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- Apple is facing a landmark antitrust lawsuit from the Department of Justice and 16 state attorneys general.
- If Apple loses, the iPhone experience will likely change dramatically.
- Some industry advocates say Apple’s loss could open up a new world of apps, cheaper subscriptions and better wearable technology.
Apple’s tight controls on the iPhone may soon be forcibly loosened.
The US Department of Justice has attacked the tech giant with an 88-page antitrust lawsuit that could dramatically change the iPhone user experience if Apple loses the legal battle.
For people who don’t want to make any changes to their iPhone, it will likely take months or even years for the dispute to be resolved.
However, if Apple loses, it will likely be forced to change the way its hugely popular smartphones work.
Although the iPhone maker claims that changes to the way the iPhone works will make the device less secure and the user experience worse, many believe there are benefits to the collapse of the so-called walled garden.
What recently happened in the EU is that regulators forced Apple to do away with its proprietary Lightning cable and use a more standard USB-C charging port, allowing people to use the same cord to charge their MacBooks and iPhone 15s. Let’s take a look at what we’ve made available to you.
But that’s what happens internal The iPhone, how third-party apps and services are downloaded, paid for, and communicates with other devices, could face its biggest changes if Apple loses or makes significant concessions in a settlement. There is.
Here’s how your iPhone will improve as a result.
overall cheaper price
The Justice Department alleges in its lawsuit that Apple illegally maintains a monopoly on the smartphone market through anticompetitive measures that result in higher prices for iPhone owners.
“Consumers, if you ask me, do you want to pay less for your iPhone? The answer is yes,” Jonathan Canter, an assistant attorney general in the Justice Department’s antitrust division who led the case against Apple, said in an interview with CNBC. Told. on friday.
“Competition leads to lower prices for consumers, lower prices for developers, more opportunities for entrepreneurs, and ultimately more innovation that benefits society,” Kanter added.
Added tap-to-pay option
The changes Apple has made to the iPhone as a result of the European Union’s lawsuit against the iPhone are the best indication of what the potential changes could be.
To comply with EU digital market laws, tech giants have been forced to give up their “gatekeeper” status in the EU and make their operating systems more accessible to third parties.
Instead of only being able to access your digital debit card through Apple Wallet, you can also tap to pay from your own banking app or another third-party digital wallet.
Revealing how the iPhone’s NFC chip works also means you can add your car’s digital key to the automaker’s third-party app instead of using it through Apple’s Wallet app.
Bring Fortnite with other app stores
When you download an app to your Mac or PC, you’re not forced to use Apple’s digital storefront. So why should you only use the App Store on your iPhone?
Riley Testotto, an independent iOS developer behind the alternative app store AltStore, said: “I think it’s very likely that we’ll see entirely new iOS apps, especially from independent developers, that currently don’t exist due to Apple’s regulations.” ” he told Business. insider.
Currently, iPhone owners in the US can only download apps from the iOS App Store. For a developer to get an app on a dedicated marketplace he must follow Apple’s rules.
If Apple makes the same changes it made for iPhone owners in the EU, iPhone users in the US will be able to use other marketplaces to find and download apps. For example, Fortnite maker Epic Games’ rival app store is set to launch in the EU. The return of Fortnite in the EU and iOS.
The Justice Department’s lawsuit alleges that Apple is making it harder and more expensive for consumers and app developers to operate outside of the App Store.
In a world where Apple loses its battle with the Justice Department, developers can make money from in-app purchases and avoid the company’s fees on payment processing without Apple taking a cut or a comparable cut. there is a possibility.
“This shows that Apple has to lower the prices of other apps,” Jamie Cote, president of the nonprofit Consumer Watchdog, told the LA Times when discussing the lawsuit. “The company will need to open up its payment system to other providers, and ensure that people using other devices have access to essentially the same convenience and service.”
Green bubble text may be a thing of the past
iPhone users have long complained about green message bubbles, grainy videos, and unencrypted messages when texting friends who own Android.
Apple has already announced plans to improve text messaging between Android and iPhone by adopting RCS, but losing the antitrust lawsuit means Apple will finally be able to bring iMessage, which Apple had considered in the past, to Android. It may mean introducing.
Or Apple could take a less drastic step and simply change it so everyone sees a blue text bubble and images and videos sent between iPhone and Android aren’t grainy.
More options for smartwatches
If you don’t like the Apple Watch, if the company loses in court, you might be able to use a replacement Watch more seamlessly with your iPhone.
Prosecutors said the Apple Watch is too dependent on the iPhone, while other smartwatches are not as compatible with the iOS system.
So if you’re interested in an Android smartwatch but prefer an iPhone, regulators could force Apple to make the devices work better together.
Streaming subscriptions could become cheaper
It could be even cheaper with an iPhone.
If Apple loses its battle with the Justice Department, subscriptions to your favorite streaming services could become a little cheaper.
A press release states that the European Commission earlier this month awarded Apple nearly $2 billion after an investigation found that Apple’s restrictions prevent developers from offering “alternative, affordable music subscription services available outside of apps.” It is stated that a fine was imposed.
Regulators said iOS users may have been overcharged for music streaming subscriptions due to fees charged by Apple to app developers.
App developers could be even more creative.
With fewer restrictions and controls on Apple’s part, app developers will be able to make more changes, and Android users may be able to brag less often about how they’ve been enjoying the iPhone’s “new” features for years.
Testut, a developer of alternative app stores, said app makers will have fewer obstacles to innovate on the iPhone even if Apple incurs a loss.
“We hope to be able to experiment more freely with new ideas, which will almost certainly lead to innovation that benefits everyone,” he told BI.
Not everyone agrees that the iPhone would benefit from being forced open in the US.
Apple has said that if the Justice Department’s lawsuit is successful, it will make things less seamless and secure, which some argue would essentially result in lower quality iPhones. There is.
“This lawsuit threatens our existence and the principles that differentiate Apple products in a fiercely competitive market,” Apple told BI in a statement. “If successful, it would impede our ability to develop technology at the intersection of hardware, software, and services that people have come to expect from Apple.”
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