One of the nice things about independent blogging is that I don’t have to write about things I don’t care about. You probably won’t catch me writing about a MacBook spec bump or what’s new on Apple TV+. I just don’t care about those things. But then sometimes big things happen that are too big to ignore. Like the US Department Of Justice (DOJ) suing Apple for operating a monopoly in the US smartphone market.

Some Of It Is About Playing Fair

I’ll be honest, I haven’t read the 90-ish page document outlining the government’s claims yet, but based on some of the analysis I’ve read, the DOJ has some good points. There is still key functionality in iOS that Apple doesn’t grant competitors access to. Like the lock screen directions interface Apple Maps uses, or the NFC chip for alternative payment services. Stuff like that makes some of the “only Apple” claims they make ring kind of hollow. Of course only Apple could build as integrated a mapping app….you don’t provide APIs for other companies to do the same, or better, on your phone. It shows a lack of confidence in your product when you as the platform holder give yourself an unfair advantage.

The DOJ claims Apple has a monopoly on iOS app distribution. Yes, they do. This is probably the claim that has the most weight in their argument. As I’ve said before, there are entire classes of apps that simply can’t exist on iOS, because Apple doesn’t allow them in their store. An that’s fine! Its their store, and they shouldn’t have to carry any software they don’t want to. But there’s no good reason at this point to not allow sideloading. When the iPhone was new? Sure. In the early days of the iPhone, carriers, well, really AT&T, were concerned about the types of apps that were allowed to run on its network. Who remembers when tethering apps were banned (I guess they maybe still are)? Or how VOIP apps like Skype and even FaceTime were only allowed to work on Wifi? It took years and a lot of pain for AT&T to enhance its network to support the robust data traffic iPhones, and later Android devices would generate. The other carriers gradually did the same. But we’re almost 20 years into the smartphone revolution, and those restrictions no longer exist, and frankly, are no longer needed.

The Green Bubble Problem

The part I just can’t get behind are the complaints about the texting experience between iPhone and Android. I recognize that I’m lucky (old) enough to not have to worry about the social stigma some have to face regarding green bubbles from their Android phones. Its easy as an adult to dismiss this concern, but we should all be able to remember how cruel kids can be and how much social isolation can hurt. But I just don’t see how Apple is really in the wrong here.

Apple is guilty of not being proactive in making texting better with Android devices. The company announced they will be supporting some form of RCS later this year. I’m surprised it’s taken this long for it to happen. Not because it’s something Apple wanted to do, but because I expected the carriers to have forced their hands years ago. Despite the “privileged status” Apple has with the carriers, they still have obligations and requirements to meet. In the past, speculators were able to essentially confirm the iPhone 5 would support 4G because it would be released after the time Verizon was requiring all smartphones on their network to support the standard. So sometimes, the carriers say “jump” , and even Apple has to say “how high?”.

I just don’t see why any company should be forced to interoperate their proprietary service with other platforms if they choose not to. It would be one thing if Apple were blocking users from texting Android phones. But they aren’t. During the Beeper Mini kerfuffle from a few months ago, people called Apple evil for “blocking” the company from accessing iMessage. But why in the world should Apple have to grant access to their service to anyone that wants it? Its their choice whether or not they make an API for iMessage, and to this point, the company has chosen not to.

Users have tons of better messaging options than iMessage. I use FaceBook Messenger when I want to be sure that Android users are getting better quality media. The rest of the world apparently runs on WhatsApp. I don’t see what forcing Apple to open up iMessage will accompilsh. If Apple chooses to use iMessage as a competitive feature against Android devices, why should they be forced to change that?

When The Free Market Isn’t Working…

In a perfect world, the free market would take care of all of this. And in some ways, you could argue it has. Worldwide, most people have voted with their wallets and chosen an Android device over an iPhone. And that’s how it should be. The most power we have over for-profit companies is to simply not buy and/or buy from their competitors. And in the smartphone market, Apple has many. If I decided tomorrow I didn’t agree with something the company was doing, or just no longer wanted to use their products, I’d have no issue with buying a Galaxy or Pixel device.

But I do recognize this isn’t a perfect world, and sometimes the government needs to step in. Opening up iOS app distribution is a good goal (I still maintain the iPad needs it wayyyyyy more). But the iMessage thing…I don’t see how this at all contributes to Apple’s supposed monopoly. They should be allowed to have unique features and services, the same ways Android devices do.

Its unlikely this lawsuit will be resolved anytime soon, and like with Microsoft’s case in the 90’s, effectively nothing may end up happening anyway. I respect that the DOJ is trying to help consumers, but I think some of their arguments are a little misguided.