“Especially Apple is all about lock-in to their ecosystem.”
Google’s Android licence conditions for device makers require that the base Google services required for their spyware are required on every Android device shipped. That is lock in. Google is every bit as focused to locking in users to their ecosystem. Users are it’s product.
“That’s why they want the AR for themselves, so it’s Apple-ecosystem-exlusive.”
They want it for themselves because it’s their product that they just developed. Just like other AR vendors want their AR product for themselves. Just like Google wants it’s advertising platform for itself. Try infringing those patents!
““ But Apple are perfectly happy to let users use Google services if they choose to, provided that it is open and above board. They were even happy to sell Google default search site status.” — No they’re not happy to let them do that. They have too, because their users want it.”
No. Apple don’t have to make Google the default search site. They do it because Google pay.
And they don’t have to allow things because users want then. They usually choose to allow things because users want them and they want what is best for their users. But remember Flash? Lots of users wanted Flash. But Apple understood just how buggy, insecure and power hungry Flash was, so they said no. Ditto Java.
“Remember the Maps debacle?”
You mean when Google decided to start charging Apple Gigabucks for having Google maps on iOS. Apple refused and released their own maps platform. So Google backed down and continued to provide Google maps for iOS for free AND started to make long overdue improvements to it.
How does that rather successful “debacle” indicate that Apple weren’t happy to let it’s users use Google services if they choose to?