Apple Again Changes EU App Store Rules and Fees to Comply With DMA

[wbeasley]

No, I meant that saying "if you don't like it, go buy something else" isn't a great argument. I can purchase products and still want them to be better. I'd just like it if:

- app review wasn't a pain to work with. Common dev complaint but they'll basically hold back important updates because of the most trivial things that have been around for years and don't even violate the guidelines, sometimes refusing to back down until you get your Apple dev evangelist involved.
- you didn't have to first build your idea and then hope app review doesn't reject it, IMO it stifles innovation.
- Apple didn't compete with apps while they essentially don't have to pay the 15-30% fee. Seems like a conflict of interest and leads to...
- a poor UX in those third party apps. Sure, Rakuten, Spotify, Amazon & Netflix could just let users buy in their apps but then they have to pay that fee, and couldn't even mention that you can go elsewhere until regulation stepped in. Yay for regulation? 🤣

As I've said elsewhere, I ultimately don't want the App Store to fragment - it makes my life as a user and a developer easier. But I also see why companies, including mine, want the choice to use different payment methods etc, without people just saying "Well just go to Android then" - that's a terrible business choice.

Look at the Mac. Sure, it started without an App Store but IMO if users were so attached to the idea then the apps that left the App Store would have suffered, but they seem to still be doing OK.

But at the end of the day, Apple blew it, and here we are. Even with this latest round of changes they've made it so intentionally complicated that no one will use it and that'll probably just result in even more regulation. Yay.

so what type of apps do you develop?

there are almost 2 million apps in the AppStore.

"While Apple doesn't provide a specific count of its own apps, many are pre-installed on iOS devices.
These include apps like:
Safari, Mail, Calendar, Photos, Clock, Messages, Maps, Music, Podcasts, TV, News, Stocks, Weather, Notes, Reminders, Contacts, Find My, Settings, App Store, FaceTime, Files, Health, Home, Calculator, Translate, Voice Memos, and Tips."

that's an infinitesimally small number of core apps compared to the vast library of other developers apps.

I regularly browse the AppStore to find apps for tasks I want to do.
There's heaps of titles in some categories. Some even compete against Apple apps.
For example, DJI have a drone video editor, LightCut, that is free and lets you load photos and videos your phone camera took or you imported. It has enough extras that I use it instead of iMovie.

VLC lets me play more video files.
Flipboard gives me news for free.
There's Office if you want to pay Microsoft money as well...

I can buy Netflix and even Apple Gift Cards at the supermarket.
They would both be paying fees to the store to sell them.
I dont see Apple demanding stores display links you can buy a gift card direct from Apple or you can pay for it a different way.

I think you dev for iOS because there's more money that way.

"Generally, iOS apps tend to generate more revenue than Android apps, with some sources stating that iOS apps earn upwards of 35% more. However, Android has a larger global user base, which can translate to more downloads"

it's smart to build iOS apps.
even paying Apple fees.

 

[wbeasley]

Yeah, Apple has a fair bit of room for improvement here. I’ve got an app I want to eventually make, once I’ve got on top of all my current obligations and freshened up my decades out of date 1st semester software engineering skills, so I’ve been paying a little attention to things.


I don't know that this follows. Since the Mac predates digital App Stores, ad hoc software sourcing and installation is the standard method used by all. The fact that the Mac App Store didn’t just die years ago, and continues to contain and sell many apps is an argument in its favour, I reckon. I know I certainly would get all my Mac apps from the App Store if I could, I appreciate the centralised payment and update systems.

I too like buying MacOS apps from the AppStore.

it centralizes my purchases.

i can pay once and use the apps on more than one MacOS device depending upon which bit of hardware I'm using.
And when I upgrade, I can install the apps i've already bought easily from one location with my Apple ID.

i've recently had to upgrade a non store app (NTFS for Mac from Paragon) and it took 6 weeks for them to finally sort it out. all because the version I bought years ago is not supported in the latest versions of MacOS so I had to rebuy a license that wouldnt activate with their new account system. absolute nightmate of emails and tickets. i almost did a credit card chargeback because the Support was so bad. AppStore solves all that.

