'Brutal Battle' Expected as Regulators Close in on Apple Around the World

[izzy0242mr]

Of course this is what Apple is going to do. It's not that the claims that all their lock-in have no merit, it's that they are highly exaggerated. That's always been the issue. The world gets along just fine on MacOS, but all of a sudden it's an issue on the phone (where coincidentally they just so happen to have billions of dollars on the line from their lock on the garden doors).

And macOS has been a minority market player for decades. Windows, meanwhile, as the dominant player, objectively has the most and worst exploits in the real world. People live with it, but it absolutely results in real security risks and monetary losses for people that could be eliminated with a more locked down approach.

That's what Apple is selling: more protection from risk for one of the most popular smartphone OSes out there. Just get Android (a great platform) if you're wanting openness. Apple made iOS great by making it secure. That's their prerogative to develop the OS how they want.

 

[izzy0242mr]

As long as the walled garden is a paradise I’m staying… and hoping that no regulation will tear down the wall

And if it becomes not a paradise, people will switch to Android. That's the point of having different options. The fact people stay shows that the walled garden is less of a problem to them than they claim it is.

All the people here who complain about it clearly don't actually care enough to switch to Android, which proves the issue - while important to them - isn't as important as the many other benefits of iOS.

 

[Wildkraut]

You mean like Apple Computer Inc. which was 2 guys in a garage in 1977? The same year that International Business Machines employed over 300,000 people?

You mean one guy in a garage.

 

[ninecows]

And if it becomes not a paradise, people will switch to Android. That's the point of having different options. The fact people stay shows that the walled garden is less of a problem to them than they claim it is.

All the people here who complain about it clearly don't actually care enough to switch to Android, which proves the issue - while important to them - isn't as important as the many other benefits of iOS.

I mostly fear that they’ll tear down the wall and leave us with no options for a more protected place. Like that I would eventually be forced to have antivirus apps on my phone and research various app stores for basic apps (phone, messages, calculator etc) not cluttered with adds

 

[LV426]

In my opinion, the government should not be getting involve with Apple or any tech companies. They need to stay out of it.

But that way would lie anarchy. Hi-tech devices must meet all manner of regulatory standards, for very good reasons. Ability to call emergency services? Probably a must. Play nicely with other phone signals in your area? Definitely a must. Ability to have your phone tapped? Definitely a must if you're using regular phone signal. It's probably a very long list which, for the most part, is for the greater good.

 

[Yebubbleman]

Human beings (at least in the States) do not know how to deal with more than two choices at a time. We HAD many choices for computing platforms in the 80's. We had many great smartphone platform choices circa 2009. Yet, in each case, narrowing it down to two major options seemed to be the way for some asinine reason.

 

[citysnaps]

To be fair, Apple had none of this when they entered the phone market. The phone market by all accounts was mature, at least in the states, and I would assume other nations, had their big two or three handling the cell phones and markets for those phones.

Spot on. Wireless telecom back then in the early 2000s was ruled by Motorola, Ericsson, and Nokia - referred to as MEN in the industry. And of course there was Siemens, AT&T, Kyocera, Samsung, ZTE, and a dozen others I have forgotten about.

That said, Apple did get a bit of help and expanded their knowledge working with Motorola on ROKR. But that's relatively mice-nuts in the big scheme of things.

 

[webkit]

I wish they would spend this same amount of time investigating Walmart. I'm sure they would be surprised at what they find in that hot mess...

If Walmart was part of a duopoly and/or had monopoly power, antitrust regulators would target and investigate them more. The reason companies like Apple and Google are targets is because of their dominance in markets like mobile OS.

 

[DocMultimedia]

I'm excited I'll be able to put a Whirlpool spinner in my Samsung washing machine.

 

[StellarVixen]

To be fair, Apple had none of this when they entered the phone market. The phone market by all accounts was mature, at least in the states, and I would assume other nations, had their big two or three handling the cell phones and markets for those phones.

Underrated comment. iPhone entered the market during the time when Nokia and others (but mainly Nokia) sat at the throne, undisturbed.

 

[Zdigital2015]

All the interventions and regulations in the world are not going to promote a third alternative in the mobile space unless MS gets back into it with their own mobile OS, which they have been reluctant to do since Windows Mobile shuffled off this mortal coil. I assume the regulators will also want apple and Google to help build and pay
for that third platform as part of their penance. Shiftless politicians.

 

[tgwaste]

A viable competitor against Apple and Google in the smartphone field would be great. Lower prices, better features, and less lock-in. I'd probably still stick with Apple, but we'd all benefit.

That said, the way to get there is not through regulations drafted by government bureaucrats.

Thats not likely. Hardware isn't the problem. Software is. There are already plenty of Android phone makers. To have a true 3rd player they will need to make their own mobile OS. Best of luck with that.

 

[0194839]

Governments around the world don’t care about your privacy. The only the thing they want is control over their people. Especially in the west. Apple became a very successful company by innovating and creating awesome technologies. This is basically governments cracking down on successful enterprises which subsequently stifle innovation but the real goal here is a clear attack on the private citizens right to privacy.

