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Apple is reportedly about to launch a new iCloud-based service, codenamed Confetti, thats tied to the iOS 18.3 Calendar app. Here are three advantages Apples offering could provide over its competition.What is Confetti?Over the weekend, Mark Gurman at Bloomberg shared that a new iCloud-based Confetti service was launching as early as this week. He wrote:As the festive code name implies, the service offers a new way to invite people to parties, functions and meetings. For years, Apple has been seeking to revamp its calendar app and this new initiative could be the beginning of a broader effort.My colleague Filipe Espsito was the first to report on this services existence based on iOS 18.3 code he discovered referencing an Invites app. Now, it seems Apple is nearly ready to debut the new offering.Based on both reports, it sounds like Confetti will be a cloud-based service thats baked into the existing Calendar app and perhaps offers a standalone iMessage app too.Other apps and services offer similar schedule coordinating functionality, but here are three potential advantages Apple could bring.Ive used a number of scheduling services and apps over the years. Unfortunately, Ive yet to find one thats both free and ad-free.Its understandable, of course. Services need to pay the bills.Fantastical, for example, offers great scheduling features like Proposals. But those features are part of its premium subscription.Doodle was once my go-to as a free alternative, but the presence of ads is a drawback.Apple, however, makes most of its revenue from hardware. Thus, building a new scheduling-type feature and giving it free to Calendar users makes sense.#2: Seamless multi-calendar useBy tying its new Confetti feature to the existing Calendar app, Apple can tap into one of that apps chief benefits: being a calendar aggregator.Inside the Calendar app, users can (and do) set up various different calendars from multiple services. You can have calendars from Google, Microsoft, iCloud, and more.Since all of these calendars can exist in one place, the Confetti feature will offer a more seamless experience for anyone using multiple calendar services. Fantastical, again, does this well. But now Apple will provide similar ease of use thats accessible to its billions of users.#3: Photos app integrationFinally, one feature I hope we see from Confetti is Photos app integration.After a party or outing, the process of getting photos and videos from other attendees is messy. Some of my friends have gotten in the habit of using AirDrop before leaving, while others send a shared Google Photos album after the fact and ask people to upload there.Since theres no standard practice, lots of post-event photo sharing just doesnt happen.But Apple could build Photos app support into the Confetti feature such that attendees can seamlessly share their photos right from the Calendar event.Perhaps a new type of Calendar notification could even gently prompt users to share their photos the day after the shared event ends.Apple Calendars Confetti: wrap-upApple left its Calendar app largely stagnant for years, but thats finally starting to change. Confetti sounds like a great addition to the recent UI upgrades in iOS 18 and new Visual Intelligence feature in 18.3. Once Confetti ships, iPhone users should be able to organize parties and meetings with a great, free addition thats built right into the OSthats a compelling advantage.Best iPhone accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel