Apple Considered Bringing Apple Watch to Android, Lawsuit Reveals
The Department of Justice (DoJ) lawsuit against Apple sheds light on a
previously unknown project by the tech giant. According to Apple's response to
the lawsuit, the company spent three years exploring the possibility of making
the Apple Watch compatible with Android smartphones.
Technical Challenges Cited for Dropping the Project:
While Apple acknowledges exploring Android support for the Apple Watch, the
company ultimately shelved the project due to technical limitations discovered
during the three-year development period. This is the first time Apple has
confirmed these internal efforts.
DOJ Lawsuit Accuses Apple of Antitrust Violations:
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| image: Apple Watch Series 9 |
The DoJ lawsuit accuses Apple of violating antitrust laws in several ways.
These include:
- Reducing the quality of messaging between iPhone and Android users through iMessage exclusivity.
- Limiting functionality of non-Apple smartwatches by restricting Apple Watch to iPhones.
- Stifling cloud gaming services on Apple devices.
- Blocking third-party apps from using Apple Pay's tap-to-pay feature.
Apple plans to vigorously defend itself against the lawsuit, which it believes
is unfounded.
Previous Reports Align with Apple's Confirmation:
Last year, reports emerged about Apple's "Project Fennel," which aimed to
bring the Apple Watch and Health app to Android. These reports align with
Apple's confirmation of exploring Android compatibility, though they suggest
the project was abandoned due to business reasons, not technical limitations.
Verdict:
The DoJ lawsuit against Apple reveals a surprising detail about the company's
past projects. While Apple Watch support for Android is no longer on the
horizon, the lawsuit continues, with Apple maintaining its innocence of
antitrust violations.
(Source)