What you should know
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- The DOJ’s lawsuit against Apple includes accusations that seem to stretch the reality of the smartphone market dynamics, particularly blaming Apple for the failure of competitors like the Amazon Fire Phone.
- Amazon’s Fire Phone failed due to its own shortcomings, such as the lack of Google Play Store access and being an AT&T exclusive, rather than Apple’s market influence.
- The DOJ also inaccurately attributes the failures of Microsoft’s Windows Phone and the struggles of HTC and LG in the smartphone market to Apple’s supposed monopolistic practices.
- Despite the DOJ’s claims, the real reasons behind the lack of competition in the smartphone market include Amazon’s missteps with the Fire Phone, Microsoft’s inability to attract app developers for Windows Phone, and Samsung‘s dominance over HTC and LG.
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Full Story
Oh boy, diving into the DOJ’s lawsuit against Apple is like stepping into a world of, well, let’s just say “creative interpretations.” The government, backed by a squad of 16 state and district attorneys general, is throwing some heavy accusations Apple’s way. They’re claiming Apple’s basically the smartphone mafia boss.
Now, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, some of these claims are… how do I put it? A bit out there. Like, they’re blaming Apple for the Amazon Fire Phone’s flop. Remember the Fire Phone? Launched in 2014, vanished in 2015. Yeah, that one.
The thing is, the Fire Phone was kind of a mess on its own. It ran on a weird version of Android without the Google Play Store. Not exactly a selling point, right? Amazon managed to sell just 26,000 units before taking a $170 million hit on unsold phones. And let’s not forget, it was tied to AT&T. Exclusively.
So, the DOJ’s pointing fingers at Apple for this? Hmm. The Fire Phone’s failure seems more like a self-inflicted wound.
And then there’s the iPhone. Apparently, it’s the reason the Fire Phone tanked. I mean, sure, the iPhone’s a tough competitor. But to blame it for the Fire Phone’s demise? That’s a stretch.
But wait, there’s more. The DOJ isn’t just stopping at Amazon. Nope. They’re also tossing Microsoft, HTC, and LG into the mix. Microsoft’s Windows Phone? That was all about the lack of apps. And HTC and LG? They couldn’t keep up with Samsung, not Apple.
According to the lawsuit, it’s a two-horse race now: Apple and Samsung, with Google lagging behind. The DOJ seems to think the smartphone market’s barriers are sky-high. But let’s be real. The Fire Phone’s failure was Amazon’s doing. Microsoft couldn’t woo the app devs. And Samsung? They just outplayed HTC and LG.
If you’re curious about the lawsuit’s wilder claims, check out paragraph 186. It’s a doozy. Honestly, this whole thing reads like a dramatic soap opera script. But hey, that’s the legal world for you.
