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Eric Schmidt on Google Now for iOS: 'You'll Need to Discuss That With Apple' [Updated]

Absolutely

AlphaVictor87 said:
This is the one thing i don't like about apple. They have the right to just not approve an app if they feel it causes competition or as i think apple puts it "confusions" between two competing apps and obviously theirs would win every time.

If they were confident in their products, they would approve every app as long as it passed their actual functionality specifications.
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can you imagine the hellstorm that would occur if Microsoft banned Firefox, Chrome, and Safari from the PC because it competed with Internet Explorer? Yet, these same people that would crucify Microsoft defend Apple for not allowing third party apps in its App Store that compete with core features in it's iOS. They only allowed Google Maps in there because the entire world knew how crappy their Apple Maps is. This is an antitrust issue that I wish government attorneys would look into.

Apple is completely free to port it's Apple Maps and other apps over and place them in the Google Play store. But nobody would use them. It has to lock down the OS so it doesnt receive any competition.
 
daneoni said:
Bottom line is they approved it and have subsequently approved every other app submitted by Google as far as i know. The most recent being Maps.
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So it's completely off base for Google's CEO to chide Apple's policy here? Google Voice was also removed from the App Store without warning. Why is it unacceptable for him to be wary of Apple's policies when they directly hurt his business in the past?
 
Rogifan said:
Then why is Google Maps available on the App Store? Clearly it is in direct competition with Apple maps.
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If Apple Maps was even close to functioning properly they wouldnt have allowed Google Maps in. They received a firestorm of negative publicity that forced their hand.
 
newagemac said:
I think I'll pass. I don't want Google's gimmicky spyware on my iPhone.
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Do you have a source which shows that Google Now is Spyware?

Noun
Software that self-installs on a computer, enabling information to be gathered covertly about a person's Internet use, passwords, etc.
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Also, Macrumors Rules for appropriate debate.

Rules:

Sources. If you make claims of fact but don't cite sources when requested, the posts may be removed. If you started the thread then the thread may be closed or removed.
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Source
 
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ammonkapow said:
So it's completely off base for Google's CEO to chide Apple's policy here? Google Voice was also removed from the App Store without warning. Why is it unacceptable for him to be wary of Apple's policies when they directly hurt his business in the past?
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He can criticise the policy.

But he made it sound like he had submitted the app and Apple was sitting on it. They pulled a similar stunt when they were about to introduce Google Maps to iOS which was approved without fan fare.

Submit the app first, moan later if its actually rejected.
 
ammonkapow said:
Apple has a history of rejecting applications for 'Duplication of Functionality". Music, phone, and even podcast apps have been rejected for this. If you submitted an email app with the exact same abilities as Apple's, it would be rejected.
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You are correct, however it seems to me, and I might be wrong here, but with the amount of apps that have been approved that duplicate the same functionality ala maps and podcast apps (most are even better at doing what they do than apples) has seem to be laxed. Google even put out an email app that most think is better at handling gmail than the native ios app.
 
Except Google's software is terrible compared to Apple's. The Gmail app is ungodly slow compared to the Mail app, the music app compared the one on iOS is a joke. Garage Band, iMovie, iPhoto, Cards, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, Find My iPhone, iTunes U, Reminders, Airport Utility, Remote, I could go on and on. These iOS apps are far better than Google's Android offerings. Google just can't compete when it comes to software. They're used to doing little web apps like Google Docs not full fledged native apps like Keynote.

In some cases Google doesn't even have an alternative. Heck Google's Android didn't even have a Notes app until yesterday. Pretty pathetic if you ask me.
 
Rogifan said:
Then why is Google Maps available on the App Store? Clearly it is in direct competition with Apple maps.
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Because Apple didn't say so, basically. They reject apps sometimes for 'duplicating functionality', like Google Voice. Probably they deemed it ok because it used different data.
 
Apple will delay, deny, or remove any app that competes now, later or whenever they feel like it. Google Voice was an issue for them and I think give the size of the SMARTphone market and the revenues generated and consumer demand the DOJ, FCC, FTC and others should be looking at the processes involved. Competition is good and it keeps others innovating. Apple has shown time and again they have no problem stealing ideas from other developers (Jailbreak community) and Android (notification center) or removing competing apps that they feel will impede their "perfect" apps.

