Congress is going to vote on an antitrust package that would prevent Apple from pre-installing apps on iPhone

A lot has changed over the years. One of the “negatives” regarding Android was so many pre-installed apps (especially thanks to wireless carriers). And Apple has essentially embraced the idea, with quite a few pre-installed apps available on an iPhone at launch.

But that practice could come to an end in the future. As reported today by Bloomberg, Congress is looking to move forward and vote on an antitrust package that would essentially stop Apple from pre-installing any apps on an iPhone. Democratic Representative David Cicilline introduced the latest package to take on “big tech.”

The effort is to prevent market dominance, according to Cicilline. The antitrust package would not just pertain to Apple, as Amazon is named along with its Prime subscription offerings.

iPhone 12 mini hello

This package is part of a bigger anti-trust bill.

What this means for Apple, if this is passed, would be a fundamental shift to onboarding iPhone users. Some pre-installed apps are designed to help streamline the setup process on an iPhone (and iPad, and other devices). Forcing Apple’s hand to stop this practice could drastically change the way that process is handled. That could make it all a bit more frustrating for the end user.

Of course, if Apple is forced to go this route, the company would come up with a new setup process, as well as ways to promote is own apps along the way. Even just adding another splash page, a list of Apple’s first-party apps that can be installed during the setup process, could do the trick.

We’ll have to wait and see how this one pans out, but it’s certainly interesting. The House Judiciary Committee is reviewing the bills, of which there are five in total, next week.