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It's less about keeping the existing power hierarchy and more about preventing Apple from forcibly restricting channels or stifling any and all competition. Wh

It's less about keeping the existing power hierarchy and more about preventing Apple from forcibly restricting channels or stifling any and all competition. What if the iPhone 14 was SIM locked to a new Cellular MVNO run by Apple and if you wanted an iPhone you had to sign up for Apple Cellular? The iPhone 14 still used a Qualcomm baseband that supported LTE/5G but Apple locked it down to only their MVNO. An MVNO is a virtual network run on top of an existing network (e.g. AT&T, T-Mobile). How would you feel about that? Apple NFC uses the same ISO 14443 protocol to talk to Payment Terminals that everyone else uses. Their payments run through the same card processor and merchant account networks as everyone else. There's no reason they couldn't expose the API to allow others to use the NFC capabilities of the iPhone to transact. They just choose not to because it allows them a monopoly.

rnjesus 5y ago
you can use “what if” to create literally any scenario you want, and this is the best you could come up with? cmon, how am i supposed to be entertained by HN comments that don’t push the boundaries of creative writing :(
- cptskippy 5y ago
  My intent with the analogy wasn't to suggest something Apple would do but rather to put forth a scenario with similar boundaries and that is easily relatable. Apple doesn't currently control their cellular baseband or NFC chips. Both chips interface to external systems running standardized protocols on infrastructure outside of Apple's control. Both can be used to access any compatible network. With Apple restricting NFC to Apple Pay, they're basically slapping a surcharge on any competitor's banking product regardless of who it is. You can spin this as Apple fighting back against Big Banks, but you're the one paying the Apple tax not the banks. It also pushes out small credit unions who can't or won't pay the Apple tax.

rnjesus 5y ago

you can use “what if” to create literally any scenario you want, and this is the best you could come up with? cmon, how am i supposed to be entertained by HN comments that don’t push the boundaries of creative writing :(

cptskippy 5y ago
My intent with the analogy wasn't to suggest something Apple would do but rather to put forth a scenario with similar boundaries and that is easily relatable. Apple doesn't currently control their cellular baseband or NFC chips. Both chips interface to external systems running standardized protocols on infrastructure outside of Apple's control. Both can be used to access any compatible network. With Apple restricting NFC to Apple Pay, they're basically slapping a surcharge on any competitor's banking product regardless of who it is. You can spin this as Apple fighting back against Big Banks, but you're the one paying the Apple tax not the banks. It also pushes out small credit unions who can't or won't pay the Apple tax.