Apple uses platform dominance to 'lock out' competition, says Elizabeth Warren

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 87
    EsquireCatsEsquireCats Posts: 1,268member
    The App Store is not a public service, it costs something to run and similarly allows discounts as seen by anyone who purchases an App Store gift card in a supermarket (they're usually a 20% discount on the stated card value.)

    Now Spotify is the worst example a person can give for claiming the store is unfair:

    1. Apple do not set Spotify's price, that price is Spotify's doing / and if they offered something unique or of their own making they'd be able to charge even more. When they treat music like a commodity they can only compete on price.
    2. Apple's cut is identical to all other services run in other categories, even still Apple have made concessions here for subscriptions over a year in length - the Spotify app is free and the majority of Spotify's users do not pay anything - completely dodging Apple's cut altogether.
    3. Just like any store, if a consumer doesn't like the price of Spotify they're free to get it somewhere else such as the Spotify website. This is not a luxury that paid apps have, and Spotify is merely greedy for trying to pay nothing to the App Store despite making money from it.
    4. The App Store is not free to run, it's designed to deliver apps, app updates, advertising and the like - it's not the App Store's fault if Spotify's business model doesn't enrich itself from that. Unlike apps - streaming services still earn money without an app price or IAP.
    5. Spotify's inability to differentiate their service (e.g. no desirable exclusive content) is the reason why consumers are trying out other services, the public is generally well educated on the matter of price. There are looming entrants to this market, and Spotify will simply suffer further - it's not a one horse town anymore, Spotify are squandering their lead.
    6. Apple music is free for 3 months, Spotify is free with ads - as there no "free ride" option with Apple music, it's hard to claim that Apple is taking Spotify customers - similarly most of Spotify's customers use the free tier. Spotify's split between paid and unpaid has not changed since the introduction of Apple Music.
    7. Spotify gain more casual users from being on the App Store rather than not at all - if they were so worried they'd not even offer IAP on the app, i.e. how the Kindle app works, how Uber works etc.
    8. Would all the people who feel harmed by having to sign up with Spotify directly instead of using an IAP please stand up - most Spotify users come from direct sign ups.
    edited June 2016 BACradarthekatHerbivore2bestkeptsecretbrucemch2pindyfx
  • Reply 22 of 87
    Elizabeth Warren has gone off of the deep end. Does she think that Samsung or Huawei are going to play by the same rules? What recourse will Apple have if she has her way and Samsung ascends as the dominant technology player? I guess the US could remove its troops from South Korea and watch the nation arm itself with nuclear weapons to counter the threat from the North leading to the destabilization of east Asia. And what of Huawei and Xiaomi where threats against the Chinese are going to merit an even far more adversarial response from their government?

    I'm no fan of Trump, but Hillary's character is no better and very likely worse. And Warren thinks Clinton is actually better than Trump. Trump is racist and a scam artist, but Hillary flouts the law and thinks she is above everyone else. Her law career was more important than seeing actual justice to a 12 year old girl whose rapist literally walked free. And does anyone these days remember the fiasco of her proposed health care policy during Bill's term in office? And the election of Hillary will mean dealing with Warren in a high level cabinet position. At least Bernie is honest and forthcoming. Warren these days has become a hack. 

    Why is it that Apple has become the scapegoat for all that ills the American economy? Apple should be promoted as a role model, not vilified because they are successful. Clinton through her mouthpiece Warren and Trump are wrong about Apple. 

    The election process is now officially a three ring circus. 

    If there were ever a time for a legitimate third party candidate, the time is now. 
    BACredefilerh2p
  • Reply 23 of 87
    snovasnova Posts: 1,281member
    apple ][ said:
    Isn't this the psycho that was trumping up Hilary?

    sheesh. 
    Yep, the fake Indian. They'll make a great team.
    Hilary's team doesn't have to be great. The way the polls are going, Trump's mouth is Hillary's best asset. Which is sad. If this election is won by the Democrats, which seems to be the trend per the polls for last few weeks; it will not be a result of what Hillary said to inspire people, but instead because of what came out of Trump's mouth.  He doesn't know when to shut up.  
    edited June 2016 dsdjmc54
  • Reply 24 of 87
    9secondkox29secondkox2 Posts: 2,664member
    apple ][ said:
    Isn't this the psycho that was trumping up Hilary?

    sheesh. 
    Yep, the fake Indian. They'll make a great team. :#
    Lol. 

