Apple has the utmost control of its ecosystem, and things look good for business.
But not for regulators and many others, who said that Apple's controlling policies over the iPhone and iPad apps on the Apple App Store hurt innovation and competition. Because of this, Apple fought back against those arguments.
And that is by releasing a report from independent third-party economist it hired, who said the tech giant's apps are and services such as Apple Maps, Apple Music and iMessage are not as popular as third-party apps on its App Store.
The Analysis Group that Apple hired, made its report from data collected by data.ai, formerly known as App Annie.
"For many countries and app types, the Apple app accounts for 20 to 30% of total app usage," the study's authors at the firm Analysis Group wrote, adding that Apple's own apps are "eclipsed" in popularity by third-party apps in nearly every single country.
"This reflects that while the Apple apps are widely used, third-party apps are used more frequently."
Apple's aim with this report, is to offer people some facts about its ecosystem.
The first part of the study focuses on the numerous ways that developers can reach consumers outside of the App Store, through non-iOS devices like other smartphones, PCs, and consoles and through other digital marketplaces.
The second part of the study focuses on the growth of the App Store over time.
According to Analysis Group's report, in terms of music streaming, Apple is not the leader in any of the regions. Spotify has 1.6 times more users in the U.S. and France than Apple Music, while Melon in South Korea has 6 times more users.
In terms of maps, most use Google Maps. In South Korea, NAVER Map is the most popular, followed by KakaoMap. Waze and Yahoo! Maps are mentioned in other regions.
And in movie streaming services, in the U.S., Netflix has 17 times more users. In France, Netflix has 35 times more users, with Prime Video from Amazon coming second place.
Other popular competitors include Amazon Prime Video.
And when it comes to communication apps like Phone, Messages, and others, Apple has a 41% share in the U.S., competing against with WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and others. And on the maps category, Google Maps controls all market except China and Korea.
In the reading category, it has an 8% share, and in the TV category, it has a measly 3% share.
For other categories, like social networks, food, travel planning, and dating services, third-party apps are the only option because Apple does not compete in these categories.
Read: How Apple's App Store Is Not A Monopoly, According To Apple
In conclusion, across most app types, Apple's apps are "eclipsed in popularity and account for a relatively small share of usage."
Knowing that Apple's App Store operates in a market that generate more than half of Apple's $123.9 billion in revenue during the 2022 holiday shopping season, not many are pleased with the results.
Apple's published research comes as the company faces pressure from lawmakers, regulators and competitors around the world, who argue that the tech company's monopolistic abilities in controlling its iPhones and iPads.
And this study by the Analysis Group comes as Apple is facing concerns about the prioritization and dominance of its apps on the App Store, as well as regulatory pressure to open up iOS to sideloading and alternate app store options.
This isn't the first time Apple's hired Analysis Group economists to publish reports about its App Store.
Read: Sideloading Apps Will 'Cripple' IPhones' Privacy And Security, Said Apple