Comment by screamingninja
2 years ago
You use the term Android like it is a corporation or a brand. Are you comparing iOS to Android OS or Apple to Samsung, Google etc.? I agree that Apple commands a relatively small share of the US mobile ecosystem, but where do the competitors stand?
Android is a brand. It's trademarked by Google.
Linux is trademarked as well. Is Linux a competitor to the iphone?
Yes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_for_mobile_devices
5 replies →
You're correct, it is a brand. The point stands though. Comparing "Apple" to "Android" does not work. Perhaps a comparison between iOS App Store and Google Play Store would be more apt, but that is another discussion.
Apple sells over 60% of new smart phones in the US.
iPhone is not a monopoly since z lot of companies sell phones, and with significant market share.
iOS is not a monopoly since at least one other major operating system exists, with significant market share. (Whether Linux is or isn't a competitor is irrelevant.)
A monopoly by itself is not a problem. Only behavior ancillary to that monopoly is. But to get there you have you have a monopoly. I don't see how you make the case. Clearly consumers have choice.
Now, there's a case to be made for bad behavior, but its weak. Apple will argue that consumers have choices.
But I am not a lawyer, so I'll leave it up to the lawyers on both sides to earn some fees discussing it.
Apple is competing against multiple companies, all of which are minorities relative to the iPhone's market share. These companies use derivatives of Android, but still compete against one another and Apple all the same. Android and Linux aren't competing companies, they're operating systems that are forked by OEMs and manufacturers to provide an OS.
So, now let's introduce iOS into the equation. Apple can differentiate their product, but how much is considered acceptable before regulators complain? The DOJ was quite straightforward today, accusing Apple of using iMessage to degrade user experiences through exclusion. If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, it's probably a...?