Apple's Growing Services Draw More Scrutiny to Its Walled Garden
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Apple's services segment is growing rapidly and becoming increasingly important to its business and stock valuation.
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But Apple's reliance on services is also drawing more regulatory scrutiny towards its "walled garden" ecosystem and business practices like App Store fees.
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A new antitrust lawsuit against Apple's smartphone market power comes as services are meant to offset slowing iPhone sales.
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Services present a long-term financial solution for Apple, but also invite investigations into its alleged monopoly power.
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At issue is whether Apple's closed iOS ecosystem offers convenience or confinement to users and developers.