Oliver Haslam on March 22, 2024, 1:12 pm

Apple Argues It Spent Years To Make The Apple Watch Work With Android

Apple is currently on the receiving end of a United States Department of Justice lawsuit over perceived antitrust violations in terms of the iPhone and the apps and services related to it.

As a part of the lawsuit, we’re starting to learn more about what Apple did and did not do, including a claim that Apple spent three years trying to make the Apple Watch work on Android.

The lawsuit used the Apple Watch’s incompatibility with Android devices as an example of the control that Apple has over its so-called monopoly.

Apple’s smartwatch—Apple Watch—is only compatible with the iPhone. So, if Apple can steer a user towards buying an Apple Watch, it becomes more costly for that user to purchase a different kind of smartphone because doing so requires the user to abandon their costly Apple Watch and purchase a new, Android-compatible smartwatch.

However, Apple has since argued that it did actually try to offer Android support. In a response to the lawsuit, as reported by 9to5Mac, the company confirmed that it worked on bringing Apple Watch support to the Android world only to discover that it wasn’t possible due to technical limitations. The result was that Apple chose to ditch the plan rather than spend more time and resources on the project.

Ultimately, there are plenty of wearables available for Android devices including the popular Pixel Watch, but the lack of Apple Watch support seems to be set to form a part of the DOJ’s argument in the coming weeks and months.