Is Apple planning to 'sherlock' Arc?

Apple is reportedly considering integrating AI-powered "smart recaps" into its core apps like Safari, potentially "sherlocking" innovative features from the Arc mobile web browser. Arc's unique features, like "Browse for me" and "pinch to summarize," use AI to enhance web searches by providing summaries rather than traditional results. This move by Apple, expected with iOS 18's release, follows a pattern where the company incorporates ideas from third-party apps into its own offerings, affecting the demand for these original apps.

Apple has been accused of "sherlocking" a variety of applications and features from third-party developers, integrating similar functionalities into its own operating system and apps. Specific examples include:

1. Camo: An app that allows the use of your iPhone as a webcam. Apple integrated a similar feature known as Continuity Camera.
2. Duet Display and Luna: These apps enable an iPad to be used as a second screen. Apple released a comparable feature called Sidecar.
3. Buy Now, Pay Later Services: Apple introduced Apple Pay Later, which mirrors functionalities of third-party BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later) apps like Klarna.
4. Health and Wellness Tracking: Apple has incorporated features for medication tracking, period tracking, mood logging, journaling, and sleep tracking, which were initially available through various third-party apps1.

These instances illustrate how Apple has historically expanded its feature set by incorporating ideas initially popularized by independent developers, a practice colloquially known as "sherlocking" within the tech community.