The article really isn't fair to Apple when it lists the "Top 20 Applications". For iOS the top 5 are: Phone, Weather, Photos, Camera, Clock. All of these apps except for Weather maybe, I would consider essential to a smartphone.
And its good that these are 1st party apps, because they wouldn't make money on their own. I can see 3rd party apps for things like Weather, Camera or Calculator, but imagine if your iPhone didn't come with a dailer app and every app in the app store required you to "subscribe" to an app and pay $50/yr for the privilege, just to do the most basic things your phone should do out of the box.
I think the perspective you describe -- that one should be able to purchase and own a device with a certain set of inherent functions, without being beholden to a third party supplier of software/services -- is probably the best one in terms of consumer interests.
Completely divorcing the idea of 'essential functions' from the nature of the device is a dangerously slippery slope, and you're starting to see it creep into things like automotive sales: things that many manufacturers have treated as basic features like CarPlay and Android Auto are now subscription features with some 'premium' brands. And with VW pushing to make driver-assist features a pay-per-hour subscription...how long will it be before simple vehicle diagnostics and other high-value features end up paywalled behind a monthly subscription plan?
>The article really isn't fair to Apple when it lists the "Top 20 Applications". For iOS the top 5 are: Phone, Weather, Photos, Camera, Clock. All of these apps except for Weather maybe, I would consider essential to a smartphone.
You may consider it unfair, but two of the antitrust bills making it through Congress would likely make it illegal for platform vendors to bundle any applications that could be considered "products and services". It's very unclear what would be considered "products and services" in case law, but valid argument can be made that this would prohibit the bundling of Photos, Weather and perhaps even the Clock and Phone apps on iOS.
The exact text is, "it shall be unlawful for a covered platform operator to own, control, or have a beneficial interest in a line of business other than the covered platform, that utilizes the covered platform for the sale or provision of products or services[0]
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[ 2.5 ms ] story [ 20.5 ms ] threadAnd its good that these are 1st party apps, because they wouldn't make money on their own. I can see 3rd party apps for things like Weather, Camera or Calculator, but imagine if your iPhone didn't come with a dailer app and every app in the app store required you to "subscribe" to an app and pay $50/yr for the privilege, just to do the most basic things your phone should do out of the box.
Completely divorcing the idea of 'essential functions' from the nature of the device is a dangerously slippery slope, and you're starting to see it creep into things like automotive sales: things that many manufacturers have treated as basic features like CarPlay and Android Auto are now subscription features with some 'premium' brands. And with VW pushing to make driver-assist features a pay-per-hour subscription...how long will it be before simple vehicle diagnostics and other high-value features end up paywalled behind a monthly subscription plan?
You may consider it unfair, but two of the antitrust bills making it through Congress would likely make it illegal for platform vendors to bundle any applications that could be considered "products and services". It's very unclear what would be considered "products and services" in case law, but valid argument can be made that this would prohibit the bundling of Photos, Weather and perhaps even the Clock and Phone apps on iOS.
The exact text is, "it shall be unlawful for a covered platform operator to own, control, or have a beneficial interest in a line of business other than the covered platform, that utilizes the covered platform for the sale or provision of products or services[0]
[0] https://twitter.com/benedictevans/status/1412782358659481601...