    Hey I have an Eskimo way back in my family heritage, so I'M ESKIMO!

    What in the world. Everything is psycho now. 

    Forget reality, "this is how I identify" is all that matters now?

    And here I thought make believe was something you're supposed to grow out of. 

    Its cute when you're a kid playing cops and robbers or Cowboys and Indians. But dang. This stuff is just embarrassingly shameful. 
    apple ][BACHerbivore2h2pcully
  • Reply 25 of 87
    BACBAC Posts: 1member
    She believes in highly concentrated federal power out of Washington and yet she has the audacity to caution against "consolidation and concentration" of power in the tech sector.  The tech sector is extremely competitive while small companies continue to be born as well as grow.  If anything hinders new companies to be created and prosper, it is the ever-growing regulations out of Washington.  Elizabeth Warren is an exceptionally dangerous politician. She has demonstrated an extreme willingness to dictate what is best for the rest of us ... even with the relatively small amount of power concentrated in the hands of a senator.  Beware if she is allowed to gain any higher power.
    apple ][Herbivore2brucemch2pcully
  • Reply 26 of 87
    Fauxcahontus can rant all she wants, the reality is she's an unsuccessful hack with no concept of the reality of business. Which explains why she was in academia and moved to government. 
    Warren is an intellectual turd.

    Apple's last FY before launching the iPhone generated $19.3 Billion.  On what planet is that considered a "small" competitor?

    Apple had never offered a smart phone before and was introducing the iPhone into a market that included some major heavy weights, RIMM, Palm, Motorola and Nokia (largest mobile handset manufacturer in the world at the time).  Apple's iPhone was to be launched on a single carrier network and had yet to sell its first unit, while those competitors listed above were selling millions with distribution was worldwide on hundreds of carriers.

    Today Apple is the largest and wealthiest of mobile handset makers, not because of "monopolistic" practices, but because the user, the person paying for the iPhone, has decided it is sufficiently better than the competition that they are willing to pay more for it.

    Clearly Warren has no knowledge of the Sherman Anti Trust Act, or she doesn't care.  Either way this nation would be poorly served by someone of her ilk.
    apple ][BACthewhitefalconHerbivore2brucemch2p
  • Reply 27 of 87
    Fauxcahontus can rant all she wants, the reality is she's an unsuccessful hack with no concept of the reality of business. Which explains why she was in academia and moved to government. 
    republicans are sooo corny ISTG. 
    spliff monkeydsd
  • Reply 28 of 87
    its like republicans who complain about taxes on their businesses. their "successful" business are only a success because of the infrastructure it rests upon. they couldn't have a successful operation if we were a banana republic. therefore, they pay taxes to help continue to build for the next budding business. The one-time i disagree with Senator Warren.
    dsdstourque
  • Reply 29 of 87
    apple ][ said:
    Yep, the fake Indian. They'll make a great team. :#
    Lol. 

    Hey I have an Eskimo way back in my family heritage, so I'M ESKIMO!

    What in the world. Everything is psycho now. 

    Forget reality, "this is how I identify" is all that matters now?

    And here I thought make believe was something you're supposed to grow out of. 

    Its cute when you're a kid playing cops and robbers or Cowboys and Indians. But dang. This stuff is just embarrassingly shameful. 
    republicans wil never win
    macky the macky
  • Reply 30 of 87
    mcdavemcdave Posts: 1,927member
    hface119 said:
    I'm all-in with Apple and proudly so, but the guy from Spotify has a very valid point. How can they make a straight profit from Spotify's monthly subscription, and far exceed their own services' profit? In and of itself that fact leads to shutting out the competition because pricing can't be competitive. 

