iOS 16.1: Wallet app may be removed for the first time – Responding to antitrust concerns? , news

If you set up a new iPhone, you don’t need to go to the App Store first to be able to use the basic features: Apple equips devices with all kinds of useful applications, but the manufacturer doesn’t need much of its bloatware. In comparison it is not known for its bloatware. Some providers of Android smartphones. If you get nothing from pre-installed apps, you can usually get rid of them pretty quickly: The general process that leads to the removal of an application also applies to pre-installed programs. and lets them disappear from the house. screen and in some cases from the app media library. However, Apple’s Wallet app always resides in the system in the media library and thus. But that may change soon.

iOS 16.1 removes Wallet app on request
Apple released a whole bunch of new beta builds yesterday – and made iPadOS 16.1 available. Compatible tablets will receive this version in the fall, which will likely see improvements in several areas – notably Stage Manager still has room for improvement and currently has some performance flaws and issues with operation. 9to5Mac Took a closer look at the build and was able to draw an interesting conclusion for iOS 16.1: For the first time ever, the update will give users the option to remove the Wallet app from their iPhone. The corresponding lines of code refer, for example, to re-downloading an application from the App Store.

Was this decision taken due to pressure from competition authorities?
The Wallet app combines loyalty, access and transit cards, airline tickets, and in some US states, driver’s licenses and ID cards all in one place. The Apple Pay payment system is of particular importance: the debit and credit cards used for it, as well as the transaction history, can be found in the application. If this app is missing, Apple Pay is also missing. So it seems plausible that Cupertino is taking this step as a result of antitrust pressure: Apple Pay’s monopoly on the iPhone has been a thorn in the side of competition watchdogs in Australia, the European Union and the United States for some time. Two law firms in the United States have already started class action against this restriction.