Apple Dropping Pre-Packaged YouTube App From iOS 6

When buying an Apple iPhone in the past users could expect to find a neatly package copy of the YouTube video streaming app with the mobile operating system, that expectation is no longer the standard. Apple announced on Monday that starting in iOS 6 the Google owned video service will not be available as a “pre-packaged” solution.

Apple’s official reason for ditching the YouTube app seems on the surface to be a matter of licensing. According to Apple officials:

“Our licensing to include the YouTube app in iOS has ended.”

The company than suggests taking advantage of its own Safari browser to watch YouTube videos or simply wait for a Google support app.

The move on the surface sounds simple but Apple also recently ditched Google Maps in favor of its own mapping software for iOS 6 devices and the two company’s have watched their relationship sour as Google’s Android OS continues to grab market share from Apple based devices. Apple and Google are currently engaged in various patent battles over tablet and smartphone based technology.

Apple could also simply be mad that Google currently doesn’t run iAds on the YouTube app which means no revenue for Apple despite millions of users watching videos via their iPhone and iPad based devices.

In ditching the included YouTube App Apple has managed to get rid of a service that was a big selling point for the original iPhone. In fact it was YouTube’s app use for iPhone devices that led to Google completely re-coding its video library to work without Adobe Flash.