Objective-C is like an old friend in the Apple ecosystem-perhaps not the trendiest anymore, but still reliable and full of character. It is an object-oriented language built on C that borrows its dynamic nature from Smalltalk. With its distinctive syntax and message-based method calls, it served as the backbone of macOS and iOS development for decades.

The language saw major popularity in the 2010s and was even named TIOBE’s "Language of the Year" in 2011 and 2012. Although Swift is now Apple’s favored language, Objective-C remains present in many existing apps and libraries. It is still relevant for maintaining legacy codebases and for developers who appreciate its flexibility and powerful runtime.

So while it may not be the first choice for new projects, Objective-C is far from retired. It’s like a well-used toolbox-perhaps a bit worn, but full of useful tools that still get the job done with style.