How is that different from an app developer choosing which platforms to support with their app?
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Apple Announces Ability to Download iPhone Apps From Websites in EU
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Use Homebrew and keep a list of casks to install. Problem solved.
Where was that ruling?
Apple is a minority player in the smartphone market overall.
Spotify never considered it a barrier. It was their first choice. IAP was a short blip in between the years that Spotify required iOS users to go to the web and pay. Spotify admits this on their "Time to Play Fair" web site where it says the only reason they used IAP for a couple of years is because Apple "hounded" them to do it.
It’s an illusion nothing more but go ahead keep choosing
Everyone has been saying "abuse the iOS platform", "use the iOS platform in nefarious ways" but so far no one has even attempted to define what such vague statements mean
There are many app stores in Android. By far the biggest is Googles Play Store, but other phone manufacturers have stores. Samsung and Huawei are 2 examples that I have on my phone for certain apps. There are probably many others, and probably even some not linked to manyfacturers. You can also direct downloads APK files from a website and install directly with no store involved. You have to change a setting to do this, and you get some warnings as you do it. I have 1 app directly installed.
Stores are handy as they handle the updates for you in a systematic manner.
Good point. I hope this notion reaches the relevant ears of whom it may concern, since I'm willing to bet having to pay half a million euros isn't considered fair
Maybe you have answered your question yourself. This is not some niche market anymore, with games, camera apps dominating the download charts. Smartphones as a platform have become substantial infrastructure of large parts of the digital economy. It's only consequential, that at some point lawmaker decided, that this part of the economy needed some rules that govern the access to these platforms. This is what the Digital Markets Act is. Other countries will follow with similar laws.
I completely agree with you, they should be regulated and they will be.
My response was to your previous argument that it should be open because MacOS is open which I still maintain is a nonsensical argument.
Well, so much for the assertions in this forum how clever Apple was in finding they only had to allow either sideloading or alternative application stores.
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_4328
…yet.
“In addition, the Commission has opened a market investigation to further assess whether Apple's iPadOS should be designated as gatekeeper, despite not meeting the thresholds. Under the DMA, this investigation should be completed within a maximum of 12 months.”
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_4328
Your opinion. That said, no different than Apple absorbing it as pure profit.
There objectively is now competition for the distribution of apps.
I wish Australia had this!
Apple today announced three further changes for developers in the European Union, allowing them to distribute apps directly from webpages, choose how to design in-app promotions, and more.
Apple last week enabled alternative app stores in the EU in iOS 17.4, allowing third-party app stores to offer a catalog of other developers' apps as well as the marketplace developer's own apps. As of today, Apple is allowing third-party app stores to offer apps solely from their own catalog. For example, a games studio could create an app store on iOS that exclusively offers their own games.
When directing users to complete a transaction on their website, developers can also now choose how to design their in-app promotions, discounts, and deals. Apple's templates for designing these links out to websites are optional as of today.
In addition, developers will soon be able to distribute apps directly from their websites, providing they meet Apple's specific criteria, such as being a member of the Apple Developer Program for two continuous years or more and having an app with more than one million first installs on iOS in the EU in the prior year, and commit to ongoing requirements, such as publishing transparent data collection policies. Apps distributed in this way must meet Apple's notarization requirements like all other iOS apps and can only be installed from a web domain registered in App Store Connect.
Authorized developers will gain access to APIs to facilitate app distribution from the web, integration with system functionality, back up and restore, and more. Web distribution will become available following a software update later in the spring – allowing app downloads directly from a website for the first time on iOS.
The latest changes are part of Apple's Digital Markets Act (DMA) compliance plan and only apply within the European Union.
Article Link: Apple Announces Ability to Download iPhone Apps From Websites in EU
You know what their actual preferred option probably is? The ability to signup in app or on their website while being able to offer the same price on both while not having to give their competitor a cut. I understand why the IAP option was short lived, because potential customers saw either an inflated price to make up for Apple’s cut or Spotify would take in less money because of Apple’s cut.
So basically what 95% of the programs do in modern OSe? let me guess, people like are also against the ability to download files in ios…
True the EU won’t be happy as the intent is to kneecap Apple at every turn to help European tech companies.
Nothing except disembowelment will be enough. The EU has to win and appear to win.
I see your point a bit better now. I can see how Apple might, if it were their goal, facilitate it to make the install process just as smooth. And with the way iOS is designed, there's not much choice but for it to work that way. I don't think we're talking about the Mac because that never was a problem (or we like the problem, however you want to see it) so on iOS it should be basically the same.
Apple already insists on notarizing all the software anyway. It must conform to their system. The user experience could only be so much worse. And for the record I think I agree with you completely. I want the experience to stay the same but I also want more freedom.
I don’t know, normal? I haven’t used windows since windows 8
I love OS X but let’s be honest Apple could absolutely make installing apps from the internet as smooth as the AppStore. It could create apis that browsers could implement. But Apple loves the AppStore because of the control it gives it.
Baseless hyperbole.
It’s not as if they required Apple to split/spin off their App Store business or anything. They didn’t even require unbundling it from iOS.
It’s a regulation mandating that allows for competition in distribution of apps and interoperability - as has been proven beneficial to developers and consumers in other markets - and on other operating systems. That’s it.
Apple can operate their App Store business with their review and notarisation process just as before - and also charge the rates for their payment system just as before.
It’s just not going to be the only payment system anymore. And a few of their most draconian, totalitarian restrictions on in-app content/communication are lifted (e.g. linking out of the app and communicating with consumers, and conductbig transactions with them).
Making Apple face some competition- while still maintaining considerable first-party advantage for their store and services on iOS - has got nothing to do with “kneecapping” or “disembowelment”. That’s preposterou.
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Choice is only good when there are different benefits for each choice. This “choice” gives no benefit for the mainstream customer. All it does is take away their one-stop shop. It causes inconvenience and adds new venerabilities. It only benefits a small percentage of customers (techies) who want apps not allowed in the App Store. By far it more benefits developers who don’t want to be beholden to Apple. In other words, this is a choice for developers, not customers.
Exactly what type of a "ruling" are you looking for? Apple seems to have mostly chosen to change their behavior and abide by the laws including allowing sideloading, alternative app stores, alternative browser engines, etc. The potential need for a ruling would come if Apple continued to refuse to follow a law, it led to a trial, etc. Time will tell how things will play out.
Apple is a major player in the mobile OS market and that's what is relevant here.