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Apple Considering Dropping Requirement for iPhone Web Browsers to Use WebKit
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That isn't strictly true on any of these efforts at "opening" Apple's ecosystem. There is a strong likelihood that I will be forced to an alternate browser for services that I currently depend on and which support Safari only because the large iOS customer base justifies the effort.
Do people truly not understand that this far into all these discussions or is "you're not being forced" just meant as a mocking retort?
As I said above, choice requires effort. I limit my choice to a small menu when I go to a restaurant rather than a grocery store for dinner because I want someone else that I trust to make decisions about ingredients for me. It saves me effort and I expect them to be better at it than I would be. I don't care to, and likely won't be able to, put the time into studying and understanding and staying abreast of the differences among all the various browser platforms and AppStores.
Right now I have a choice: I can choose the curated Apple experience or I can choose the open Android experience. My choice is being taken away which means I will either have to spend more time studying and maintaining this crap for myself and those who rely on me, or suffer the consequences of taking the path of least resistance.
I chose the Apple experience, not because it's cheaper or because it gives me more choice, but because I generally trust the platform and therefore don't need to put a lot of effort into making choices in the future. ApplePay has been generally secure, the AppStore has generally given me reliable access to applications, the elements of the ecosystem are generally compatible, Apple has been making progress in protecting rather than eroding my privacy and security.
I know there are other options out there and I have chosen to stay with the Apple approach. Now the choice to change is being made for me, not by me.
Again, it's stupid that I have to explain that again after so very many threads on this topic already. Is it an inability to understand another point of view, or willful refusal?
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The walls are getting weaker, but let’s be honest, I’ll still stick to 100% apple 1st party programs.
Video Games a niche in today's market? Maybe a couple decades ago I would certinaly give you a niche market, but gaming has only ever been growing. Quick Google search shows the gaming console market at around 51 Billion USD and the smartphone market as a whole at 378 Billion, keep in mind that was only the console gaming market the global gaming market as a whole is estimated at 232 Billion.
Let's compare Apple's smartphone only market since I am assuming you are referring to Apple with the "defending a company who only wants your money" comment Apple's estimated iPhone sales in 2021 globally was 242 Billion. Now sure that would put the gaming console market at about 1/5th of Apple's market as far as sales go, but keep in mind that was only console. Also do keep in mind this is console sales not factoring anything else and consoles are not updated as often as the yearly smartphone (as far as releases) it was 7 years between the PS4 and PS5. Basically to say video game consoles are niche even in comparison is certainly wrong IMO, the biggest thing is because sales will slow as everyone starts getting the newer console over years then a new one comes and peak sales again, where with a new smartphone yearly the sales are kind of more even like I may update yearly, and Joe may update bi-yearly, and Mary may update bi-yearly but on the opposite of Joe so there is this constant in and out. If consoles updated more regularly I would imagine it would be a higher.
This is a non-topic and a hollow meaningless discussion. Users get choices! And everyone will be free to choose browsers and their associated rendering agents. Nobody is taking Safari away from people who like using it.
What will be really interesting is how far the "rabbit hole" would go with apps and OS in general. How much people would be able to do with apps. A proper file manager maybe and access to all files? Proper dynamic on-screen widgets? Maybe be able to design apps to make Watch usable with non-apple phones? It's literally pick-and-choose with any other android/linux phone on how and what you can match together between apps and devices, because remember thatthe walled garden narcissistic kindergarten extends way beyond iPhone and sideloading. It's TV, Watch, arm-based computers etc.
What will be really interesting is how far the "rabbit hole" would go with apps and OS in general. How much people would be able to do with apps. A proper file manager maybe and access to all files? Proper dynamic on-screen widgets? Maybe be able to design apps to make Watch usable with non-apple phones? It's literally pick-and-choose with any other android/linux phone on how and what you can match together between apps and devices, because remember that
well apple give up on safari for windows so forcing IOS to use it is is bad / forces people to hack mac os or buy apple hardware to help with testing.
