51–60 of 167 posts
On Android I can install Firefox, Edge, other versions of these browsers from f-droid, and many other browsers, all with their own engines. On iPhones, afaik, you can only get Safari, or other browsers that are just a thin wrapper around Safari. That is a huge difference and I hope they know that.
What are you going to do about it? A symbolic fine? There are no alternatives.
On Android I can install Firefox, Edge, other versions of these browsers from f-droid, and many other browsers, all with their own engines. On iPhones, afaik, you can only get Safari, or other browsers that are just a thin wrapper around Safari. That is a huge difference and I hope they know that.
What's wrong with a wrapper around Safari? It's a capable and efficient browser. Firefox can wrap its bookmark sharing and whatever around it (I actually use Firefox on iOS, though I don't bother with the profile sharing). We don't need Safari to be 100% Chrome compatible, right? That's just for lazy programmers and greedy marketeers.
It's interesting to hear Apple always talk about the level playing field they've tried to create. From within the company i think they really believe they've got a level playing field. But then Apple has apps that can do much more than everyone else has access to, in ways that have nothing to do with security or privacy. - Apps access to NFC (e.g Apple Pay vs you being able to make your own nfc card) - Inability to h…
Doesn’t invalidate your larger point, but 2FA code completion is available to all apps: https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=z0i801mg
This article gives a much better summary. https://www.macrumors.com/2022/06/10/uk-to-target-apple-gami... It’s not “may face investigation”, it’s the start of the process to force Apple to support third party browsers and web apps.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-plans-market-investig...
The pdf from the original article doesn't work.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mobile-ecosystems...
What are you going to do about it? A symbolic fine? There are no alternatives.
In reality they are going to be treated together, because governments tend to reason in terms of countries and people not technical details. Apple/Android are both rich US tech firms who aren't going to leave the market regardless of how big the fines get, and in Android's case literally can't (because someone else could simply license it or use it and step in to replace Google). So it'll be like all other attempts at tech regulation, it'll just turn into cranking the handle on the cash cow to try and fill a part of the lockdown-created budget holes.
After a year long market study, the CMA has concluded that Apple's browser engine ban on iOS in anti-competitive and distort the browser market, as well as limit the capabilities of web apps on iOS and on the entire mobile eco-system. They note that it is obviously to their own benefit, as a weaker web on iOS results in a stronger exclusive and captive native app eco-system, which they can tax at will.
The CMA is now set to start a market investigation reference (MIR) which will give them the power to impose changes to Apple. The number one remedy considered is requiring Apple to stop banning competing engines on iOS.
Announcement for the MIR: https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/mobile-browsers-and-cloud-gamin...
Final market study report: https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/mobile-ecosystems-market-study
Honestly I'm surprised it's as low as 90%. What's the rest? The Samsung browser? From my experience using Firefox on Android, very few websites care about compatibility with it.
I get an inferior version of Facebook on mobile Firefox compared to mobile Chrome. What other sites have caused you problems?
On Android I can install Firefox, Edge, other versions of these browsers from f-droid, and many other browsers, all with their own engines. On iPhones, afaik, you can only get Safari, or other browsers that are just a thin wrapper around Safari. That is a huge difference and I hope they know that.
It's a bit like IE in the 2000s, it was possible to install an alternative browser on Windows but the fact that IE was pre-installed and set as default meant that it was very hard for competitors to get in the market. This is a similar situation on Android.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
What's wrong with a wrapper around Safari? It's a capable and efficient browser. Firefox can wrap its bookmark sharing and whatever around it (I actually use Firefox on iOS, though I don't bother with the profile sharing). We don't need Safari to be 100% Chrome compatible, right? That's just for lazy programmers and greedy marketeers.
A Porsche wrapper around a VW Golf is not a Porsche.