Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Restricting New Pebble Smartwatches From 'Being Awesome' With iPhone
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Not easy... just possible. If they don't.. It's Anti-Trust.
I’ve been considering one of the Oura or Ultrahuman rings to completely replace my watch. It's really only the health metrics I use my Apple Watch for now anyway. I have notifications off. I can kind of see the Apple Watch in a different perspective where I can leave my phone at home and have a "dumb phone" of sorts, but even then, I've been asking myself what's the point?
Again.. you're using the wrong words..
This isn't a case of making it 'easy'. It's a case of making it 'possible'. Which they don't and thats illegal. Screenshot this.. I bet Apple opens this up a little more. If you haven't noticed Apple is trying to steer away from anti-trust related issues lately.
As one of the most prominent pebble app developers back in the day, I wouldn't get one today but some people want a smart watch that does the basics and lasts 30 days on a single charge.
Yep, let's hope a Market Regulator/Antitrust authority will start investigating and fine a$$le...
Not fair??? Not fair? What does that even mean? The decision to allow iOS features in other maker's products does not belong to Apple? Who decides then, you?
"cheap"... because you are judging people by their "cheap" watch? So if somebody has a cheap watch you don't talk with him?? Now it's clear to me why people here fight to keep the distinction between blue vs green bubble... I'll tell you a secret: your phone is not anymore a status symbol...
It is a cheap watch, price wise and quality, I own 3 of the older models and I doubt they'll get any better. If the iPhone wasn't a status symbol this wouldn't be a topic.
Let's see:
- There's no option for sending text messages or iMessages. - iMessage doesn't run on anything other than an apple device, and doesn't provide API's for any app. So this isn't any different.
- There's no option for replying to notifications or taking actions like marking something as done. - Apple notifications aren't available or accessible from any other device, so this isn't any different.
- There is little inter-app communication, which makes it difficult for Pebble to work with other iOS apps. - They need to get the other apps to build pebble integrations, then they can and will work together. That's not an apple problem.
- If the iOS app is closed, the watch can't access the app or the internet. Um, yeah, if the app is closed, you can't access it. If you want internet connectivity, build a cellular watch.
- The watch cannot detect if you're using your phone, so it will buzz and display a notification regardless. Yep, privacy is a problem, we should allow every app to track when you're on the phone...not.
- There's no easy option to allow developers to create watch faces and apps for Pebble that would be available through the Pebble iOS app. It's just a bluetooth device - a watch face is just data, so there's no reason why those couldn't be in the Pebble app. As for apps in there, that would be like Apple providing an android app store capability.
Maybe they aren't going to release nothing and this is just a ploy for lawsuits.
They do have them. Sort of. As in operating a certification program for third-party manufacturers and selling them at their stores. Selling gaming controllers isn’t a good business for Apple though. Hard to change premium prices on controller hardware, when your platform lacks premium software. They tried it for many years, but hardly anyone bought their MFi controllers. But Apple (correctly) concluded that distributing games is a profitable business.
Supporting third-party controllers just serves as a means to support their software distribution (App Store) business.
He’s concerned about consumer experience.
That is why he’s lamenting Apple’s anticompetitive restrictions that only benefit Apple’s bottom line.
Because laws in some jurisdictions require them.
Being the anticompetitive wannabe monopolist that they otherwise are, there’s little reason for them to allow such interoperability that would benefit competition and ultimately consumers.
Exactly! Integrations with other apps isn’t an Apple thing to parse, it’s a Pebble problem that is entirely on him. And on that last point, it actually is very much possible to distribute watch faces and apps for the Pebble watch in the Pebble app. Amazfit does both of these things with zero issues, and so does Garmin. That claim of his is bull…
<Checks calendar> Oh, it's not April 1st. Those are the real names of these watches...
Also, have fun with the Intel lawsuit.
Also, have fun with the Intel lawsuit.
So every company who makes an accessory that works with a smartphone should build their own smartphone if they want the accessory to be good? Or is that only if they make an accessory that competes with an accessory Apple makes?
Similar to in-app payments, Apple should be competing rather than putting in policies that don’t require them to compete. If Apple Watch is the best smart watch Apple shouldn’t have to put artificial limitations on other smart watches.
But wouldn’t a company whose #1 priority is the customer want it to be easy for 3rd party accessories to work well on their platform? If anyone is concerned with their bottom line it’s Apple. If they limit what other smart watches can do you’re more likely to buy an Apple Watch. It’s about protecting Apple Watch sales more than anything else.
It’s literally not illegal. Apple is a private company with somewhere between 25-50% marketshare in Western countries. If you don’t like how they do business you are free to buy their competitors’ products, which are more popular than Apple’s.
well, if it is illegal - then go and sue Apple. Good luck with that.
Why does Apple have to make it "possible"? what's the legal ground for that?
Apple is not a private company.
Apple has a 100% monopoly on devices running iOS.
Apple is abusing that monopoly to control app distribution.
And this demonstrates that Apple is also abusing that monopoly to control the smart watch market.
This is probably already illegal in the EU, and should be illegal worldwide.
