The curious case of Epic Games: how the developer beat Google but not Apple
www.theguardian.com
The Fortnite maker filed antitrust suits against both tech companies – while one emerged victorious, the other was found at fault on 11 claims

“Google has taken great pains to appear more open than Apple, licensing the Android operating system to third parties like Samsung and allowing users to install apps via other methods than the Play store. Apple does neither. When it comes to exclusivity, Apple has become synonymous with “walled garden” in the public imagination. So why did a jury find that Google held a monopoly but Apple didn’t?”

  • MxM111
    1•11 months ago

    I also would point out that Google and Apple sells very different things. Apple does not sell iOS. It sells hardware to customers and the right to access users through this hardware to third parties (game makers). Google’s product to begin with is software (Operating System) on multiple phone platforms. Different laws and rules may apply there.

    • @[email protected]English
      15•11 months ago

      Apple definitely sells the OS. That’s one of the main selling points and part of why their hardware is stupid expensive.

      • OpenStars
        7•11 months ago

        Although ironically, the OS software itself is free to end users, as are future upgrades.

        Google also sells hardware, e.g. in its Pixel line, and there too the OS software is “free”, as are future upgrades, up to a point.

        Both sell listings in their respective stores.

        These concepts are getting murkier over time.

          • @[email protected]English
            2•11 months ago

            Yeah, I’d have paid $10 just for copy/paste functionality on early ios, but I don’t remember paying for anything when it came out on iOS 3

          • OpenStars
            1•11 months ago

            If you’re an OG iPhone or Mac user, then you might remember paid software updates. Over a decade ago, long before iOS 16 and macOS Ventura, major Apple OS updates used to cost users around $10 for iOS and $20 for macOS. By iOS 4, though, Apple switched to free software updates, allowing users to update their devices for as long as they’re supported without having to pay a fee.

            Yeah, but nowadays it’s all “free” - as in you only pay for the hardware to enter their walled garden (but then no matter how much you pay, you can never really leave! at least not via normal, legal means, if you want to ever come back - Welcome to the Hotel California 🎶…!:-P).

            • @[email protected]English
              1•11 months ago

              Welcome to the Hotel California

              Coincidentally, Apple is headquartered in California…

      • MxM111
        0•11 months ago

        You do not pay, but Google does collect money one way or another. Regardless, it is their product, which is different from iPhone being a product.