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Apple partly halts Beeper's iMessage app again, suggesting a long fight ahead

arstechnica.com

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Re: Apple partly halts Beeper's iMessage app again, suggesting a long fight ahead

#151

Post by madeofpalk »

josephcsible wrote: post #145
stouset wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ma Bell had a monopoly. This is one messaging app on one brand of phone. Nothing stops you from using another phone, or multiple or other messaging apps. And messaging apps aren’t restricted by a “default” in quite the same way a web browser is. I have friends on WhatsApp and Signal and Instagram and I message them all without any appreciable difference in effort.

As long as iMessage doesn't support federation, Apple has a monopoly on it too. If not, then Ma Bell wouldn't have had a monopoly either, since you could say mailing letters was a competitor to telephones.

That's nonsensical. Reddit has a monopoly on Reddit - of course it does.

Any service online is under no obligation to allow for widespread interpoperation - that would be madness.

Re: Apple partly halts Beeper's iMessage app again, suggesting a long fight ahead

#152

Post by aalimov_ »

doublerabbit wrote: post #115
dishsoap wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What are they stealing?

Profits. By allowing Android Apple communication, Apple has potential "loses" as they loose their lock in ability of forcing people buying a new iPhone for Christmas. iPhone $800, Android $200. If an Android can do what iPhone can do on the messaging front there's no purpose in buying an iPhone.

Just want to point out that you can get a brand new iPhone (in the US) for $429 (+ tax), and often times you can get it even cheaper if you trade in or accept carrier deals. I dont think that iMessage is the only sticky property of the iPhone. Things like long term support via updates is another big one. The “ecosystem” of devices and services.

Comparable devices cost pretty much the same whether iPhone or Android.

While most people may not care it’s also worth noting that the alternative OS (Android) is operated by one of the largest ad-tech companies in the world and allows for deep oem integrations of 3rd party applications (that 99.9% of its users aren’t even aware of as being installed.)

Re: Apple partly halts Beeper's iMessage app again, suggesting a long fight ahead

#153

Post by MR4D »

MR4D wrote: post #130

I don't understand how this is not theft of service, or at least unlawful access. If I am reading the articles on Beeper correctly, they've applied a pretty brilliant hack to gain access to the iMessage network without an Apple ID . That last part seems key (pardon the pun). Can someone explain this to me? I feel like this technical issue is really in the weeds, so I'm sure there are multiple nuances I'm missing...

Ok, people clearly aren't reading the first few words (nor the last line) of my post:

"I don't understand..."

"Can someone explain this to me? "

Re: Apple partly halts Beeper's iMessage app again, suggesting a long fight ahead

#154

Post by justapassenger »

stouset wrote: post #137
josephcsible wrote: post #126

When Ma Bell didn't let people use third-party phones with their service, the government made them change their ways. Why is the government letting Apple get away with the equivalent?

Ma Bell had a monopoly. This is one messaging app on one brand of phone. Nothing stops you from using another phone, or multiple or other messaging apps. And messaging apps aren’t restricted by a “default” in quite the same way a web browser is. I have friends on WhatsApp and Signal and Instagram and I message them all without any appreciable difference in effort.

[dead]

Re: Apple partly halts Beeper's iMessage app again, suggesting a long fight ahead

#155

Post by sbuk »

albert180 wrote: post #141
josephcsible wrote: post #126

When Ma Bell didn't let people use third-party phones with their service, the government made them change their ways. Why is the government letting Apple get away with the equivalent?

I guess the EU will be closely watching with Digital Services Act

Why, when use of iMessage is a rounding error across the European Union, will the EU rule that Apple are a messaging Gatekeeper? The noises coming from the investagtiong body seem to indicate that they will not treat iMessage as such.

Re: Apple partly halts Beeper's iMessage app again, suggesting a long fight ahead

#156

Post by infotainment »

ck425 wrote: post #127
infotainment wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

USA specific — Americans pretty much universally use SMS messages, which ends up being iMessage for Apple devices.

Huh. How does that work with multimedia? Do US carriers not differentiate between SMS and MMS?

They don’t, it “just works” (to the degree MMS can work at all) — which means iMessage is perfectly positioned.

Re: Apple partly halts Beeper's iMessage app again, suggesting a long fight ahead

#157

Post by hn_throwaway_99 »

albert180 wrote: post #141
josephcsible wrote: post #126

When Ma Bell didn't let people use third-party phones with their service, the government made them change their ways. Why is the government letting Apple get away with the equivalent?

I guess the EU will be closely watching with Digital Services Act

Unfortunately, the EU isn't going to save us with this one. iMessage usage is minimal in the EU because so many people use alternate messaging services, and the EU already ruled that iMessage won't be forced open because it isn't widely used by business users.

In the US, iMessage market share is much higher because back in the aughts we didn't have the sky high SMS rates which forced so many users to other messaging services in other countries.

Re: Apple partly halts Beeper's iMessage app again, suggesting a long fight ahead

#158

Post by albert180 »

junofan wrote: post #135
thisisthenewme wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find it even more interesting that people are defending either corporation. Neither of them is our friend, and they do what happens to be profitable. The core problem here is that Apple has a significant market share in the US, and for one reason or another, they are inconveniencing a portion of non-iPhone users and/or causing an unnecessary divide. Does it have to be this way? I think the answer would depend on wh…

I’d prefer to live in a society where all rights are protected rather than just my friends’ rights.

[flagged]

Re: Apple partly halts Beeper's iMessage app again, suggesting a long fight ahead

#159

Post by hn_throwaway_99 »

madeofpalk wrote: post #151
josephcsible wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As long as iMessage doesn't support federation, Apple has a monopoly on it too. If not, then Ma Bell wouldn't have had a monopoly either, since you could say mailing letters was a competitor to telephones.

That's nonsensical. Reddit has a monopoly on Reddit - of course it does. Any service online is under no obligation to allow for widespread interpoperation - that would be madness.

> Any service online is under no obligation to allow for widespread interpoperation - that would be madness.

Lol, "madness". The Digital Services Act in the EU would like a word.

Re: Apple partly halts Beeper's iMessage app again, suggesting a long fight ahead

#160

Post by albert180 »

aalimov_ wrote: post #152
doublerabbit wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Profits. By allowing Android Apple communication, Apple has potential "loses" as they loose their lock in ability of forcing people buying a new iPhone for Christmas. iPhone $800, Android $200. If an Android can do what iPhone can do on the messaging front there's no purpose in buying an iPhone.

Just want to point out that you can get a brand new iPhone (in the US) for $429 (+ tax), and often times you can get it even cheaper if you trade in or accept carrier deals. I dont think that iMessage is the only sticky property of the iPhone. Things like long term support via updates is another big one. The “ecosystem” of devices and services. Comparable devices cost pretty much the same whether iPhone or Android. W…

You can get a brand new Android for 80-100$. What's the point?
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