Everyone knows by now that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) are definitely not BFFs. They might be acquaintances, but they’re not even friendly, or frenemies. These two companies just flat out don’t like each other, and in the cutthroat world of tech, there is becoming less and less room for these companies to co-exist. In some way or another, the late Steve Jobs-pledged “thermonuclear war” with Google has devolved to the point that completely siloed ecosystems are looking more and more likely.
Before long, there will be no cross-pollination. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is reportedly working on this in the new iOS 7 mobile operating system, which is due to be revealed at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June. What do we mean by no cross-pollination? There is much talk that Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) will be shut out of the new iOS completely – no Google Maps and no YouTube, and Apple may go so far as make it more difficult for them to even be in the App Store.
Word is that Apple is talking to Yahoo! Inc (NASDAQ:YHOO) about being the replacement search engine, which would be a boon for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) since Bing is actually the engine that powers Yahoo! search.
There is no confirmation of this report, but if it’s true, can the complete exclusion of Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) from the iOS cause more problems for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) than what it went through when it replaced Google Maps with its own subpar mapping app last year? Remember what a cluster that was? CEO Tim Cook had to issue an apology after a while, and Google Maps was restored to the App Store in pretty short order.
Oh, but that’s not all. There is unconfirmed word that if this “thermonuclear” battle is being extended to iOS 7, that Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) has a card up its own sleeve. While Google has Chrome as its browser, Apple’s Safari browser controls the mobile browser market, and that is because on Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) devices, Safari is the default browser and cannot be changed. But Google is reportedly offering a workaround with app developers, where inside the apps themselves, developers can switch their default browser to Chrome. If this is happening, we don’t know how many of the most popular iOS apps are being approached with this nor how many are taking Google up on the offer. And of course, we don’t know if this is happening in the first place, but we wouldn’t be falling out of our chairs in shock if it was true.
What are your thoughts? Is this a legitimate turf war between two fiercely competitive companies, or are Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) acting like petulant children that seem willing to sacrifice the customer experience? Does this impact your perception of each other in the smartphone wars? Are you choosing between them, or are you open to choosing another OS? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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