3 ms·

iOS is literally the majority of the market in the USA. It has nearly 60% market share. https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/mobile/united-states-of-ameri

iOS is literally the majority of the market in the USA. It has nearly 60% market share. https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/mobile/united-states-of-america/ https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/mobile/united-sta... This is certainly something US courts would care about.

AnIdiotOnTheNet 6y ago
Alright, well color me surprised because I wouldn't have guessed that at all. Still, 60% is hardly a monopoly either.
- withinboredom 6y ago
  By definition, anything over 50% should give you de facto control. I'm curious what you mean by 60% not being a monopoly.
  - AnIdiotOnTheNet 6y ago
    > the exclusive possession or control of the supply of or trade in a commodity or service. 60% is not exclusive or even de-facto exclusive. The only thing Apple has a monopoly on is Apple products.
    - reissbaker 6y ago
      The threshold the US government uses for market share is typically 50%, along with exclusionary conduct.
threeseed 6y ago
58% is not a monopoly by any definition. In fact US Justice Department states quite clearly that it isn't a monopoly if it's 50% or less. This isn't a light switch where you instantly change from "not a monopoly" to "monopoly" based on a temporary gain in market share. https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/competition-guidance/guide-antitrust-laws/single-firm-conduct/monopolization-defined https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/competition-guidance/guide-a...
- Apocryphon 6y ago
  iOS's percentage of paid app users dwarfs Android's, which could be a factor. Surely revenue should be considered when evaluating market share? https://sensortower.com/blog/app-revenue-and-downloads-2018 https://sensortower.com/blog/app-revenue-and-downloads-2018
  - threeseed 6y ago
    That is comparing Apple and Google's App Stores. Android is a much larger ecosystem than just Google.
- reissbaker 6y ago
  58% is enough to clear a 50% threshold. I didn't say that 58% immediately means monopoly: it doesn't necessarily mean it's a monopoly, but it can mean it. I was correcting the OP who claimed that "Apple isn't even close to a majority in any markets!" In fact, Apple is a majority — and a sizable one — in the market US courts care most about: the US market. It's probably a monopoly for a variety of reasons, including its majority market power — which as you point out is typically one of the necessary (but not sufficient) markers of monopoly — as other commenters have pointed out; e.g. its exclusionary conduct such as banning XCloud, Fortnite, etc.
- gamblor956 6y ago
  Antitrust law is not just about monopolies, it is about anticompetitive business practices. Monopolistic behavior is just one type of antitrust concern.
chrisseaton 6y ago
> iOS is literally the majority of the market in the USA. It has nearly 60% market share. Are you confusing the words mono and majority?
- reissbaker 6y ago
  Nope. A company doesn't need 100% market share to count as a monopoly under US law. The threshold for market share is typically 50%, along with exclusionary conduct. I also, by the way, didn't use the word "monopoly" (although I think Apple is one with iOS): I used the word "majority." So I'm not sure where your comment claiming that I confused "mono" and "majority" is even coming from.

AnIdiotOnTheNet 6y ago

Alright, well color me surprised because I wouldn't have guessed that at all. Still, 60% is hardly a monopoly either.

withinboredom 6y ago
By definition, anything over 50% should give you de facto control. I'm curious what you mean by 60% not being a monopoly.
- AnIdiotOnTheNet 6y ago
  > the exclusive possession or control of the supply of or trade in a commodity or service. 60% is not exclusive or even de-facto exclusive. The only thing Apple has a monopoly on is Apple products.
  - reissbaker 6y ago
    The threshold the US government uses for market share is typically 50%, along with exclusionary conduct.

threeseed 6y ago

58% is not a monopoly by any definition. In fact US Justice Department states quite clearly that it isn't a monopoly if it's 50% or less. This isn't a light switch where you instantly change from "not a monopoly" to "monopoly" based on a temporary gain in market share. https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/competition-guidance/guide-antitrust-laws/single-firm-conduct/monopolization-defined https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/competition-guidance/guide-a...

Apocryphon 6y ago
iOS's percentage of paid app users dwarfs Android's, which could be a factor. Surely revenue should be considered when evaluating market share? https://sensortower.com/blog/app-revenue-and-downloads-2018 https://sensortower.com/blog/app-revenue-and-downloads-2018
- threeseed 6y ago
  That is comparing Apple and Google's App Stores. Android is a much larger ecosystem than just Google.
reissbaker 6y ago
58% is enough to clear a 50% threshold. I didn't say that 58% immediately means monopoly: it doesn't necessarily mean it's a monopoly, but it can mean it. I was correcting the OP who claimed that "Apple isn't even close to a majority in any markets!" In fact, Apple is a majority — and a sizable one — in the market US courts care most about: the US market. It's probably a monopoly for a variety of reasons, including its majority market power — which as you point out is typically one of the necessary (but not sufficient) markers of monopoly — as other commenters have pointed out; e.g. its exclusionary conduct such as banning XCloud, Fortnite, etc.
gamblor956 6y ago
Antitrust law is not just about monopolies, it is about anticompetitive business practices. Monopolistic behavior is just one type of antitrust concern.

chrisseaton 6y ago

> iOS is literally the majority of the market in the USA. It has nearly 60% market share. Are you confusing the words mono and majority?

reissbaker 6y ago
Nope. A company doesn't need 100% market share to count as a monopoly under US law. The threshold for market share is typically 50%, along with exclusionary conduct. I also, by the way, didn't use the word "monopoly" (although I think Apple is one with iOS): I used the word "majority." So I'm not sure where your comment claiming that I confused "mono" and "majority" is even coming from.