[callc]

This argument falls apart since there is no real freedom of choice, and the importance of smartphones in our lives.

People are becoming more aware that they don’t want a corporation in control over this essential near ubiquitous technology.

I see no good reason to follow a “it’s a corporation they can do whatever they want” mindset

[plandis]

Who is forcing you to exclusively buy into Apple’s ecosystem?

Are other competitors banned where you live?

[fc417fc802]

To be blunt it doesn't matter if you have a choice or not - this sort of behavior shouldn't be permitted either way. It's an appliance that at this point serves an essential function in society so user hostile behavior ought to be strictly prohibited.

The guiding principle should continue to be that manufacturers and retailers don't get to control the second hand market or dictate what users do with the things they purchase. Digital controls used to thwart the owner's freedom should be outlawed.

[charcircuit]

Appliances have had safety mechanisms that would equivalently prevent user modification of certain elements long before digital controls existed.

[armada651]

Apple is, because of vendor-lock in. Once you're sufficiently dependent on Apple's ecosystem it becomes painful to switch to a competitor because it requires switching to a different smartphone which then locks you out of most of Apple's ecosystem.

[geoffmanning]

Who the heck are you? Are you a real person? I don't understand how any human can argue that this is ok.

[jmye]

> This argument falls apart since there is no real freedom of choice

Absolute, unmitigated bullshit. You are not forced to buy an iPhone by anyone, ever.

> “it’s a corporation they can do whatever they want”

Then perhaps you should make the absolutely tiny mental leap to "And I don't have to buy if it doesn't work the way I want it to."

Apple has 32% market share - pretending you don't have any other choice is utterly fallacious nonsense.