Apple is to drop Google’s YouTube app from the new operating system that will power its next generation of mobile phones and tablets, Computerworld reported on Tuesday.
The app had been an integral part of Apple’s iOS mobile operating systems since the company first launched the iPhone in 2007. Google and Apple, once close allies, have become bitter rivals in the smartphone sector, where phones powered by Google’s Android operating system have eclipsed Apple’s iPhone in sales.
“Our license to include the YouTube app in iOS has ended,” Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller said. The YouTube app will still be available to users through Apple’s App Store.
Apple had previously announced that it would be replacing Google Maps on the upcoming iOS 6 with its own map feature.
Apple has not said when it will release the new iPhones or iOS 6, but analysts expect the company to make an announcement introducing both products on September 12.
