Ask HN: Why isn't iMessage seen as anti-competitive?

[zzarzzur]

iMessage can only be used between Apple Devices. There's no way for anyone that doesn't have an Apple product to participate in an iMessage conversation. It starts all new message threads on an iPhone through iMessage. There's also no way to use a different messaging backend on iPhone with the stock messages app. While you can install other apps to message with, they cant't integrate into the main messaging app.

[st1x7]

> There's no way for anyone that doesn't have an Apple product to participate in an iMessage conversation.

In general there's no way for people to use platform-specific apps without being on the platform. Are Windows-only programs anticompetitive? Are Playstation-exclusive games anticompetitive? I don't think they are and iMessage is no different.

[askafriend]

Think of it as an SMS app first with upgraded capabilities if the person on the other end has an iPhone.

That seems reasonable to me. Everyone with phone service can use SMS.

[Jtsummers]

The app switches to SMS/MMS when one or more parties aren't able to use iMessage. Plenty of people successfully communicate with non-Apple users without using iMessage (the protocol).

[schappim]

Because Apple’s market share is still the minority at 43.7%. Rightly or wrongly, the regulators view them as nothing more than hyper-competitive.

[stephenr]

> There's also no way to use a different messaging backend on iPhone with the stock messages app.

Sure there is. It’s call SMS.

[meiraleal]

Because people not using it doesn't care about it.