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Apple Removes YouTube App in iOS 6 as Rivalry Heats Up

Apple has just sent out the fourth beta test version of its forthcoming iOS 6 software for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, and the Google-owned YouTube app has been removed.

The intense rivalry between Apple and Google in the smartphone market is always present, but now things look set to get much worse. Google’s official YouTube app for iOS looks set to no longer be a part of iOS as standard, meaning that those wishing to use it will need to actively go and find it and download via the App Store.

YouTube’s disappearance has only been made apparent in the fourth beta version of iOS 6, and the app could well come back in the next version and indeed in the final release, which is expected to hit around September time.

Since developers noticed the absence of YouTube in beta 4, Apple issued an official statement to Reuters confirming that it would no longer be bundling the app with its devices with iOS 6.

Our license to include the YouTube app in iOS has ended, customers can use YouTube in the Safari browser and Google is working on a new YouTube app to be on the App Store.”

We’re pretty sure Apple could renew its license with Google to continue putting YouTube in iOS 6 if it wanted, but has chosen not to in a move to get rid of Google services from iOS 6. On the flipside, Google may want to distance itself from Apple and could have refused to license its app again to Apple.

Apple famously ditched Google Maps in favour of its own solution when it announced iOS 6 earlier this year. iOS 6 isn’t out for the general public yet, but we’ve had some extensive hands-on time with the new software, which you can check out here.

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