Why did Apple abandon the Apple Watch project for Android ?

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A fan of closed systems, Apple requires you to own an iPhone to take advantage of the Apple Watch and its many features. However, according to recent revelations, the Cupertino company would have already considered, at one point, making its connected watches compatible with Android.

While it is the subject of government lawsuits in the United States, Apple indicated to the site 9to5Mac that at one point, it already considered making the Apple Watch compatible with Android smartphones. Apple reportedly worked on this compatibility for three years, before abandoning the project due to technical limitations.

A response to the US government's lawsuits

While in Europe, Apple is obliged to have a more open ecosystem to comply with the DMA, in the United States, it is pursued by the government. The Department of Justice accuses Apple of exercising a monopoly on the smartphone market.

And the case of the Apple Watch is one of the arguments raised in the complaint. “Apple's smart watch, the Apple Watch, is only compatible with the iPhone. So, if Apple can entice a user to buy an Apple Watch, it becomes more expensive for that user to buy another type of smartphone, because it forces the user to abandon their expensive Apple Watch and buy a new smart watch compatible with Android”, can be read in this complaint, according to 9to5Mac.

The new revelation on the Apple Watch compatibility project with Android is therefore a response to this argument. Here, Apple justifies the incompatibility of the Apple Watch with the competition by citing technical limitations.

Soon, American obligations for Apple

In its complaint, the United States Department of Justice attacks many of Apple's practices, which were brought to an end thanks to the DMA, in the European Union. For example, in its press release, the Department discusses the fact that Apple is preventing Apple Pay competitors from directly accessing the iPhone's NFC model for mobile payments.

This complaint also addresses the fact that the iPhone's default messaging is not compatible with that of Android. But, as a reminder, Apple has already announced that the iPhone will support RCS technology which is already used by the Messages app on Google OS.

“When businesses engage in anticompetitive behavior, the American people and our economy suffer,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer a few days ago. “Today’s action against Apple sends a strong signal to those seeking to eliminate competitors and stifle innovation&#8217 Innovation: The Department of Justice is committed to using all available tools to advance economic justice and eradicate anticompetitive practices wherever they occur.