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Australian Watchdog Wants iOS Users to Have More Control Over Preinstalled Apps

UKitsme said:
Has any of these regulators actually asked the consumer what they would like?
If you don't like the preinstalled apps then delete them!
If you don't like the iphone don't buy it!
they are expensive enough i think people only buy them if they like them?
Click to expand...
You mean they shall try to ask 25,774,300 people if they own a iDevice, and if they are pro or con this Apple shizzle?
Incl. Aboriginals or not?

Anyway, with a choice screen they would technically ask you! :p

:rolleyes:
 
From a developers standpoint, the thing that makes iOS so much easier to develop for is that I know every iOS device has certain apps installed, like messenger and camera. There are features I can include in my app that take advantage of the default iOS apps that I can't do with the Android version of my app because every manufacturer preinstalls different apps and tweaks Android to suit them.
 
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femike said:
What's the point of this?
What I really would like from Apple is that updates to their apps is not dependant on iOS system updates (I know there are exceptions), much like Google Android apps are. I'm still updating apps on my Android 5 phone, and also there are other reasons too. I don't if its a technical issue or they choose not to so as to encourage people to buy a new iphones, or if it's something inbetween,
Click to expand...
Yes and iOS is a much better OS specifically because they make everyone update to the latest iOS version, something most Android manufacturers do not do. You can't even update your Android 5 phone to Android 11, where as I can update a 4 or 5 year old iPhone to iOS14 still.
 
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Steve121178 said:
Please no more "choice screens". Anyone who lives in the EU will know how damn annoying that was when it came to browser selection on Windows.

Then there's the constant cookie warnings websites must display at every new visit here in Europe.

I don't want politicians to make our devices annoying to use. Stay out! People can easily select a browser or map app of their choice.
Click to expand...
I agree usually, but I wouldn’t mind a search engine choice. When setting up a new phone I forgot to switch to DuckDuckGo and nearly vomited when I saw the Google logo appear after performing a search
 
Wildkraut said:
Having a choice is always good.
If you have multiple Apps for a file type, you CAN select the preferred one, or simply leave the default one.
Currently, you can't select at all.

It works wonderfully everywhere else.
I never had any issues with other OS's like "Linux, FreeBSD, Windows, macOS, Android" that simply gives you that choice.

Go ahead AU!

Few threads ago it was...
...UK sucks...
...Germany sucks...
...France sucks...
...Russia sucks...
...whole EU sucks...
...Now it's AU sucks...
Whats next? US sucks, and the whole World sucks?

Apple shall build a rocket, and find a new planet where they are allowed to act like *******s and exploit FanBoys.
Click to expand...
Well we buy products because we agree with the way they work. If not we would buy garbage like Android. That would be our right. Why are these idiots messing with our preferred platform and trying to force it to be Android? If we wanted that stupid crap we would buy that!!!!
 
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DougieS said:
I agree usually, but I wouldn’t mind a search engine choice. When setting up a new phone I forgot to switch to DuckDuckGo and nearly vomited when I saw the Google logo appear after performing a search
Click to expand...
The key is you have a choice but Apple created an experience they curated for their customers.
 
It comes down to Government agencies trying to justify their existence and fearful of monolith private enterprises becoming more powerful than them and breaking their hold over regulation with free enterprise business models plus their ability to have more influence when their capital wealth exceeds what Government departments can drain from citizens in taxation dollars. I am happy with Apple's App Store, as their business interests are aligned with protecting consumers. I am not overly concerned as the ACCC is powerless and very small compared to some of the overseas entities that Apple are in litigation with.
 
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It would be hard to argue, what's a "core phone feature" (especially on modern days smartphones).
 
Whilst these recommendations, if adopted, wouldn't do any real harm, they also wouldn't do any real good. Users already have choices for the most important default apps. Complete waste of time, IMHO.
 
Setting default apps is a bit redundant on a mobile device outside Siri commands, hyperlinks and emails.

It’s not like we have file types we are opening from our phones. Most of us will just put the App we most use on the Home Screen.

I basically keep all mine on the default.
 
Steve121178 said:
Please no more "choice screens". Anyone who lives in the EU will know how damn annoying that was when it came to browser selection on Windows.

Then there's the constant cookie warnings websites must display at every new visit here in Europe.

I don't want politicians to make our devices annoying to use. Stay out! People can easily select a browser or map app of their choice.
Click to expand...
I am European and the browser choice screen was not annoying at all. In fact it was brilliant and it broke the IE monopoly, improving internet for everybody, especially Mac and Linux users who could not use IE.
 
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ian87w said:
Seems misleading. The problem, especially on Android, is the presence of preinstalled apps that users don’t want, and they cannot be uninstalled. Imo this is the issue that should be tackled first. Afterwards, then we can talk about what apps that I want to use.
Click to expand...
That used to be a problem on Android. Not so much anymore. There are still preinstalled apps that can't be uninstalled. But they can be disabled, only showing in the app drawer, and can be completely hidden from view in the app drawer. That really hasn't been an issue for years. That also has nothing to do with the type of preinstalled apps the Australian are addressing.

