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Opera Browser Not Allowed in iPhone App Store

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Apr 12, 2001
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The NY Times profiles Opera Software, the company that distributes the Opera browser for multiple platforms. According to the article, however, Apple is not allowing an iPhone version of the browser into the App Store:
Mr. von Tetzchner said that Opera’s engineers have developed a version of Opera Mini that can run on an Apple iPhone, but Apple won’t let the company release it because it competes with Apple’s own Safari browser.
Click to expand...
Gruber speculates that it could have to do with the Javascript interpreter or, more clearly, that Apple has been restricting apps that compete directly with some of their built in iPhone apps such as Safari.

Apple has been criticized for its decision to restrict certain applications from the App Store, and this suggests users shouldn't expect any other web browser alternatives (such as Firefox) to appear in the App Store at any point in the near future.

Article Link: Opera Browser Not Allowed in iPhone App Store
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2008/10/30/opera-browser-now-allowed-in-iphone-app-store/
this does suck, but I can't say I didn't expect to see this. Opera is my browser of choice, and if they've put off having Firefox in the App Store, Opera, Chrome, and any other browser would be out as well.

Hopefully this puts the whole "Firefox on iPhone!" crap to bed.

Sad though, about Opera. :(

BL.
 
I actually responded with joy when I read the title (without reading the thread). THen I edited it, but now the post is gone. Not sure what's going on there.

This is extremely unfortunate. Opera is the greatest browser on the planet, and there are few things I want more than it on my iPod.
 
well, it does violate the SDK, im not sure why anyone would think its allowed...
 
Imo duplication of functionality. I don't like Opera, and sincerely don't think it could be better then Apple's offering atm.

About anti-competitive, why as a company would you do that. I don't see a reason for it to destroy your own offering. If they really want to be so competitive and open they should go to Android imo.
 
How where these developed. The SDK. The SDK clearly states that you cant have access to certain things, that to make a browser, you would clearly need.
 
This goes a little to far. Some people bought this phone for having a "full" web browser. Safari doesn't do that. It lacks Flash. Now a Company took the time, resources effort to put together a browser that would make the iphone user base happier and apple rejects it because it is essentially better than its one.

Then again Apple made the app store apple should be able to run it the way they choose
 
phakebrill said:
but surely you agree it is anti-competitive...
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I agree that the more open source the iphone gets, the more were going to hear people bitching about crashes and other things of that nature. Apple is doing this to ensure that everything works so people wont bitch.


Unfortuneatly, they bitch anyway.
 
It's a mixed thing for me. If Opera promised to exclude Flash then Apple should just let the damned thing in. But if this sort of tactic is necessary to keep crappy software off the iPhone, so be it.
 
thulsmans said:
This goes a little to far. Some people bought this phone for having a "full" web browser. Safari doesn't do that. It lacks Flash. Now a Company took the time, resources effort to put together a browser that would make the iphone user base happier and apple rejects it because it is essentially better than its one.

Then again Apple made the app store apple should be able to run it the way they choose
Click to expand...
you have proof its a "better" browser?

And flash = battery destroyer. So you can either cry about not having flash (which PERSONALLY ive never needed on my touch) or you can cry about having ******(er) battery life.

pick your battles people.
 
Ugh, this is disgusting.

Let's hope healthy competition from the quickly-maturing Android becomes a wakeup call for Apple.
 
ha. lame.

"Microsoft doesn't like iTunes, and will therefore not allow it to operate under Windows."

"Microsoft doesn't like Safari, since it duplicates the functionality of IE."

Microsoft has been dealing with the legal ramifications of their actions (which were mild in comparison to this Apple policy) for over a decade now.

Apple's about to get sued out of the EU. Good thing they have all those cash reserves, because I hear those anticompetitive penalties in Europe can be a real bear...
 
NT1440 said:
you have proof its a "better" browser?

And flash = battery destroyer. So you can either cry about not having flash (which PERSONALLY ive never needed on my touch) or you can cry about having ******(er) battery life.

pick your battles people.
Click to expand...

Well, the only problem with that is that this is an application in the app store...meaning people would be able to choose to download it or not download it. Apple could restrict the use of flash to only the browser itself (how else would it happen?) and then people who downloaded Opera can have all the flash they want, without you having to.
 
i would love to have the OPTION to run flash however.

imagine hulu on the iphone *drool*

if this would support flash ( does it?) then i might have been just pushed over to jailbreak the iphone if it happens to turn up on cydia
 
People should note that Microsoft has a monopoly on the OS market, and therefore MUST allow competition, while Apple does NOT on the smartphone market, so I think they should be allowed to play their own game.
 
NT1440 said:
I agree that the more open source the iphone gets, the more were going to hear people bitching about crashes and other things of that nature. Apple is doing this to ensure that everything works so people wont bitch.


Unfortuneatly, they bitch anyway.
Click to expand...


You're also equating 'crashing' with open source, which isn't always the case. Firefox is open source, yet it has significantly less issues than Safari or IE.

Also, may want to read up on Opera. It isn't open source. It's built entirely by Opera ASA, out of Norway, and is closed source.

BL.
 
benpatient said:
ha. lame.

"Microsoft doesn't like iTunes, and will therefore not allow it to operate under Windows."

"Microsoft doesn't like Safari, since it duplicates the functionality of IE."

Microsoft has been dealing with the legal ramifications of their actions (which were mild in comparison to this Apple policy) for over a decade now.

Apple's about to get sued out of the EU. Good thing they have all those cash reserves, because I hear those anticompetitive penalties in Europe can be a real bear...
Click to expand...

Erm. While this is certainly anti-competitive, it's not anticompetitive in a legal sense.
 
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