Apple has a 39% of the US smartphone market share and around 10% of the global market share. macOS has roughly 10% of the market share of PCs in the US and much lower around the world. Tell me again how anti-trust comes in to play.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
App Store Fee Cut Attracts Criticism From Major Developers Like Spotify and Epic
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
So Spotify quotes Cosmo Kramer and we are supposed to take them seriously?
You have been reported for lying! Bad habits color
Give me a break. These CEOs can cry me a ****ing river. Microsoft has had business accelerator programs for years and no one is crying foul with them. 🤦
The are all upset that Apple has pretty much shut their moaning down in one move.
Kind of backwards IMO. The smaller developers are the ones that have a greater benefit to being promoted and accessible within Apple's ecosystem. The 30% is more than justified for them.
The larger developers are the one's that Apple is making buckets of money on and those developers are paying way more in costs than the value they're getting from being on the app store.
But Apple doesn't want to lose all that revenue from developers that actually bring in a bunch of money, so we get this solution instead. This is a good step, but until they quit taking 30% from the top apps then this fight will continue. Deservedly so.
The larger developers are the one's that Apple is making buckets of money on and those developers are paying way more in costs than the value they're getting from being on the app store.
But Apple doesn't want to lose all that revenue from developers that actually bring in a bunch of money, so we get this solution instead. This is a good step, but until they quit taking 30% from the top apps then this fight will continue. Deservedly so.
TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️
Suspended
Anti Trust only comes into play with oligarchies through price fixing and collusion. I'm not saying this applies here just that it is theoretically possible. Here Apple has differentiated themselves from Google's Play store rates (I believe?).
Ok, now let's dissect the profit margins of Epic and Spotify. I bet I'm not paying actual cost on products from them.
If EPIC complains, then surely Apple is doing something right. And I would ask Basecamp CTO David Heinemeier Hansson whether he really wants to remain an iOS / macOS developer. It seems he doesn't.
Only until proven a monopoly with too much power, which has yet to be determined. So, yeah, Apple still can do what they want until regulators say otherwise.
Apple's changes are welcome and their motivation is clear and honest. And the same time it is absolutely not what greedy freeloaders wanted. Brilliantly played, kudos Apple!
It's clear Epic didn't care about the small developers, that's for sure.
Apple has done a great thing today - and obviously Spotify and Epic weren't going to be happy no matter what
Apple has done a great thing today - and obviously Spotify and Epic weren't going to be happy no matter what
Reducing Apple's massive store and distribution system to "payment processing" is beyond disingenuous. They're not a replacement for credit card merchant fees.
My company recently gave all hourly associates a massive raise. We had 2 that had the gall to complain. If we could’ve taken it back from them we absolutely would’ve. What a slap on the face.
Some people really do just complain no matter what. They don’t know any different.
Last edited:
Citing statute depends on state in this case but one could argue that apple controlling the competition of the market itself is anti-competitive. Yes, every market, physical or virtual, charges fees for use. As they should. But if a vendor in a market decides that the fees are too high they move to a different, competing market. It is a market of markets so to speak that keeps things in check.
Apple does not allow other markets on iOS. If you want to sell on iOS you MUST use Apple's market. There is no market of markets on the platform. There is on Android, Windows, and even the macOS. Steam, Epic, GOG, Origin all exist on these platforms but not on iOS in a capacity to sell software (steam has a app but you can't actually buy things through it.
That all said, I think Epic is barking up the wrong tree here. They complain primarily about the high fees and not the fact that there are no other available markets. I don't think their suit has merit on the grounds they are using. Apple should be able to set fees as high as they want. Arguing market lock-in based on their platform I think would be much more convincing in court.
Yeah, 15% up to 1million and then 30% on what you earn over the million.Well... they could offer 15% for 0-1mln and 30% for everything above that - and spotify / epic would still be mad
they could also offer 10% for everyone and spotify / epic would still be mad...
In my opinion (as a dev) 30% is waay too much, and if you go above 1mln in 2020 you will have to pay 30% from 0 in 2021 <-- this is just stupid.
also - 15% from 0-1mln and 30% above would be way more fair.
Their policy is confusing, if you sell apps and gain $1,000,001 the following year you pay 30% on all your sales even if your sell less than a million, but if that's the case the following year you'll be able to get 15%.
I'm sure most of indie apps are way below $1m per year, so they'll be at 15% no matter what, but some apps will be close to that value and it sucks if you go above for just a few thousand dollars and lose 15% the following year...
Not taking a shot at you at all, but the argument "30% seems too high, 15% seems fair" is tossed around a lot and I don't get it. At all. Who decides what a company can charge for their services? I thought it was the marketplace. I think first class flights and BMWs and high end clothing cost too much. Can we get all these lowered too just because I don't want to pay that much for them?
"just to process payments" - If that's all Apple does, then yes 30% is a bit much. It's pretty ridiculous he is disregarding distribution, security, marketing (what else am I missing?) that's part of the apple store. Especially for a small dev, getting on one of Apple lists is promotion they wouldn't be able to buy for any kind of money (or maybe some kind of money, but you get my point)
"This would be something to celebrate were it not a calculated move by Apple..."
"This would be something to celebrate were it not done by someone I think is a big doodoohead."
IFTFY
"This would be something to celebrate were it not done by someone I think is a big doodoohead."
IFTFY
"Arbitrary and Capricious"? Pretty much in line with what other platforms charge, so I guess the entire market is "arbitrary". Capitalism does dictate that you can charge whatever you want, if you are willing to lose money in the process.
"5X to 10X too high"? That would be comparing the Apple Store to what credit card processors charge. Apple provides WAY MORE value added than just processing credit card payments: authentication of purchases so people don't steal software, a search engine, curated apps so most/some of the junk and malware is screened out, tech support to developers and consumers, advertising for developers, automatic app updates, subscription services, coupon codes, TestFlight beta testing, etc. At 15% I'm guessing they lose money.
"5X to 10X too high"? That would be comparing the Apple Store to what credit card processors charge. Apple provides WAY MORE value added than just processing credit card payments: authentication of purchases so people don't steal software, a search engine, curated apps so most/some of the junk and malware is screened out, tech support to developers and consumers, advertising for developers, automatic app updates, subscription services, coupon codes, TestFlight beta testing, etc. At 15% I'm guessing they lose money.
All I read is Wah wah wah... If you dont like it, get the F*** off Appstore or deal with it!