Apple complains UK wants to turn iOS into Android

Apple has said that the iOS proposals put forward by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) effectively turn Apple’s mobile system into Android. It’s all about the WebKit browser engine, which is an invariable requirement for all third-party browsers published on the App Store. It is this requirement that the British agency wants to cancel, arguing that it is anti-competitive.

Any third-party browser (such as Chrome or Firefox) on the iPhone must use the same WebKit engine as Safari. This makes them behave similar to Apple’s own browser.

The CMA said in a statement that the quality of all browsers on Apple devices is limited by the slower pace of WebKit development, and developers have canceled some features due to lack of support for this engine. As a result, enterprise customers have incurred higher costs due to the need to rely on native applications and the bugs and glitches inherent in WebKit.

In response, the company said that dropping the requirement for WebKit would put an end to unified app updates, as is currently happening on Android. In pursuit, the British regulator suggested that Apple allow downloading applications from alternative sources, but the company believes that this will worsen user protection. Ultimately, the Cupertinos noted that the effect of the proposed changes would be to simply turn iOS into another Android.

As for Google, they pride themselves on the fact that on Android, developers can use any browser engine, and this does not apply to the operating system in any way. Earlier it was reported that Google is developing an experimental version of Chrome for iOS on the Blink engine. Regulators around the world are pressing Apple to allow third-party app stores, change the WebKit requirement, and make iMessages interoperable with other platforms. The company is expected to consider making some changes in iOS 17, which will be introduced in June 2023.

Source: Trash Box

You may also like