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Well, some iPhone users comforted themselves with the fact that the YouTube app was getting crusty anyway. The mobile browser version includes a ton of features that the app never delivered, such as "like" and "dislike" buttons or suggested search results. So it's not like Apple fans would be deprived of their viral videos.
Today, YouTube parent Google
Unlike the old app, which was developed by Apple and hardly updated since it was first released, the new app does everything the browser-based experience can offer -- and more. Among many other upgrades, this release supports video ads which in turn enables oodles of videos that are licensed to play only after the pre-roll video ads. If nothing else, this expands the library of available music videos something fierce.
This may very well have been Google's master plan all along, given that the old app's license expired over the summer. Users are certainly not left out in the cold (as some critics first thought).
The next big question is, will Apple include the new YouTube app by default or will users have to find it in the app store? Slapping a YouTube icon on your home screen from the get-go would put a lot more eyeballs on the app, but then again, Netflix
Mobile traffic remains a massive growth driver for the paid subscription service, and YouTube has the additional advantage of being free. So this app should quickly become the de facto standard for watching YouTube videos on your Apple gadgets.
If Apple ever fired a bullet, YouTube dodged it with ease. But it's more likely that the pair planned this all along, with a wink and a friendly nudge.
It's impossible to judge Google in a vacuum. Given the intricate entanglement of mobile hardware and software, you really need to understand Apple before tackling Big G. If you'd like to find out more about Apple -- all of its opportunities and potential pitfalls -- check out our new premium report on the company. Getting a copy will also give you access to real-time updates on latest company developments.