Skip to main content

EU Regulators Seek More Information on Apple Pay to Boost Case Against iPhone Maker

EU antitrust regulators are seeking more information on Apple's mobile payment system, the European Commission said on Wednesday, a sign that the enforcer is looking to close any loopholes and boost its case against the iPhone maker.

The EU competition watchdog last year accused Apple of restricting rivals' access to its tap-and-go technology, Near-Field Communication (NFC), used for mobile wallets, making it difficult for them to develop rival services on Apple devices.

"We can confirm the sending of requests for information," a commission spokesperson said, while declining to provide details.

Apple declined to comment.

Apple has previously pointed to PayPal's success on its iOS mobile operating system as an option for users as well as competition from Danish rival MobilePay, Sweden's Swish and Belgium's Payconiq.

Norwegian mobile payment app and complainant Vipps said, however, that alternatives to NFC are cumbersome and not competitive.

The commission's request for information to rivals and retailers is unusual as it comes three months after Apple defended itself at a February 14 hearing.

The regulator, which can fine Apple up to 10 percent of its global turnover if found guilty of breaching antitrust rules, typically issues decisions after such hearings.

Last month, Apple announced a new high-yield deposit account with partner Goldman Sachs Group amid increased competition among financial institutions for consumer dollars.

Apple said users of its Apple Card could earn 4.15 percent on savings accounts, or 10 times higher than the national average, citing March data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation that showed consumers earned an average of 0.37 percent on savings in bank accounts.

In March, Apple also launched its "buy now, pay later" (BNPL) service in the US, a move that threatens to disrupt the fintech sector dominated by firms like Affirm Holdings and Swedish payments company Klarna.

The service, Apple Pay Later, will allow users to split purchases into four payments spread over six weeks with no interest or fees, the company said. It will initially be offered to select users, with plans of a full roll-out in the coming months.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

OnePlus recently launched its first tablet in India, the OnePlus Pad, which is only sold in a Halo Green colour option. With this tablet, OnePlus has stepped into a new territory that's dominated by Apple's iPad. We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/fgh7nQq
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Itel P55 With Dual Rear Cameras, 5,000mAh Battery Launched in India: Price, Specifications

Itel P55 5G was launched in India on Tuesday and it claims to be the cheapest 5G smartphone in the country. The phone is powered by an octa-core Dimensity chipset and supports wired fast charging. It carries an AI-powered dual rear camera unit and is offered in a single storage variant along with two colour options. Itel India also introduced the Itel S23+ alongside, and is a budget smartphone with a curved AMOLED display. The company is extending a two-year warranty on the handsets and is also offering free screen replacement within 100 days of purchase. Itel P55 5G price in India, availability Offered in Blue and Green colour options, the singular 8GB + 128GB variant of the Itel P55 5G is priced at Rs. 9,999. The phone will be available for purchase via Amazon India starting October 4. Itel P55 5G specifications, features Sporting a 6.6-inch HD+ (1600 x 700 pixels) display, the dual nano SIM-supported Itel P55 comes with a refresh rate of 90Hz. The phone is powered by an octa-co...
Post a Comment
Read more

Best Smartphones of 2022

When you think of the ‘best smartphones' of the year, it's easy to just picture expensive, flagship phones. However, like every year, we've had some real standout mid-range offerings as well in 2022 that might not go toe-to-toe with proper flagships, but offer enough performance and features at much more affordable prices. Folding phones continued to get better in 2022 thanks to Samsung pioneering this segment in India, while charging speeds reached new heights. However, the big focus for all the phones on our list is cameras. We've seen smartphones with incredible zoom perfjoamcne, high-resolution sensors, and next-level video stabilisation for content creators. Depending on your budget and requirements, there's something for everyone in our list. All these smartphones have been reviewed by us and we've chosen only the best of the best, based on the ratings they received and what we felt were unique enough offerings that still stand out, even today. Here's...
Post a Comment
Read more