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If Google Play wasn't a monopoly (read as: if Google was forced to include say at least two open app stores not related to them on the Android main page), they would think twice before bullying developers. I'm sure the folks at F-Droid would be happy to host the app, but what's F-Droid exposure to non technical users?

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> I'm sure the folks at F-Droid would be happy to host the app,

Empirically yes:)

https://f-droid.org/en/packages/rkr.simplekeyboard.inputmeth...

An interesting definition of “not a monopoly”: being forced to advertise your competitors on your own platform, for free.

Yes? That would be a step that would disrupt their current monopoly status.

That would be a necessary step due to the deep difference between a traditional computer operating system and a phone/tablet. On the PC the user loads the browser, searches for a software doing X and is presented with choices in theory not filtered by whoever runs the search engine; on Android/iOS the manufacturer owns the only default installed repository interface, and users are instructed to grab apps only from that, skipping search engines, therefore excluding an app from the store equals to making it impossible to find for most users.

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