Can anyone explain why Apple is such a target when there are several other companies that truly are a Monopoly, not just popular? They might not have super great business practices, but under capitalism that it not only okay, but it seems to be the default.
There isn’t a single product they sell that only Apple sells, there is a huge market for smart phones, smart watches, home computers, tablets, headphones, chargers, etc. Being a popular product does not make a company “a monopoly” and if we wanted to just go off market share, Microsoft needs to continue to be pursued, as does Amazon, Google, Disney, Comcast, the single other ISP in your region of the country, your power and water utility companies, every chain restaurant, most places that cut men’s hair.
Why go after Apple specifically when there are many companies to go after? Because people don’t like them? Do you like your power company? Tough shit, they are the only game in town. Do you like your ISP? Tough shit, you have two options and one is the worst DSL connection you’ve ever seen. Did you like any of the 20 streaming options in 2018? Tough shit, 12 of them merged into 3. Want to buy a computer in a store? Better like Microsoft or have the ability to install and maintain a new OS (is Linux the only other option?)
I’m not saying Apple is amazing or they have good business practices. But there are far more insidious companies where there simply isn’t many or any legal alternatives.
Apple makes it hard, if not impossible, to leave their ecosystem. And they are a large enough entity (in the USA where this is based) to use and abuse this size and influence.
With Android, if i don't like Samsung, i can use Google, Motorola, etc. Same with Windows. I can buy Microsoft Surface devices, or Dell, HP, etc. I could also buy a Linux computer, Chromebook, Macbook, Android tablet, iPad, etc...
With iOS, it's Apple or nothing. This makes Apple a gatekeeper, and a dangerously strong one. For more and more people, their "computer" is their smartphone, and with iOS, Apple is the first and final word. Want to sell to an Apple user digitally, Apple must get a cut, and they must approve of it. This just further empowers Apple, as they have more and more power and sway into what can and can't be done. Combined with the fact as I mentioned that Apple makes it so hard to leave them. It is this size and power that makes them a monopoly, not their popularity. It's the same thing that happened to Microsoft with it's monopoly lawsuits. It wasn't they were "just popular", its they used their size and power to limit/surpress competition to empower/enrich themselves.
As for your example of "better like Microsoft", I do have options, and those options will still allow me to leave them easily and non-painfully, or at least if I still use Windows I can use apps regardless of what Microsoft thinks or giving them more money "just because". Apple iOS doesn't allow this. As for power companies, ISP, streaming options, these aren't the same subjects so I'm not going to address them. And before it comes up, no, consoles aren't apart of this because they are marketed and sold as limited functionality devices. iPhones and iPads are sold as fully functioning devices (see "There is an App for That" and "Whats a PC?" marketing from Apple).
The USA has gone through this before with things like Bell Telephone and Standard Oil. They were too big and powerful that the only way to fix it was to break them up. The hope is that instead of breaking up Apple like those past examples is to prevent them from abusing their power and size before they get that large and dangerous.
I don't understand how Apple can be a monopoly if there are other viable choices for smartphones. Are people just bitter about apple or is there some corrupt financial play behind the scenes?
It's about the restrictions they put in place on those who have bought their products. They make it extremely hard to leave their ecosystem, overcharge for services, and prevent interoperability with other products.
They're only just now allowing RCS to try getting out ahead of these lawsuits. But they still don't allow side-loading (forcing developers to use their store so they can charge 30% on all sales), don't allow third-party app stores, and don't allow third-party browser engines (forcing everyone to reskin Safari).
Plus, in the US, Apple has 55% market share as just one company. The next highest is Samsung at 25%.
Thanks. I have android and had no idea it was that bad. I just figured people would stop buying iPhones if they didn't like it but if it's hard to migrate between systems, then that definitely sucks.
There's lots of stuff like enforcing WebKit for browsers, iCloud for background cloud syncing, subscription disadvantages (end trial for competitor = end of period, end trial for Apple = now), giving their 1st party native apps advantageous functionality competitors can't (yet), etc.
Because you don't have to be the only player in the overall game to be a monopoly, just simply big and powerful enough to be unaffected by the other players which fits Apples description.
Precisely. This is why the EU is harder on these companies.
