Apple Says This Is the iPhone’s Most Valuable Feature. Why It’s Never Coming to Android

The lawsuit between Epic and Apple over the latter’s management of the iOS App Retailer is bound to disclose loads of attention-grabbing items of details about how the 2 corporations function. As a reminder, Epic is suing Apple as a result of the iPhone-maker kicked Fortnite (which is made by Epic) out of the App Retailer when the sport added its personal in-app buy function final summer season.

Epic alleges that Apple is participating in anti-competitive practices as a result of it has a monopoly over the marketplace for app distribution on iPhones. Apple’s place is that Epic violated the rules it agreed to and that Fortnite can return if it merely rolls again the change.

All of that’s attention-grabbing, however much more revealing is how Apple determined way back to by no means deliver iMessage to Android. In response to a submitting from Epic, “As early as 2013, Apple determined to not develop a model of iMessage for the Android OS.”

That is based mostly on a deposition with Eddie Cue, Apple’s SVP of web software program and companies. In response to the paperwork, the one motive Apple did not make such a model is that “iMessage on Android would merely serve to take away an impediment to iPhone households giving their youngsters Android Telephones.”

Apparently, Apple’s Messages app is simply actually a giant deal within the U.S. As Tom Warren, an editor for The Verge factors out, in most different nations, individuals use options like WhatsApp, Fb Messenger, WeChat, or Telegram:

Nonetheless, iMessages is consultant of one of many issues that makes Apple’s ecosystem so highly effective and profitable-everything simply works collectively. The extra Apple services you utilize, the tougher it’s to go away.

“The extra individuals use our shops the extra seemingly they’re to purchase extra Apple merchandise and improve to the most recent variations,” Cue is quoted as saying. “Who’s going to purchase a Samsung telephone if they’ve apps, films, and so on already bought? They now have to spend a whole bunch extra to get to the place they’re at this time.”

If a buyer have been to purchase a non-Apple telephone, they must “purchase a few of these issues once more.” In that sense, there’s actually no motivation for Apple to open up its ecosystem.

You may debate whether or not or not Apple ought to open its ecosystem, and there are numerous arguments for each side. Wouldn’t it be higher for customers if they might extra simply change between platforms? After all, it might. Then once more, the truth that Apple does management the whole ecosystem-from {hardware} to software-means it usually gives a greater total expertise in contrast with its competitors.

iMessage is a superb instance. When iPhone customers ship a message to a different iPhone consumer, the messages seem in blue bubbles. When the message is from a non-iPhone consumer, the bubble is inexperienced. There are many tales of how iPhone customers flip up their nostril at their green-bubble mates.

iPhone consumer’s distaste for these inexperienced bubbles is not nearly being tech-snobs, by the way in which. There are many options that merely do not work when sending messages to non-iPhone customers, particularly in group chats.

There was no technical motive Apple could not have made iMessage work on Android, it was merely a enterprise choice. Phil Schiller, who was beforehand the top of worldwide advertising for Apple for many years, and who’s now an Apple Fellow however retains management of the App Retailer, stated: “transferring iMessage to Android will harm us greater than assist us.”