No one is really locked into the walled garden. You can sell your tech and buy another brand. No biggie. Anyway, I’d rather trust a company like Apple than let’s say the European autocrats who literally no one voted for. Lol.

 

[tgwaste]

To be fair, Apple had none of this when they entered the phone market. The phone market by all accounts was mature, at least in the states, and I would assume other nations, had their big two or three handling the cell phones and markets for those phones.

No it wasn't. Before Apple and Google the best smartphone was Palm and that wasn't very smart really. Unless you think that flip-phone was "mature".

 

[tgwaste]

Governments around the world don’t care about your privacy. The only the thing they want is control over their people. Especially in the west. Apple became a very successful company by innovating and creating awesome technologies. This is basically governments cracking down on successful enterprises which subsequently stifle innovation but the real goal here is a clear attack on the private citizens right to privacy.

No one is really locked into the walled garden. You can sell your tech and buy another brand. No biggie. Anyway, I’d rather trust a company like Apple than let’s say the European autocrats who literally no one voted for. Lol.

"Apple became a very successful company by innovating and creating awesome technologies"

Yep and then Tim Cook took over.

"No one is really locked into the walled garden."

Im sorry but that simply is not true and I don't have the time go into it. You can start with iMessages.. which is extremely hard to get away from in the states if your whole family uses Apple.

 

[webkit]

Underrated comment. iPhone entered the market during the time when Nokia and others (but mainly Nokia) sat at the throne, undisturbed.

Around the time iPhone first entered the market, the dominant mobile OS was Symbian with over 60% share followed by Windows Mobile, and Blackberry OS. Symbian's dominance didn't last and it was overtaken by Android by 2011 (each having around 32% at that point).

 

[bviktor]

They might as well ask me before regulating my phone. I like my iPhone because of the restrictions, not despite them.

 

[0194839]

"Apple became a very successful company by innovating and creating awesome technologies"

Yep and then Tim Cook took over.

"No one is really locked into the walled garden."

Im sorry but that simply is not true and I don't have the time go into it. You can start with iMessages.. which is extremely hard to get away from in the states if your whole family uses Apple.

Saying that something is not true but not following up on your statement is kinda pointless tbh. I’m not saying that Apple is doing everything right here, there is much room for improvement regarding fairness and competition. However, governments controlling tech companies scares the living sh*t out of me. I don’t think it’s going to be beneficial for consumers around the world.

Edit: typo

 

[Shirasaki]

To be fair, Apple had none of this when they entered the phone market. The phone market by all accounts was mature, at least in the states, and I would assume other nations, had their big two or three handling the cell phones and markets for those phones.

But then, Apple was established back in 1970s, so a good 30 years passed since then and iPhone alone exists in market for 20+ years. All these time are just something a startup could not compete in a timely manner Without some dirty tricks. So yeah, another disruptor in the smartphone market is highly unlikely nowadays.

 

[bobbie424242]

It's about time regulators put an end to a handful of god tier top execs at Apple deciding everything in a control freak fashion that has no limit. From what you can run or not on the device you bought and other arbitrary restrictions, to imposing rules to developers the size of a book and growing every year, to not allowing alternate web engines, to deciding who lives and who dies on said platform and more. The only innovation that exists on iOS is the one Apple allows (and then it might appropriate it). Can you imagine the web being invented after the iPhone ? It would have been impossible as the web browser violates about every Apple rule and it could never have been accepted as an app.

 

[Shirasaki]

No one is really locked into the walled garden. You can sell your tech and buy another brand. No biggie.

Hardware yes, but how about data? Are all of your data transferable between android and iOS without any Issue, contacting customer support etc? I doubt it. Also, it is going to be hard if someone buys more of Apple stuff and they (mostly) “just works”.

No one really locked in, until they are.

 

[GMShadow]

It's about time regulators put an end to a handful of god tier top execs at Apple deciding everything in a control freak fashion that has no limit. From what you can run or not on the device you bought and other arbitrary restrictions, to imposing rules to developers the size of a book and growing every year, to not allowing alternate web engines, to deciding who lives and who dies on said platform and more. The only innovation that exist on iOS is the one Apple allows (and then it might appropriate it). Can you imagine the web being invented after the iPhone ? It would have been impossible as the web browser violates about every Apple rule and it could never have been accepted as an app.

So you want a handful of bureaucrats to decide things for you instead.

 

[Shirasaki]

So you want a handful of bureaucrats to decide things for you instead.

Or a handful of tech giant CEOs (and maybe board members as well) To decide things for you?

Pick your poison I guess.

 

[VulchR]

In my opinion, the government should not be getting involve with Apple or any tech companies. They need to stay out of it.

I agree. If there are particular anticompetitive practices that Apple is being accused of that are against anti-trust law, then by all means governments should prosecute. However, being successful is not in itself illegal. If any government wants to regulate something, it should be the selling of our personal information, protected information breeches, etc.

 

[bobbie424242]

So you want a handful of bureaucrats to decide things for you instead.

I want bureaucrats to make mobile platforms general purpose computing platforms like a PC or Mac is, if the user wants so (thus you could stay in the walled garden if you want).