This Australian complaint is specifically about default apps ←those are the preinstalled apps they're referencing. Default app choice has been available on Android for years. The Australians want full default app choice on iOS.
 
Krizoitz said:
Congratulations, it now takes you a week to set up your new phone as you have to scroll through a seemingly endless list of apps for each function.
Click to expand...
Well maybe an extra 30-45 sec. way to exaggerate. But I guess you need to try to make a point
 
UKitsme said:
Has any of these regulators actually asked the consumer what they would like?
If you don't like the preinstalled apps then delete them!
If you don't like the iphone don't buy it!
they are expensive enough i think people only buy them if they like them?
Click to expand...
This is on point, regulators seem to not really take into consideration further consumer level consequences, at least personally. When I started using iPhones/Mac/etc I really didn’t have too much of a clue of how to get introduced properly to it... the fact that there was a reminders app, a calendars app, Notes, iMessages, photos, settings, podcasts, etc, etc ready to use made discoverability and exploration easier, soon later when getting into a Mac finding those same apps makes it familiar while also working hand in hand nicely with the iPhone counterparts. Then when getting an iPad, it basically doesn’t require much of an introduction.

I still get surprised at times, the markup app for annotating screenshots works like magic, taking a screenshot on a Mac makes it appear mirrored on the iPad ready to be annotated with the pencil... where I to get a phone/iPad/Mac with no starting apps or making me choose one where I don’t know which one is a good candidate for starting on good grounds regarding performance, battery drain, security, integration, etc just makes the whole thing harder and clunkier... imagine someone that doesn’t know anything and gets a: “pick your messaging app between iMessages, Facebook, Instagram, JoeBubbles” messengers.

All this makes me think that something is off. Not to mention when they “fine $100 Million dollars for X rule violation” and then what? Where does that money go? I don’t see it going to all the users of the ecosystem where that rule breach happened and instead feed that into their system... pretty much like in the UK camera speed traps seem to be NOT placed where the majority of accidents happen.

EDIT: finish paragraph.
 
Next up. Apple tells the world tough leave me and my platform alone
- Europe your polluting the environment
- Brazil you’re not polluting the environment enough
- US which way did he go George?
-Australia let’s make the installation so onerous android will win automatically
 
Google and Apple have a monopoly over the core of many peoples lives, its only fair they are appropriately regulated.

The barriers to entry into what they offer are now so high it’s impossible and will never change.
 
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so the day after we in Australia finally (FINALLY!!!) get ECG on our watches, the ACCC decide this is the most pressing thing to pursue? Not energy pricing, not fuel pricing?

but App store defaults... yes, first thing on my mind today. not.

Apple wont have to worry much about this though.
we've proven time and again with Royal Commissions that no matter the recommendations, nothing really changes.

we have a government who is behaving like it wants to poke a fight with China without saying the word "China". throwing $750m for defence suddenly, yet can't rollout a vaccine program in a timely way or set up Federally run quarantine facilities ... but app store defaults is worth a 170+ page interim report?

and a Prime Minister who is claiming God (his God) wants him and the church to lead us away from "the Devil's social media". if you wrote this crap a year ago people would have laughed.

i'm betting all the people dying in India would just love to know people elsewhere are fighting over default apps.
a bit of perspective on important matters wouldnt hurt.
 
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Steve121178 said:
Please no more "choice screens". Anyone who lives in the EU will know how damn annoying that was when it came to browser selection on Windows.

Then there's the constant cookie warnings websites must display at every new visit here in Europe.

I don't want politicians to make our devices annoying to use. Stay out! People can easily select a browser or map app of their choice.
Click to expand...
I agree with your sentiment (every time I have to click through a GDPR notice on a website, I die a little inside), but I think this could be implemented in a “one-time” manner the first time someone sets up an iOS device. After that, you’re migrating or restoring from backups on new devices so it wouldn’t be needed.
 
Wildkraut said:
Having a choice is always good.
If you have multiple Apps for a file type, you CAN select the preferred one, or simply leave the default one.
Currently, you can't select at all.

It works wonderfully everywhere else.
I never had any issues with other OS's like "Linux, FreeBSD, Windows, macOS, Android" that simply gives you that choice.

Go ahead AU!

Few threads ago it was...
...UK sucks...
...Germany sucks...
...France sucks...
...Russia sucks...
...whole EU sucks...
...Now it's AU sucks...
Whats next? US sucks, and the whole World sucks?

Apple shall build a rocket, and find a new planet where they are allowed to act like *******s and exploit FanBoys.
Click to expand...
I have a choice, iOS or Android. I made the choice for iOS because of what Apple offers. Why are you so dead set on taking away that choice?
Meanwhile if you want to use a different stocks app or calendar app or email app you can.
Meanwhile too many choices can actually be a bad thing, it’s called tyranny of choice, look it up.
 
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