Eric Migicovsky, the creator of Pebble, recently reignited a familiar debate: Apple’s restrictive policies on iOS significantly hinder the functionality of third-party smartwatches. In a recent blog post, Migicovsky detailed the numerous challenges Pebble faced, and continues to face, in providing a competitive smartwatch experience for iPhone users.

With the latest announcement of new Pebble watches, Pebble is making a resurgence.

Migicovsky’s post highlights a core issue: Apple’s control over its ecosystem. He argues that Apple uses its market power to lock consumers in, stifling competition and innovation.

“Apple claims their restrictions on competitors are only about security, privacy, crafting a better experience etc etc. At least that’s what they tell you as they tuck you into bed. I personally don’t agree - they’re clearly using their market power to lock consumers into their walled ecosystem.”

This “walled garden” approach, while potentially beneficial for Apple’s bottom line, creates a disadvantage for other smartwatch makers. Migicovsky points out that basic functionalities, like sending text messages or replying to notifications, are simply impossible for non-Apple Watches on iPhones.

The difficulties extend beyond user-facing features. Migicovsky also discusses the challenges developers face:

“It’s very difficult to enable other iOS apps to work with Pebble. Basically iOS does not have the concept of ‘interprocess communication’(IPC) like on Android.”

This limitation makes it harder for third-party apps to integrate with Pebble, creating a less seamless experience compared to the Apple Watch.

Migicovsky’s post isn’t just a list of complaints. It’s a call to action. He urges users to voice their concerns and support legislation aimed at promoting more open competition. He also mentions the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in Europe, and plans to petition Apple under DMA Article 6.

“If you live in Europe, thank you for voting for representatives who passed the DMA. We will be petitioning Apple under DMA Article 6 to request interoperability with Apple Watch APIs.”

Basically, Migicovsky’s blog post reminds us about the challenges companies face when trying to compete with Apple in the smartwatch world. Apple’s rules create an unfair situation, which limits choices for us and could be slowing down new ideas in wearable tech. As a user, I’ve personally experienced this frustration. I once bought a non-Apple pair of earbuds, excited about their features and price point. However, I soon realized that the integration with my iPhone was clunky at best. Features like quick pairing and seamless switching between devices, which worked flawlessly with AirPods, were either absent or unreliable. I found myself regretting my purchase and, ultimately, giving in to the allure of the Apple ecosystem by purchasing AirPods. This experience, multiplied across various product categories, has led me down the path of least resistance, which is often the most expensive one. I’ve gradually replaced many of my devices with Apple products, not necessarily because they were the absolute best in their category, but because they offered the most cohesive and hassle-free experience within the Apple ecosystem. This convenience, however, comes at a cost – both financially and in terms of the freedom to choose the best hardware for my needs, regardless of brand. Everything is good inside of the Apple walled garden, until it’s not.