The U.S. Department of Justice and Apple are reportedly exploring a negotiated end to the government's antitrust lawsuit over the iPhone, and developers who have been consulted are doubtful that any deal would change much. MacRumors reported the details on October 16, citing reporting by The Information.
The DOJ sued Apple in March 2024, alleging that restrictions affecting messaging, digital wallets, smartwatches, cloud gaming and multipurpose apps help the company protect an unlawful smartphone monopoly. Apple has rejected the allegations and has argued that the remedies sought would undermine its ability to design products that work closely together.
What the talks reportedly cover
According to the report, officials have asked developers for suggestions on how the iPhone should work with other companies' products. The discussions are said to center on interoperability, including access for competing accessories and payment services. The report also says Apple offered some interoperability concessions in an earlier attempt to head off the lawsuit. No settlement terms have been described publicly, and the DOJ is said to favor a negotiated resolution rather than a trial.
Developers are skeptical
PayPal, Epic Games and Proton are cited as raising concerns. Proton reportedly said it doubted Apple would agree to terms that developers would find satisfactory. Developers and lawyers quoted in the coverage questioned how much Apple would actually be required to change, noting that rival smartwatches still lack much of the integration the Apple Watch enjoys, and that competing payment apps can face disadvantages even with NFC access for contactless payments.
Changes already made
Apple has made some changes since the suit was filed. It added RCS support to Messages in iOS 18, and in iOS 18.1 it widened third-party access to the iPhone's NFC capabilities for contactless transactions.
Neither Apple nor the Justice Department has announced a settlement, and the details above come from secondhand reporting on talks that could still fall apart. Cupertino News will follow any official announcement from either side.
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