- The DOJ is suing Apple, accusing the tech big of anti-competitive and monopolistic practices.
- The go well with accuses Apple of creating iPhone customers’ texting expertise with Android customers worse.
- Google has railed in opposition to the inexperienced message bubbles for years.
Google might rating a significant win out of the Division of Justice’s sweeping antitrust lawsuit in opposition to Apple: eliminating these janky inexperienced messages from Android customers.
US Legal professional Basic Merrick Garland defined in a information convention Thursday that when an iPhone consumer messages a non-iPhone consumer, not solely do the non-iPhone consumer’s texts present up as inexperienced bubbles in Apple Messages, but in addition their movies turn into pixellated and grainy, their messages usually are not encrypted, they usually can not edit messages or see typing bubbles.
“Because of this, iPhone customers understand rival smartphones as being decrease high quality as a result of the expertise of messaging family and friends who don’t personal iPhones is worse, regardless that Apple is the one answerable for breaking cross-platform messaging,” Garland mentioned within the information convention. “And it does so deliberately.”
Google beforehand accused Apple of exploiting “peer stress and bullying” for revenue by singling out Android customers with the inexperienced bubbles.
And final 12 months, when builders launched an app that allowed Android customers to ship blue bubble messages to iPhone customers, Apple shut it down inside per week.
Google requested European regulators in November to require Apple to make its messaging app suitable with third-party gadgets. And there is even a touchdown web page arrange by Android urging prospects to inform Apple to do away with the dreaded bubbles.
The DOJ’s lawsuit accuses Apple of constructing a monopolistic ecosystem with anti-competitive practices that stifle customers’ capability to cross between platforms.
The lawsuit alleges Apple deliberately makes gadgets that run on competing working programs like Android look unhealthy. And the way messages are despatched is one instance, the lawsuit argues.
“Apple makes third-party messaging apps on the iPhone worse typically and relative to Apple Messages, Apple’s personal messaging app, by prohibiting third-party apps from sending or receiving carrier-based messages,” the lawsuit argues. “By doing so, Apple is knowingly and intentionally degrading high quality, privateness, and safety for its customers and others who wouldn’t have iPhones.”
The DOJ’s lawsuit desires Apple to cease its alleged anti-competitive practices — that means the inexperienced bubbles may very well be gone for good if the feds win in court docket.
That’d be a boon for Android customers — and Google — by eradicating a stigma that the DOJ says retains iPhone prospects locked in to Apple’s ecosystem.
