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Comment by ripdog

2 years ago

By default was missing from the sentence. You can do it with Whatsapp etc, but both you and the other party need to download a 3rd party app to do so.

> By default was missing from the sentence. You can do it with Whatsapp etc, but both you and the other party need to download a 3rd party app to do so.

So... what?

  • It's an obvious abuse of their monopoly to suppress competition. Most kids use iPhone and for the general public in the US iPhone has >50% market share, so to expect most people to stop using iMessage to get better support with Android users is not happening, and it's silly to think that will change without a change in laws, so most kids end up getting iPhones so they're not left out.

    Remember, this is all a very arbitrary restriction by Apple that lets them take advantage of their monopoly to suppress sales of competitive products. That's the illegal part.

    • > It's an obvious abuse of their monopoly to suppress competition.

      Apple has a monopoly on what, exactly?

      Let me answer. Apple has a monopoly on iPhones.

      Just like Chevy has a monopoly on Corvettes and Ford has a monopoly on Mustangs.

      > Remember, this is all a very arbitrary restriction by Apple

      What are they restricting? I am still unclear. Their choosing not to do something is not restricting anything.

      > that lets them take advantage of their monopoly to suppress sales of competitive products.

      And we're right again back to them having a monopoly on iPhones.

      2 replies →

    • 2.6 billion WhatsApp users exist. All switched from native SMS to a third-party app (WhatsApp). Clearly this expectation is fine.

      8 replies →

  • I think the point is that it's kind not entirely accurate to say that Apple doesn't allow messaging interoperability with Android. They in-fact do through dozens of available third party apps. They don't allow non-apple devices to implement the iMessage protocol, which could be argued to be anti-consumer but it's not really evidence of apple being a monopoly.

    Edit: Just realized that you I misread your comment and you and I agree