 

[MilaM]

Last I checked, Apple doesn't take a cut of money spent on physical goods such as food delivery, ride-sharing, grocery shopping or gadgets I buy through the amazon app.

They don't, but they make it clear, every day, that they would deserve it, if they chose to flip the switch tomorrow.

someone like Tim Sweeney

I don't get the obsession with Tim Sweeney, seriously. I never think about him in the context of the DMA. I care much more about tens of thousands of small publisher that are not in the spotlight and don't have the means ($) to fight yearlong battles with Apple in court. Do they not deserve a fair business relationship with Apple and Google?

 

[Abazigal]

I don't get the obsession with Tim Sweeney, seriously. I never think about him in the context of the DMA. I care much more about tens of thousands of small publisher that are not in the spotlight and don't have the means ($) to fight yearlong battles with Apple in court. Do they not deserve a fair business relationship with Apple and Google?

I do genuinely feel that the vast majority of iOS developers are best served by sticking with IAP and the small business program. The 15% they pay is likely very competitive with the rates offered by other payment providers, so they are likely not saving much by adopting say, Stripe.

The people whom you think will benefit from these App Store changes (smaller developers), are not the ones who will likely end up benefiting (the largest 5% of developers). But a company like Epic gets to keep more of the IAP they make from selling software skins that have zero marginal cost, so yay?

 

[MilaM]

I do genuinely feel that the vast majority of iOS developers are best served by sticking with IAP and the small business program.

When what you are doing is a variation on the proverbial flashlight app, then sure, App Stores with IAP are a sweet deal. But try to do something with a slightly more complex business model and the distribution model with all its restrictions becomes very limiting.

 

[Sophisticatednut]

So Nintendo is ripping off app developers by preventing them from linking to external payment options that would allow them to avoid paying a 30% cut?

I mean, I could be mistaken. Feel free to correct me if game developers are allowed to sell their titles in the switch App Store, and somehow get to keep 100% of game revenue by working around Nintendo's house rules.

Last I checked, Apple doesn't take a cut of money spent on physical goods such as food delivery, ride-sharing, grocery shopping or gadgets I buy through the amazon app. Smaller developers pay only 15%, which is more or less comparable to what third party payment systems are charging anyways.

Second, I am supposed to believe that someone like Tim Sweeney is fine with Sony and Nintendo keeping 30% of IAP made via his Fortnite app, but not when it's Apple? Especially when it gets the bulk of earnings from the playstation console, not mobile gaming.

Fortnite’s cash cow is PlayStation, not iOS, court documents reveal

Console players bring in a lot of money for Fortnite.

www.theverge.com

Seems like the main beneficiaries of this are the biggest developers who already make a ton of money, who then get to make even more money? I guess if cheering on bad actors like Epic and Fortnite is what floats your collective boats...¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Well had Apple allowed developers to use ApplePay or Apple IAP it would probably been hardly many complaints.
ApplePay is the best possible payment method. Apple gets a cut, developers get 95+% of the revenue. And the safest payment method against fraud

I do genuinely feel that the vast majority of iOS developers are best served by sticking with IAP and the small business program. The 15% they pay is likely very competitive with the rates offered by other payment providers, so they are likely not saving much by adopting say, Stripe.

The people whom you think will benefit from these App Store changes (smaller developers), are not the ones who will likely end up benefiting (the largest 5% of developers). But a company like Epic gets to keep more of the IAP they make from selling software skins that have zero marginal cost, so yay?

Well if small developer in vast majority are best served by the current 15-30% commission and small business program, compared to 1-5% you can get with some payment method, especially if using your digital wallet with let’s say Ayden or ApplePay. Then they will use them.

Perhaps implement a 0% commission for non games