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A browser is more than just an app, it’s an application runtime that executes arbitrary code downloaded from the internet. It’s the closest thing iOS has to an
by simonh 4y ago
A browser is more than just an app, it’s an application runtime that executes arbitrary code downloaded from the internet. It’s the closest thing iOS has to an unregulated open App Store, that happens to only run apps written in JavaScript. With native apps Apple has the opportunity to inspect and profile them before they hit the phone, and pull them if necessary, but not with web apps.
As such the only way Apple has to manage the power and compute consumption of such apps is through control of their runtime environment - the browser.
I’m not saying their policy is right or wrong, but that’s the argument.
- pathartl 4y agoYou've hit the nail on the head. So many jailbreak exploits have been done because of Webkit exploits. Allowing other engines on the phone would make them lose control over their walled garden.
- mtomweb 4y agoTo mount a believable defense against third-party browser engines, Apple would need to demonstrate that their browser is more secure than rival browsers. In order to persuasively argue a need to ban all rivals, Apple would need to prove that iOS Safari ships and delivers security patches faster, has significantly better security, and that the harm to users from allowing rival browsers is significantly worse than the harm caused by lack of competition. They would need to prove this for each individual browser / browser engine. The evidence points that Safari's security is in fact worse than either Chrome/Edge or Firefox's so that's going to be a hard sell to even prove they are equivalent. Intentional jailbreaking is a problem for Apple, not for Apple's users.