> A standard legal test is: "are the alternatives equivalent". The three options you provide are not at all equivalent. That makes it anti-competitive.
The test is rather, are the alternatives viable. And that they are.
You also have to prove that Apple is being anti-competitive - which is not true. Apple is applying their rules as equally as possible - just because it's imperfect enforcement, doesn't make it anti-competitive - it's unfair to punish when the scope of the problem means there will be apps that slip through wrongly.
Example: There are multiple email apps on the app store, and Apple isn't removing Hey because they also have a $99 email app. That would be anti-competitive. That's not what's happening here.
> Android isn't the same as Apple. They also have their own rules.
Android you can use third party app stores and sideload without any rules at all, and it's a bigger market. Sounds like a viable alternative.
> A web app doesn't have the same level of access as a native app.
Gmail has a website and an app. Both do the same thing - email. It's a viable alternative.
> The rules of the app store are unfair and aren't applied equally to everyone.
Imperfect enforcement is not the same as they aren't applied equally. It seems to me that they are - Apple is looking for offenders, finding them, and removing them. Seems pretty equal to me.
> Android you can use third party app stores and sideload without any rules at all, and it's a bigger market. Sounds like a viable alternative.
Telling someone that Android is a viable alternative to iPhone is the same as saying Marvel and DC comics are equivalent. They offer similar services, but do it in very different ways, and people have strong preferences one way or another.
> Gmail has a website and an app. Both do the same thing - email. It's a viable alternative.
This is actually a perfect example to prove my case. Things the gmail web app can't do on iPhone: Use your phone's contacts, notifications, photo previews on send, use native gestures, and lastly, the native app is significantly faster and more responsive.
I see you've conveniently left out the other arguments, probably because you know that what Apple is doing is NOT anti-competitive, and it's not a monopoly.
> They offer similar services, but do it in very different ways, and people have strong preferences one way or another.
Of course, it's a different product. People have strong preferences for the iPhone because of the curated experience, including the App Store. Remove that, and the phone becomes just another android. This destroys the product.
> Things the gmail web app can't do on iPhone: Use your phone's contacts, notifications, photo previews on send, use native gestures, and lastly, the native app is significantly faster and more responsive.
There are multiple ways to sync contacts. You really just have no leg to stand on here.
I think what you're really saying, is you want an authoritarian utopia. We demand that all product is made how we all like it. Everything is the same, because if it isn't, it's "unfair."
No thanks. We have enough legislation. Going after one of America's premier tech companies because rich SV devs are mad their 99$ email app is failing is not something we should do.
Then they make a choice to buy the more open platform if that’s more important to them. I can’t whine because I can’t get software from XBox Live for my PS4
You should whine because you can't get my PS4 software on your PS4. Even if you wanted to get my software, there is no way for you to do that without Sony's approval.
So if Xbox suddenly became an open platform, you'd be ok with me telling you "well if you want my software you just have to buy an Xbox and get all new software for it and learn an all new system, but they're totally the same thing so it's fine".
The test is rather, are the alternatives viable. And that they are.
You also have to prove that Apple is being anti-competitive - which is not true. Apple is applying their rules as equally as possible - just because it's imperfect enforcement, doesn't make it anti-competitive - it's unfair to punish when the scope of the problem means there will be apps that slip through wrongly.
Example: There are multiple email apps on the app store, and Apple isn't removing Hey because they also have a $99 email app. That would be anti-competitive. That's not what's happening here.
> Android isn't the same as Apple. They also have their own rules.
Android you can use third party app stores and sideload without any rules at all, and it's a bigger market. Sounds like a viable alternative.
> A web app doesn't have the same level of access as a native app.
Gmail has a website and an app. Both do the same thing - email. It's a viable alternative.
> The rules of the app store are unfair and aren't applied equally to everyone.
Imperfect enforcement is not the same as they aren't applied equally. It seems to me that they are - Apple is looking for offenders, finding them, and removing them. Seems pretty equal to me.