    Then again, Apple created the App Store and should have full control over it and it's pricing if they want to, but when you become a platform allowing 3rd parties to participate and sell, that should have limitations in terms of competition. As it stands today, they're not breaking any laws and deserve to reap whatever income they can, but morally they can't be opposed to Prince's statement in my opinion. 
    The guy from Spotify is undercutting one of his retailers! If Spotify can't make money because they ignore the signup & billing costs, they need to go back to business school.
  • Reply 31 of 87
    bluefire1bluefire1 Posts: 1,301member
    Like Pelosi, here's another know-it-all congresswoman who thinks Apple, other tech companies and Americans in general care what she has to say.
    We don't. 
    h2pcully
  • Reply 32 of 87
    mcdavemcdave Posts: 1,927member

    crowley said:
    I like Apples hardware, I like apples software and I like Apple services, but it is a little annoying that they're all prejudiced towards each other, both in price and functionality, whereby Apple's software gets preferential treatment on the hardware, and Apples services get a preferential pricing scheme.  It'd be easier to praise Apples individual products if they operated on a more even play field; even when that field is an Apple platform.

    I'm not sure that I think Apple shouldn't be allowed to do such things on their own platforms and stores, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
    Whereas I prefer to have the choice; an integrated system as opposed that interoperable rubbish that's never worked. In my book forcing companies to sell and consumers to buy the same model is ant-competitive.

    I prefer my tech to be designed by designers, not politicians.
    macky the mackyh2p
  • Reply 33 of 87
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    If she gets on the ticket that will almost guarantee the election of Donald Trump. Warren is totally ensconced in the lunatic fringe left. She is their leader and savior.
    h2pindyfx
  • Reply 34 of 87
    jonljonl Posts: 210member
    Can someone ELI5? If you sign up for Spotify, Netflix, etc through an Apple device, you indirectly pay Apple a tax on your subscription, though you can use the services on other devices without paying their manufacturers? Is that right? If so, in what universe does it make sense?
  • Reply 35 of 87
    normmnormm Posts: 653member
    If there is a God in heaven, she will be picked as Grandma's vice president. Nothing could be more repugnant than these shrill Blues Sisters out on the campaign trail together. Neither of them has ever created anything except hysteria. Yet they are out criticizing the the people who create jobs and opportunity. What a wretched creature she is!!
    Warren is one of the top bankruptcy experts in the world, many say the top expert.  She's highly cited in her publications on this subject, working as a professor at Harvard.  She grew up as a Republican, but it was seeing how ordinary people get pushed into bankruptcy by lack of heath care, and tricked out of their savings by financial advisors and "services", that made her enter politics.  She has fought the big banks that screwed up the economy harder than anyone else.  Remember that she was supposed to be in charge of the Consumer Protection Agency which she started, but the bank lobby and Republicans blocked her.  She started from humble beginnings and has accomplished more than most ever will.  It would be nice to have someone who has spent her life working hard to understand economics involved in running things when the world economy is so shaky!

    I am the number one Apple fan, but they are not above criticism.  I actually think they would do better by reducing or eliminating their cut of subscription and media-buying charges.  It almost forces sellers to move the buying part off their iDevices, which certainly hurts the user experience.  I think Apple would make more money overall if they made less in ways that hurt the user experience!
    dsdstourque
  • Reply 36 of 87
    javiofcjaviofc Posts: 1member
    Kinda like how career politicians manage to stay in office? 
    indyfx
  • Reply 37 of 87
    waltgwaltg Posts: 90member
    Just like Nancy Polosie,,,, what the hell are these two still doin in office?!?!?! ALL polititians should be kicked out now!!! We need a total new set!!!! What a bunch of thieving idiots!!!
    indyfx
  • Reply 38 of 87
    Herbivore2Herbivore2 Posts: 367member
    lkrupp said:
    If she gets on the ticket that will almost guarantee the election of Donald Trump. Warren is totally ensconced in the lunatic fringe left. She is their leader and savior.
    It doesn't matter. She will likely occupy a prominent position in the Clinton cabinet whether she is the Vice President or not. Her endorsement of Hillary and her anti American positions have disqualified the Democrats in my book. Not sure that I can vote Trump either. But I know that I will not vote for the Dems. 
    apple ][h2pindyfx
  • Reply 39 of 87
    latifbplatifbp Posts: 544member
    Smaller newer guys get shut out, eh? So tell me how a company like ZAGG buys Mophie? Pf!
  • Reply 40 of 87
    why-why- Posts: 305member
    I like Elizabeth warren, but aren't there laws in the US against monopolies?
    h2p
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