The cast of the US Justice Department’s lawsuit against Apple shows some unconventional clashes. According to one article, Apple overtook Amazon Fire Phone (and others) because of its clear advantage. Let’s unpack it.
The DOJ skillfully painted a picture according to which only monopoly leaders – such as Amazon, Microsoft, HTC, and LG – were vulnerable to Apple’s influence. Although this may be the most compelling explanation, does it explain everything?
Here’s the reality: Customers now have the opportunity to consume or not at their own pace. They not only challenge devices from Amazon, LG, and HTC; Consumers readily accepted devices made by Samsung, Google, and other Android developers.
This is the Fire Phone with many potential flaws and a shaky foundation. It installed a crooked, click-less version of Android without access to the Google Play Store, and most people didn’t like it. Also, it was an AT&T unique which had limited popularity. And indeed, everything from world-class cameras in an industry where only 1% of smartphones have one, to eco-friendly design at a price point that matches other premium phones!
The Fire Phone was not a phone made by phone users as phone users, but rather a sales tool for communication and what it looked like. Amazon will ship the goods ordered by the customer in a very limited time frame. However, keeping this in mind, Amazon’s successful one-year trial was considered a failure as it came too late and even closed its operation after a year of the trial.
Here’s the kicker: A press release from the DOJ US even says that Apple has been accused by Google of buying HTC’s handsets, which could stifle competition.
The DOJ’s allegations face a wave of criticism. Consumer choice has become the driving force behind smartphone manufacturers and they all compete to offer the favorite models. Even Apple’s huge size, it doesn’t force customers to buy its phones with a gun. The failure of the Fire Phone and other phones like the BlackBerry to achieve market leadership was not due to the Apple iPhone company’s leadership but to its own mistakes.
