Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
TL;DR
- The US Division of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit in opposition to Apple, accusing it of making a monopoly with the iPhone.
- In response to the lawsuit, Apple revealed it spent three years engaged on Android compatibility for the Apple Watch however finally scrapped it.
- The lawsuit highlights the overall difficulties of utilizing Apple merchandise with different manufacturers, making it costly for customers to change ecosystems.
In a shocking flip of occasions, Apple revealed that it beforehand explored making the Apple Watch suitable with Android telephones. This comes as a part of the corporate’s response to a latest DOJ lawsuit accusing it of making a monopoly with the iPhone, significantly by making its merchandise tough to make use of with different manufacturers.
Whereas Apple is thought for its “walled backyard” method, the place its gadgets work finest inside its ecosystem, it looks like it did give Android compatibility a shot, at the very least with the Apple Watch.
We’ve beforehand had reviews claiming that Apple was engaged on an Android-compatible Apple Watch, however that is the primary time the corporate appears to have confirmed it. Based on 9to5Mac, Apple confirmed that it spent three years making an attempt to make the Apple Watch Android-compatible earlier than finally scrapping the undertaking on account of “technical limitations.”
For the reason that Apple Watch solely works with iPhones, customers who wish to change away from iPhones have to surrender their Apple Watch and purchase a brand new smartwatch suitable with Android. Once I switched to a foldable telephone final 12 months, I needed to promote my Apple Look ahead to a fraction of its unique worth.
Would you purchase an Apple Watch if it supported Android?
72 votes
The US DOJ lawsuit in opposition to Apple goes past simply the Apple Watch’s restricted compatibility. The lawsuit accuses Apple of using a number of practices that create hurdles for its customers who wish to use merchandise/providers from different manufacturers. These embody blocking “tremendous apps” that might simplify switching from iPhones, hindering cloud-based gaming apps, purposefully making messaging much less practical between iPhones and Android gadgets, and stopping third-party builders from creating competing digital wallets that work with Apple Pay.
Apple has since denied these claims, stating the lawsuit is “improper on the info and the regulation.”
There’s a transparent benefit for shoppers if all gadgets, no matter model, may work collectively flawlessly. Nevertheless, Apple’s power lies in its tightly woven ecosystem. The seamless integration between iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches is considered one of its largest promoting factors. It’s price noting that even Samsung’s Galaxy Watches supply some options that solely work with Samsung telephones. So, forcing Apple to open up its ecosystem may be helpful for broader compatibility, however it may additionally have an effect on the corporate’s core competency.
