this post was submitted on 28 Jan 2024

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Apple was just forced to crack open its App Store — but the changes are already being called 'hot garbage' (ca.finance.yahoo.com)

submitted 7 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

20 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Apple was just forced to crack open its App Store — but the changes are already being called 'hot garbage'::Changes to how apps are distributed on iPhones should be welcomed by developers, but many are unhappy with some describing them as "hot garbage."

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[+] [email protected] 83 points 7 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (3 children)

[removed by mod]

[–] [email protected] 34 points 7 months ago (2 children)

idk, everyone is shitting on them but I'm not sure anyone is surprised. If anything, people are surprised with the regulators that didn't account for that or just turned a blind eye.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 6 months ago (2 children)

I'm not a lawyer, but I think there's "spirit of the law" in EU, which means that even though Apple technically allowed sideloading, their implementation goes against the INTENTION of the law and is illegal.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

They aren't even allowing sideloading. They are allowing alternative app stores that they approve, and Apple expects a 27% cut from all app sales after it hits a million downloads.

This means that something like F-Droid on iOS wouldn't be possible due to expense.

Apple isn't going to let you just download an ipa and install it like you can on Android.

You don't own the device you paid for (this could be said about most tech products nowadays)

[–] [email protected] -1 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

They aren’t even allowing sideloading. They are allowing alternative app stores that they approve

Meh. It's basically the same thing - an alternative app store is the most user friendly way to do this anyway and the EU courts will force Apple to approve any reasonable app store.

and Apple expects a 27% cut from all app sales after it hits a million downloads.

No you're thinking of the changes Apple just made to comply with their recent loss in the USA court. That only applies to the USA.

In the EU (and only the EU) instead of charging a percentage fee there's going to be two* 50 cent fees (per user, per year). Spotify, for example, would pay $100 million per year if they choose to "sideload".

(* the app developer pays 50 cents per user per year, and whoever distributes the app also pays 50 cents per user per year)

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Having to pay Apple any amount for distributing apps not on their app store is just rediculous. Apple is not curating or providing support for the app in any way.

App developers don't have to pay the OS developer for any other OS (including Apple with macOS and Google with Android) to distribute apps on their website; why should it be any different with iOS? 50 cents per user per year, along with the same from the app distribution network means that indie developers will be forced to monitize their apps if they have any desire to distribute a sideloaded app on iOS, and the only ones who will be able to run alternative app stores are large companies with the capitol to do so.

Apple wants to dip their fingers where they don't belong. This is complying with the EU regulation in bad faith.

Also on top of that, the same fee applies on Apple's App Store as well.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

I hope you're right

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Regulators did account for this, Apple will get in legal shit for this.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

One can only hope it happens quickly and with great force, so that other companies don't get any bright ideas to copy Apple.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Ridiculous? Of course this is how people should react. If this is NOT the reaction then this kind of shit would be done even more.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Their malicious compliance and resentful behavior is bad advertisement in any case, both for app developers and for users. Yes, most people don't care but I hope some will realize who they are dealing with.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 7 months ago (1 children)

While it would be nice to imagine this, the reality is that anyone who is part of the Apple walled-garden isn't going to suddenly abandon it because of hypothetical functionality they never had previously anyway. And anyone who has resisted Apple this long... Well, there were probably other reasons driving that long before this.

I can't imagine this having any material impact on marketshare or profit. It will take harsher regulatory action for anything to happen.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

It will take harsher regulatory action

Have you seen the maximum penalty for this action? It's pretty harsh.

"the Commission is also empowered to adopt additional remedies such as obliging a gatekeeper to sell a business or parts of it, or banning the gatekeeper from acquiring additional services related to the systemic non-compliance"

Imagine if they forced Apple to sell their iPhone business. The USA did that once when Ma Bell had a monopoly on phones.

[–] le_saucisson_masquay 53 points 6 months ago (1 children)

However, it said it would limit the changes to the EU because it is "concerned about their impacts on the privacy and security" of users.

What a joke.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

"concerned about their impact on controlling what users can do"

Apple is great in hardware, but their software department has always been about limiting the users in the most unorthodox ways.

[–] [email protected] 34 points 6 months ago (3 children)

This is such a bad look for Apple. Like we get it, you’re a trillion dollar dragon sitting on your horde. But like, dude, innovate instead of sitting there. You shouldn’t be afraid of side loading. Steam has shown that if your experience is the best, you can do fine. Apple just realizes they wouldn’t have the best App Store experience and would lose revenue. Tough shit.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago

It's not that Apple wouldn't have the best app store experience, it's that they no longer have control over their app store. They've always been about control and the illusion of freedom, but devs have grown smarter over the years and concepts such as open source will always win.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago

Apple learned they don’t have to do shit other then exist because their moronic fan base will support them no matter what.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Smaug for sure.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

No worries. It's wedding night and Apple is just shy.