The wins just keep coming with regard to loosening Apple's iron grip over people's smartphones.
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As much as I disagree with the EU’s ability to regulate what companies can and can’t do (I think this whole situation is wrong), it’ll at least be nice to see Brave browser on the iPhone in all its Chromium-based, privacy focused, ad-free goodness.
I fully believe the iPhone will emerge as an even better device with more user choice married to Apple hardware quality and the ways they will (likely) smartly enable and implement these choices.
It's pretty crazy Apple has been able to restrict browser engine on an OS with a billion+ user base. I welcome multiple options that's a win for consumers. Thank you EU.
If that's what happens, that's what happens but at least it's more of an open market decision rather than one dictated by a company with a dominant position in mobile OS.
If this goes through, those that prefer to use Safari/WebKit on iOS would still have that option and those that prefer to use a different browser engine would then be able to.
This is going to have the opposite effect that the law intended. The law is supposed to promote diversity in the web browser tech, yet webkit has such a small market share that it’s just going to make it smaller and maybe kill it altogether. I hate chrome but it is so dominant in the browser market that this might just make it stronger by default.
It isn’t good news, I mean not really? Apple is being forced to stop being terrible and tyrannical, by international mandates and other lawsuits.
Those two things, and USB-C for iPhone, all because EU is forcing Apple to do the right thing that they won't do on their own. USB-C arguably would have come eventually anyway, but not these. Sad that Apple has to be forced to be less user hostile. And they're going the wrong direction. I'm afraid to see what's "Up Next"...
Or you know, Apple could just put a lot more R&D for it and make it better than the competition in iOS/Macos..
Freedom is kewl and all that, but not without costs. Pretty sure that Apple put some work into having WebKit be reasonably power-efficient. Those that might use alternative engines would have to do the same (specifically on iPhones, since different hardware and OSs might have different power usage responses to the same software) or you might find that your alternative browser freed of oppressive Apple requirements (some sarcasm there) sucks down battery charge way faster.
And I don't trust Google or Microsoft or particularly Opera anymore (since the ChiComs took a stake in it) to respect privacy at all.
And I don't trust Google or Microsoft or particularly Opera anymore (since the ChiComs took a stake in it) to respect privacy at all.
Maybe this will force Apple to make Safari/WebKit more competitive and desirable to use, and perhaps convince them to make it available on Windows again to expand usage in the market.
Not sure this is a great thing
EU claims it wants to follow standards, yet WebKit which is open source - is something that is being avoided by Chrome/Edge/FireFox pretty much abandons open-source standard - which is why this whole cookie prompt junk started from (to make it a standard globally). But here we're not?
Now it seems like Europe is growing this hate against anything American or Apple?
What most are not seeing here is ...
MDM profiles currently rely on Safari being the default browser.
Also a lot of links for App Store entities load perfectly using Safari's webkit does this mean they'll be further issues? hmm.
When words have no meaning.
"Dominant" means a 30% share in the EU and less than 20% globally.
"Open market" means government regulated.
You don't deal with the problem you're articulating by restricting choice to only what a vendor allows.
Any diversity we do currently enjoy is mostly happenstance and comes at the cost of restricting users choices.
I understand what you're saying, but the solution is not to tell Apple customers they have "no choice other than what Apple gives them"
Let the people decide. Forcing is never the answer.
You don't have to tell Apple customers that. We made the choice to let Apple make these decisions.
My thoughts exactly.
I'm sure Chrome on Android has some specifics that only work with Android such as MDM profiles that use KNOX by Samsung, now a standard for MDM setups on Android phones just like how downloading MDM Profiles on iOS requires Safari to be the default browser for the download to work for installation.
BUT noooo things like this is completely ignored and/or overlooked.
Funny how EU seems to be the perveyors of standards and equality yet instead picking on the SMALLEST global and regional smartphone player in the EU pushing so side-loading and now browsers yet fails to see how this actually follows their mantra!?
Seems VERY hypocritical .