I want choice and please do not attempt to spout on about I can get an Android device if I want choice. The bottom line is Apple DOES have a MONOPOLY when it comes to iOS since they control the entire ecosystem, so with that in mind its time they fall under some scrutiny and "review process" themselves.

Time for the little people (users) to get a fair shot at what they want.
 
daneoni said:
He can criticise the policy.

But he made it sound like he had submitted the app and Apple was sitting on it. They pulled a similar stunt when they were about to introduce Google Maps to iOS which was approved without fan fare.
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He highlighted a huge problem with Apple's app store, one that Google has dealt with before. They can arbitrarily reject apps. If they don't want to reject them they can sit on them indefinitely.
 
I'm not clear on how Google Now would even work on an iPhone. I can see how it would function when you physically launch the app, but that kind of defeats the beauty of Google Now -- helping you throughout your day without having to tell it to do anything at all. It is phenomenally useful (almost scary useful) on a modern android device, but I couldn't imagine being able to fully appreciate it if it only worked when I hit a button telling it to launch.
 
ammonkapow said:
If they didn't mind competition, they would let users decide default apps.
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I as developer hate the idea that users switch the default apps.
Because if i know use a default app like calender, safari or email i know
"That works this way, it is something i don't have additionally to test"
look on windows.
Writing an email from your application using the standard application is an absolute nightmare
 
rhett7660 said:
You are correct, however it seems to me, and I might be wrong here, but with the amount of apps that have been approved that duplicate the same functionality ala maps and podcast apps (most are even better at doing what they do than apples) has seem to be laxed. Google even put out an email app that most think is better at handling gmail than the native ios app.
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They still have the ability, so nothing has changed. Apple's policy is to limit other apps instead of competing with them. That is bad for everyone except Apple (as far as profits are concerned. It would be arguably good for Apple for technology to improve universally).
 
derek4484 said:
If Apple Maps was even close to functioning properly they wouldnt have allowed Google Maps in. They received a firestorm of negative publicity that forced their hand.
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Except there has always been a ton of 3rd Party Maps apps on the App Store.

Try again.

And currently Waze has 5 stars with Google Maps only getting 3.5 stars so the quality of apps allowed is not a question either since users don't seem to like Google Maps all that much apparently. Rather meh it seems.
 
JarJarThomas said:
I as developer hate the idea that users switch the default apps.
Because if i know use a default app like calender, safari or email i know
"That works this way, it is something i don't have additionally to test"
look on windows.
Writing an email from your application using the standard application is an absolute nightmare
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There are plenty of Android developers that don't seem to have this problem. I'm not a developer. I just know that I could have better software and Apple won't allow it.
 
rhuber said:
I'm not clear on how Google Now would even work on an iPhone. I can see how it would function when you physically launch the app, but that kind of defeats the beauty of Google Now -- helping you throughout your day without having to tell it to do anything at all. It is phenomenally useful (almost scary useful) on a modern android device, but I couldn't imagine being able to fully appreciate it if it only worked when I hit a button telling it to launch.
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you can't figure out when to leave for work by yourself?
 
dvoros said:
:( Apple should be worried. They are falling behind in many areas. Smartphones and software as examples. The next iPhone release is minor with a whole year ahead to wait for the next major release. As for software, when has iLife and iWork been updated. They don't even discuss software enhancements any more. Nothing exciting here. The iWatch??? Give me a break.
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That's because they control everything; the hardware, software, and service.

Google is exceling in software and service departments, but delegated hardware to other vendors...

Samsung is kicking butt in the hardware department...

Full control has its pros (consistent exprience, great integration) and cons (incremental updates, boring OS), etc...
 
hasanahmad said:
Apple insistance of keeping full control of its ecosystem is the reason all apps work so well on iOS and also the reason future services which require full OS integration will be the deathknell of iOS
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True. And the sad thing is Apple is apparently incapable of keeping up with the competition on the software side. New features are few and incomplete (Maps, Siri, Ping, Reminders vs Notes vs Calendar confusion, iCloud). Nevermind their "pro" software (final cut, aperture).

Now with Samsung making a huge software development push, it will get worse for Apple. The myth of Apple having tight, polished, innovative software is based on stuff that happened a long time ago.

:apple:
 
ammonkapow said:
That's after 16 months of App Store 'limbo'. Apple can just sit on apps as long as they want. There was nothing wrong with it, they just didn't approve it for over a year.
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There were lots of things wrong with the original submission.
 
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