Apple has faced some criticism over how tightly it controls the app ecosystem on its App Store. Google, on the other hand, isn’t that tightfisted when it comes to apps. Android users have the option of sideloading apps — downloading them from other sources — but on iPhone, you can’t. For those who want to sideload apps, Apple CEO Tim Cook has a message. Cook, in a chat with The New York Times, said that “I think that people have that choice today… if you want to sideload, you can buy an Android phone.”
Cook said that the choice is there for the buyers. Further, on sideloading apps, he said that “If that is important to you, then you should buy an Android phone.”
Apple has always championed the cause of user security and privacy. Cook gave an analogy of a car manufacturer. “From our point of view, it would be like if I were an automobile manufacturer telling [a customer] not to put airbags and seat belts in the car. He would never think about doing this in today’s time. It’s just too risky to do that,” he said. Apple CEO said that “it would not be an iPhone if it didn’t maximise security and privacy.”
Apple never allows sideloading of apps. In a recent research paper shared by the company, Apple said that Android smartphones have been attacked by mobile malware between 15 and 47 times more than malware targeting the iPhone. A lot of the malware and other issues hampering phones, according to Apple, has been closely linked to sideloading of apps.
“Cybercriminals may trick users into sideloading apps by mimicking the appearance of the App Store, or by touting free or expanded access to services or exclusive features,” said Apple in the research paper. It further said that “Sideloading would make it easier and cheaper to execute many attacks that are currently difficult and costly to execute on iOS.”
