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Comment by philipallstar | Hacker News Reader

> You don't have a real choice in an app store on android

You do, and you also can pick iPhone. Or not a smartphone. Or not use apps.

> (except recently, and even then, the alternative stores don't behave well for google-based apps).

Google provides planetscale services like Google Maps for free and you want to build apps that use their services but not pay them 15% for their store, and still complain they don't work perfectly? You seem to be outsourcing a lot to Google but expect to give them nothing in return.

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Bringing up Google Maps here does nothing for your point because on web or native mobile you pay money to use the API for Google Maps (outside of the store fee). Offering a free version to end users does financially benefit Google.

There are numerous examples of people needing a smartphone to do things in their daily lives. I’ve read compelling stories of people who ran into trouble after ditching their smartphone.

There are lots of parallels to the railroad monopolies. Choice is not as available as you say it is.

> Offering a free version to end users does financially benefit Google.

How so?

> I’ve read compelling stories of people who ran into trouble after ditching their smartphone.

It'd be helpful if you mentioned them instead of just saying everyone should trust that you were compelled by stories.

You don’t get Maps “for free”, you pay with your data (your searches, your preferences, etc.). For Google maps is the bait to reel you in, you are the product they sell to their real customers: businesses. Google can shape your preferences by showing you what their paying customers want you to see.

I thought it’s self evident that products like Gmail, Search, Maps and others aren’t free because Google is aiming to do charity but because your personal data allows them to build a digital model of you and charge other businesses for access to that knowledge.

Around me I can’t think of a bank that allows any remote operation without a TAN only available on iOS or Android. That’s the root of a lot of future problems, not the least of which being that the bank charges you more for in person operations.

I understand that, but how does that factor into the larger conversation? Are you saying that Google should want to make sure these services should work flawlessly on other stores so we can be tracked by them even if we don't use the Play Store?

Other stores are a different topic or concern for Google. They want to retain control over anything that runs on the Android platform. Google thus ensures everyone must comply with rules that benefit Google. Anything that Google doesn’t like for whatever reason gets booted or screwed with.

Having the “valuable” apps like Maps only in their store is just another way to cement that authority.

Google maps makes money through its API as well as accepting sponsored results to appear before correct results.

I'd agree you have a choice with 3rd party stores but they're working on limiting/killing those tiny markets, already.

Google Maps has its own billing model.

> and you also can pick iPhone.

"Reee!! It's not a monopoly!!! It's a duopoly!!!!" screeched the pedant.

> Or not a smartphone. Or not use apps.

"Submit to the duopoly or else you're not allowed to develop for the most common consumer computing device on the planet"

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