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Every week, The Core cuts to the heart of the Apple news that matters to you. iMore News Editor Stephen Warwick breaks down all the top stories with great deals, tips, insight and humor.
Well, it finally happened. After years of speculation and months of rumor-mongering, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has slammed Apple with a major antitrust lawsuit. This case is quickly shaping up to be the legal technology battle of the century.
Although not without early criticism, the lawsuit appears at first glance hopeful and at times far-reaching. The crux of the lawsuit alleges that Apple is locking in customers and locking in competitors. outside Power the iPhone ecosystem with a waterproof business model. According to the complaint, Apple “uses its monopoly power to extract more money from consumers, developers, content creators, artists, publishers, small businesses, retailers, and others.”
But what exactly does the Department of Justice want Apple to change about the iPhone? Conveniently, the lawsuit alleges that Apple uses the iPhone to maintain its monopoly in the United States. , it highlights five specific things it claims it would like to see changed as such. Each has varying degrees of merit, some of which have already been addressed by Apple, highlighting the complex nature of this case.
Core – Department of Justice Objection
Super app throttling — Super apps aren’t actually that popular in the US or Europe. So you may have never even heard of this word. Super app is a term first coined to describe China’s large-scale WeChat platform and is typically a mobile application or application that offers multiple services under one roof, including features such as payments and instant messaging. It’s a web application. Besides WeChat, there are others like Alipay, Lark, and Gojek. Notably, Elon Musk has also expressed his desire to turn X (formerly Twitter) into a do-it-all app. Super apps like the one mentioned above can be downloaded onto his iPhone, but until recently their use was limited. The complaint alleges that in the U.S., Apple “required apps to display Mini Programs using a flat, text-only list of Mini Programs” rather than as easily navigable tiles or icons. has been done. However, in January, Apple announced a new option for “apps that provide access to mini-apps and games,” allowing “apps to include streaming games, mini-apps, mini-games, chatbots, and plug-ins within apps.” For the first time, these apps will be able to offer in-app purchases to provide paid digital content and services. The lawsuit does not appear to explain this change.
Apple’s Cloud Streaming Game App Policies — This lawsuit highlights Apple’s rules for apps like Xbox Cloud Gaming. Until now, apps like NVIDIA’s GeForce Now couldn’t offer a library of streaming game content. Instead, Apple argued that each game offered by such a service should be a separate app available for download on the App Store, similar to its own service, Apple Arcade. Alongside the Super App changes, Apple also confirmed on January 25th that “developers can submit a single app with the ability to stream all games offered in the catalog.” I did. No such app has been released yet.
Messaging app interoperability — The lawsuit alleges that Apple “makes third-party messaging apps on the iPhone inferior overall and relative to Apple Messages.” Specifically, the Justice Department appears to be arguing that Apple should create iMessage for his Android, and that its choice does not hinder innovation in smartphone messaging. The complaint mentions Apple’s plans to introduce RCS later this year, but third-party messaging apps “will continue to be prohibited from incorporating RCS, just as they are prohibited from incorporating SMS.” , the problem persists. The complaint seems confused about who is responsible for the quality and security of SMS (not Apple), as if the idea that Apple should be forced to create iMessage for Android is ridiculous. appear. iMessage is an iPhone Features. The entire Justice Department lawsuit does not mention the numerous messaging apps that all iPhone users enjoy for free, many of which are cross-compatible with Android, such as WhatsApp.
smart watch compatibility — The Department of Justice also says that Apple suppresses key features of third-party smartwatches, such as notifications and consistent connectivity with iPhone, in favor of its own Apple Watch. Similarly, Apple has said that making the Apple Watch incompatible with Android will further limit consumer mobility. Apple recently admitted that it spent three years trying to bring the Apple Watch to Android, but technical limitations prevented it from happening.
Access to digital wallet — Also a key point of contention with the EU, the Justice Department says Apple is denying users access to their digital wallets. ” For example, Google Pay is not supported by the Apple NFC chip that powers Apple Pay. If approved by the Department of Justice, you will now be able to use third-party wallets for contactless payments on your iPhone, with fewer restrictions.
to start
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