US Media Tests Show ChatGPT's Built-in Apps Experience is Poor, Difficult to Shake Apple App Store's Position
Published:Jan 3, 2026 08:01
•1 min read
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Analysis
The article discusses the early performance of ChatGPT's built-in applications, highlighting their shortcomings and the challenges they face in competing with established platforms like the Apple App Store. The Wall Street Journal's report indicates that despite OpenAI's ambitions to create a rival app ecosystem, the user experience of these integrated apps, such as those for grocery shopping (Instacart), music playlists (Spotify), and hiking trails (AllTrails), is not yet up to par. This suggests that ChatGPT's path to challenging Apple's dominance in the app market is still long and arduous, requiring significant improvements in functionality and user experience to attract and retain users.
Key Takeaways
- •ChatGPT aims to create an in-app experience similar to an app store.
- •Early tests show the user experience of these integrated apps is not satisfactory.
- •The challenge for ChatGPT is to compete with established app stores like Apple's.
Reference
“If ChatGPT's 800 million+ users want to buy groceries via Instacart, create playlists with Spotify, or find hiking routes on AllTrails, they can now do so within the chatbot without opening a mobile app.”