Does Google and Apple stifle competition from 3rd-Party Dev trying to make in-roads into Android and iOS

google apple android ios play store app store eu european union

They say competition breeds efficiency, innovation, and the end consumer benefits from affordable prices. The mobile devices world as we know it today, is being managed by two tech power houses; Google and Apple.

The two companies have firmly within their grasp virtually the entire mobile device market across the world. Any competition within that market is virtually negligible.

Microsoft with all its financial and technological muscle failed to wrestle significant share from the two. Forcing the Redmond tech to surrender and focus instead of building its own (Microsoft) apps to work seemlessly onto its competitors’ platform. These days, Microsoft is one of the best third-party developer releasing well baked applications for Android and iOS.

Dominance with anti-competition behavior

Google and Apple have found the European particularly challenging given the active policing by the European Commission. Unlike in the U.S. and other world markets where regulation has been equated to inefficiency and anti-business way of thinking.

Google has severally found itself crossing sword with the European regulators and has already been charged several hefty fines. The regulator argues that the act of Google bundling its apps right out of the box on Android devices makes it difficult for competing apps to get noticed by customers.

When you buy an Android phone, it comes preinstalled with Google apps such as Chrome browser, Google search, and Gmail among others.

Upon a user’s first use of an Android device, they will find the phone already preloaded with Google apps and therefore less inclined to explore for more options out there. The EU regulator argues that by doing that, Google effectively locks out third-party developers out of the Android ecosystem.

For the third-party developers who don’t face direct competition from Google and Apple. They are still mandated to publish their app on the two companies respective app stores. The regulators argue that the two companies are racking in a lot of money are a commission for hosting the third-party apps on their app stores.

Though admittedly there is some convenience and efficiency for the end consumer getting all their apps after they have been verified, scrutinized, and vetted on the app store. However, with such great power vested on the two companies controlling their respective app stores. There is a need for the two companies to practice neutrality especially when it comes to apps hosted on their app store that compete with their own products.

Without App Store, some 3rd Party Devs will be nowhere

In a rebuttle, Google ran an ad in Europe featuring small third-party developers who say their success could not have been attained without Android. Earlier, Apple too funded a study that tallied the benefits of the app store to the revenues earned by third-party developers from Europe.

The point Apple and Google were driving at is that third-party developers success is dependent on the deregulazation of their mobile operating system and app stores.

Google wants to end Android fragmentation

Google is working towards ending the Android fragmentation, whereby there are various version of Android OS in the market. Well, regulators also wants Google to not try unifying the system. Arguing that the varios version (fragments) compete against each other, thus meaning apps and services on these platforms are competing with one another.

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