them. Click on your "pet" and its age, weight, love, etc. will be displayed. You can deepen your relationship with it by interacting with it, such as feeding it and playing together.

Pixel Pals application interface｜Pixel Pals

As for what the "pet" is doing, the answer is... .... Did not do anything. They are just cute "existences", wandering back and forth on the "Smart Island" and taking a nap occasionally. You can click the button intermittently to feed or play with them, but they're in no danger if you leave them alone. In Pixel Pals, you can "adopt" a dog or a cat for free. If you want to unlock other pets, you need to pay to subscribe to the premium version of Pixel Pals. The price is not expensive, only $1.99. /month or $14.99/year

After subscribing, you can unlock all electronic pets, including hedgehog, fox, salamander, otter, bat, parrot, tiger, platypus, panda, raccoon, butterfly, Tyrannosaurus rex, rabbit, red panda, penguin, etc.

You can even raise two "pets" on one widget.

In addition, as a paying user, you can also Enjoy a fully "immersive" Pixel Pals gaming experience on iPhone and iPad

In short, this app is very simple but cleverly integrates home screen widgets and lock screen activities.

You can choose from a collection of adorable pixel "pets", place them on the widget, and watch them come to life. This is a unique use of widgets and a rare case of a widget updating and moving rather than providing static information. You can even upload a screenshot of your device wallpaper to make these widgets transparent and look like your “pet” roaming freely between home screen apps

Pixel Pals widget allows you to check the status of electronic pets at any time｜Pixel Pals

Now,

the upgraded Pixel Pals 2.0 not only expands these functions, but also "electronic pets" Pets" turned into a "social network". The following is the interactive gameplay of the upgraded Pixel Pals 2.0:

"Home Screen" interaction: Now, "no need" to open the application again

, your "electronic pet" is at your fingertips. You can feed the "pet" and play with it "directly" on the home screen.

• More interactive gameplay: You can also do more things with your "electronic pets", such as taking them camping, hiking or growing food on the farm, these diverse activities Enriching your immersive entertainment experience

• Rewritten content: In favor of sleep mode: In sleep mode, you can keep your "pet" with you at all times, so you can count sheep while sleeping, or charge your phone Play with it from time to time. This feature provides a calming and relaxing experience, perfect for those looking for a way to unwind at the end of the day

• "Pet" Social: Updated App It also introduces the option to add friends. By adding friends, your friends' "pets" can also visit your home screen and start fierce battles with your Pixel Pal. This feature adds a "social" element to the application, allowing users to connect with friends and share the fun of creating and customizing "electronic pets."

• More Morphs: As your friendship with your Pixel Pal grows, you’ll unlock new Morphs. The more your pet loves you, the more Morphs you can unlock!

Various widget forms of electronic pets｜Pixel Pals

In general, iOS The 17 update brings a series of exciting new features to Pixel Pals 2.0, enhancing the user experience. From customizing and interacting with "electronic pets" to adding social elements and fun activities, system updates have injected new vitality into the application. Although it still has some issues, the Pixel Pals 2.0 is still an interesting and innovative product that seems worth checking out.

02, Discover "Treasure Island"

Pixel Pals This app was originally developed by Christian Selig, a former Reddit client A feature of the application Apollo evolved. Apollo can convert AMP links into normal URLs

At that time, shortly after the iPhone 14 Pro launched “Smart Island”, Selig tweeted and wrote, “Okay everyone, I think I found it. The best ideas for using "Smart Island" on iPhone 14 Pro. I put a Tamagotchi-style “electronic cat” on top of the “Smart Island” on my iPhone 14 Pro. When you use the Apollo app to browse Reddit, the cat will run around on the “Smart Island” and do cute things. I will accompany you about the matter."

When "Smart Island" appeared in 2022, Christian Selig came up with the idea of ​​electronic pets｜X

However, in At that time, this "digital pet" would only appear when you browsed Reddit, and it was limited to the area above "Dynamic Island", which is the "Dynamic Island Zoo (Dynamic Island Zoo)."

A zoo grows on your "island"｜Pixel Pals

This means that when you leave the app, these "electronic pets" They can't follow you around, that is to say, they can't take a nap on your "Smart Island" when you're posting Weibo, scrolling TikTok, or texting friends. This is also the biggest shortcoming of the Pixel Pals 1.0 version.

Additionally, if you’re using an older iPhone device that doesn’t have Smart Island, you can also add Apollo’s new Tamagotchi-style Pixel Pals widget to your lock screen.

These gadgets are great for passing the time when you’re bored and can give you a break from mindlessly “scrolling” through social media. They don't have a specific purpose, but that's part of the fun of them.

In short, Selig pushes the "limits" of interactive widgets in iOS 17, creating an entertainment experience for users that also encourages users to interact and explore the full potential of their devices, which is exactly what Apple looks forward to the "innovation" made by third-party software developers.

In fact, Apple has officially opened the API of the "Smart Island" function long ago, with the purpose of allowing more software developers to freely develop , boldly innovate to better support the "Smart Island" function, constantly give users a sense of freshness, improve users' actual experience, thereby stimulating sales growth of new iPhone models with "Smart Island" as a selling point.

From a developer's point of view, "Smart Island" is both an "Adventure Island" and a "Treasure Island". Often those seemingly boring or even somewhat inexplicable applications will make consumers want to stop. , voluntary "krypton gold", just like the electronic pets of Pixel Pals - imagination may also be a weapon that can make real money.

Please note that the following content comes from the WeChat public account Geek Park (ID: geekpark), written by Meiyi

Advertising statement: External links contained in this article ( Including but not limited to hyperlinks, QR codes, passwords, etc.), intended to provide more information and save screening time, for reference only. Please note that all articles on this site contain this statement

The above is the detailed content of Explore iPhone's 'Smart Island” and discover more ways to play. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!