What if the Apple Watch was compatible with Android? It’s something a small number of Android users have wondered about over the years, but mostly discounted due to Apple’s fondness for exclusivity. But the company has now claimed that it did actually try to bring Apple Watch support to Android phones.
This has come out as part of the DOJ’s lawsuit against Apple (via 9to5Mac), over claims Apple has an illegal iPhone monopoly. One key piece of evidence in this claim is the Apple Watch and the fact it’s only compatible with iPhones.
Apple has hit back at this accusation by claiming it had considered bringing the Apple Watch to Android. In fact the company supposedly spent three years trying to figure that out, only to scrap the project over “technical limitations”.
Then again had Apple been able to offer premium features on Android phones, it could have dominated the Android wearables market. Google has done a lot to try and revitalize Wear OS and wearables on the platform, but it’s still nowhere near as capable (or popular) as Apple Watch has become.
But had that happened, it would have been one less reason to buy an iPhone — which may have affected Apple’s bottom line. In terms of both hardware sales and income from the App Store and other services. There's a reason Apple Watches dominate our best smartwatches list, after all.
While it’s not clear whether the DOJ’s claims will hold up in court, the idea of leaving the Apple ecosystem is daunting for some. Whether it’s a case of having to relocate all their favorite apps, transferring the photos and videos away from iCloud, or the fact that they’ve got so much Apple hardware it would cost a fortune to make any meaningful switch.
Change is scary, whereas familiarity is comfortable. Especially if that familiarity doesn’t involve forking out a bunch of extra money on new devices. With that in mind it’s no wonder people don’t like to switch — but whether the DOJ can prove Apple has been putting up these barriers on purpose is another story.
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