Walled garden be damned, I’d really like some choice in how I browse the web on my phone. Not that I want Google peering in on me over Apple, but hopefully (maybe?) this can be a wedge to open up rules on iOS browsers for Firefox and Orion. Is there any possibility of Google effecting a change in Apple’s iOS rules?
Microsoft weren’t sued for bundling a web browser with Windows. This is an apocryphal simplification.
They were sued for disallowing other browsers to be bundled with the system by OEMs, which stifled other companies to get market share.
Case in point, Microsoft still bundle a browser with their system today. They just can’t stop Dell from shipping with Firefox now.
The case with Apple is different, they allow other browsers to be installed by the user, and because there aren’t OEM sales, they don’t run afoul of the same thing. Yes I know browser engines are different than browsers, but the point is about the product itself not the underlying pieces.
This is also why Google got sued for the play store monopoly whereas Apple didn’t. Google was pressuring companies to ship with their store instead of competitors. Because Apple neither has the ability for custom stores or other brands selling their OS, it doesn’t apply.
This isn’t to say that there can’t be other cases against them, just to say that the Microsoft and Google situations aren’t precedent or entirely relevant.