When you get big enough, there are different rules to ensure that you don't distort a market by killing competition. That is anti-trust, and that is considered a monopoly.
This is such a bad look for Apple. Like we get it, you’re a trillion dollar dragon sitting on your horde. But like, dude, innovate instead of sitting there. You shouldn’t be afraid of side loading. Steam has shown that if your experience is the best, you can do fine. Apple just realizes they wouldn’t have the best App Store experience and would lose revenue. Tough shit.
It's not that Apple wouldn't have the best app store experience, it's that they no longer have control over their app store. They've always been about control and the illusion of freedom, but devs have grown smarter over the years and concepts such as open source will always win.
lol, did you not expect them to be as shitty as possible about this? It’s ridiculous that everyone is all, “oh, we’re so shocked they’re doing this! How dare they! Boo hoo!” they do not fucking care.
wtf, did you think you all won and the fight was over? Hahahaha! Apple are assholes, and they are far from done fighting.
idk, everyone is shitting on them but I'm not sure anyone is surprised. If anything, people are surprised with the regulators that didn't account for that or just turned a blind eye.
I'm not a lawyer, but I think there's "spirit of the law" in EU, which means that even though Apple technically allowed sideloading, their implementation goes against the INTENTION of the law and is illegal.
They aren't even allowing sideloading. They are allowing alternative app stores that they approve, and Apple expects a 27% cut from all app sales after it hits a million downloads.
This means that something like F-Droid on iOS wouldn't be possible due to expense.
Apple isn't going to let you just download an ipa and install it like you can on Android.
You don't own the device you paid for (this could be said about most tech products nowadays)
They aren’t even allowing sideloading. They are allowing alternative app stores that they approve
Meh. It's basically the same thing - an alternative app store is the most user friendly way to do this anyway and the EU courts will force Apple to approve any reasonable app store.
and Apple expects a 27% cut from all app sales after it hits a million downloads.
No you're thinking of the changes Apple just made to comply with their recent loss in the USA court. That only applies to the USA.
In the EU (and only the EU) instead of charging a percentage fee there's going to be two* 50 cent fees (per user, per year). Spotify, for example, would pay $100 million per year if they choose to "sideload".
(* the app developer pays 50 cents per user per year, and whoever distributes the app also pays 50 cents per user per year)
Having to pay Apple any amount for distributing apps not on their app store is just rediculous. Apple is not curating or providing support for the app in any way.
App developers don't have to pay the OS developer for any other OS (including Apple with macOS and Google with Android) to distribute apps on their website; why should it be any different with iOS? 50 cents per user per year, along with the same from the app distribution network means that indie developers will be forced to monitize their apps if they have any desire to distribute a sideloaded app on iOS, and the only ones who will be able to run alternative app stores are large companies with the capitol to do so.
Apple wants to dip their fingers where they don't belong. This is complying with the EU regulation in bad faith.
Also on top of that, the same fee applies on Apple's App Store as well.
Their malicious compliance and resentful behavior is bad advertisement in any case, both for app developers and for users. Yes, most people don't care but I hope some will realize who they are dealing with.
While it would be nice to imagine this, the reality is that anyone who is part of the Apple walled-garden isn't going to suddenly abandon it because of hypothetical functionality they never had previously anyway. And anyone who has resisted Apple this long... Well, there were probably other reasons driving that long before this.
I can't imagine this having any material impact on marketshare or profit. It will take harsher regulatory action for anything to happen.
Have you seen the maximum penalty for this action? It's pretty harsh.
"the Commission is also empowered to adopt additional remedies such as obliging a gatekeeper to sell a business or parts of it, or banning the gatekeeper from acquiring additional services related to the systemic non-compliance"
Imagine if they forced Apple to sell their iPhone business. The USA did that once when Ma Bell had a monopoly on phones.
But I do believe Apple has failed to comply with the law, and they either need to start complying or else I'd like to see the EU apply the maximum penalty. Which, by the way, is to split Apple into multiple companies.
Being split up has happened before and it generally doesn't go well for anyone - it'd be a lot better (including for Apple) if they just complied with the law and stopped being so anti-competitive... but ultimately I'm fine with either outcome.
I'm definitely not ok with things continuing as they are right now... but that's not going to happen so I'm not putting any energy into that.
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