Google Is Working On Blink-Based iOS Browser, Contrary To Apple's WebKit Rule (theregister.com)
(Saturday February 04, 2023 @05:00AM (BeauHD)
from the internal-testing-purposes-only dept.)
- Reference: 0170263307
- News link: https://apple.slashdot.org/story/23/02/04/0142227/google-is-working-on-blink-based-ios-browser-contrary-to-apples-webkit-rule
- Source link: https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/03/googles_chromium_ios/
Longtime Slashdot reader [1]Dotnaught writes:
> "Google's Chromium developers have begun work on an experimental web browser for Apple's iOS [2]using the search giant's Blink engine ," reports The Register. "That's unexpected because the current version of Chrome for iOS uses Apple's WebKit rendering engine under the hood. Apple requires every iOS browser to use WebKit and its iOS App Store Review Guidelines [3]state , 'Apps that browse the web must use the appropriate WebKit framework and WebKit Javascript.'"
>
> Google [4]insists this is an experiment and isn't intended for release. But the stripped-down, Blink-based browser could be preparation for European competition rules that look like they will require Apple to stop requiring that other browser makers use its WebKit engine.
"This is an experimental prototype that we are developing as part of an open source project with the goal to understand certain aspects of performance on iOS," said a Google spokesperson. "It will not be available to users and we'll continue to abide by Apple's policies."
[1] https://slashdot.org/~Dotnaught
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/03/googles_chromium_ios/
[3] https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/
[4] https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=1411704
> "Google's Chromium developers have begun work on an experimental web browser for Apple's iOS [2]using the search giant's Blink engine ," reports The Register. "That's unexpected because the current version of Chrome for iOS uses Apple's WebKit rendering engine under the hood. Apple requires every iOS browser to use WebKit and its iOS App Store Review Guidelines [3]state , 'Apps that browse the web must use the appropriate WebKit framework and WebKit Javascript.'"
>
> Google [4]insists this is an experiment and isn't intended for release. But the stripped-down, Blink-based browser could be preparation for European competition rules that look like they will require Apple to stop requiring that other browser makers use its WebKit engine.
"This is an experimental prototype that we are developing as part of an open source project with the goal to understand certain aspects of performance on iOS," said a Google spokesperson. "It will not be available to users and we'll continue to abide by Apple's policies."
[1] https://slashdot.org/~Dotnaught
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/03/googles_chromium_ios/
[3] https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/
[4] https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=1411704
Do not want (Score:1)
If I wanted to use Google stuff, I would be using Android.
Why the heck would an iPhone user wanted to use Google browser? To leak more data to Google?
Re: (Score:2)
If Google gets to use its own browser engine and store on iPhones, then eventually their services will likely work best with it. I don't think Google will sabotage their websites for Safari exactly, but they will push ahead with standards faster than Apple might want to follow etc. So you might want to use their browser for better access to their services, or not if you don't like the privacy bargain involved.
For the moment Apple can use their monopoly power to make sure Google can't force you into that cho
Re: (Score:3)
> Why the heck would an iPhone user wanted to use Google browser?
To have a browser that works better than Safari, obviously.
Re: Do not want (Score:1)
I would want to use Firefox with ad-blocker, and background video player extensions on every platform. One of the reasons why I don't even think about getting an IPhone right now. I don't think Apple desperately wants me as a customer either.