Aptoide Launching Alternative iOS Game Marketplace in EU

[MacRumors]

Aptoide, a popular Google Play alternative for Android devices, will be launching an iOS game marketplace on Thursday, June 6, in the European Union.

The Aptoide iOS store will launch with a limited selection of titles, but the company says that new games will arrive every day, and that 30 titles are currently being processed for inclusion. Examples of current games include Word Jungle, Condor — Leap of Faith, Solitaire, Mahjong, and Charades.

Initially, access to the store will be restricted to users with invitation-only access codes, but Aptoide says it has a waiting list of 20,000 signups and plans to issue between 500 to 1,000 codes per day.

As noted by The Verge, Aptoide is the first third-party iOS marketplace to launch with an Apple-approved in-app purchases (IAP) solution, which it will provide to developers via an IAP software development kit.

Apple's 50 euro cents Core Technology Fee (CFT) will be covered by a fee charged to developers for in-app purchases, which means IAP-driven apps will be "preferred" in Aptoide iOS, according to the marketplace's CEO, Paulo Trezentos.

Apps distributed through alternative app marketplaces are required to submit to a notarization process to ensure they are free from malware, but Apple does not have restrictions on content so apps that might not have been eligible for the ‌App Store‌ can be distributed through alternative means. Alternative app marketplaces are not available outside of the European Union.

Aptoide has operated for an Android App Store since 2009, and last year reached nearly half a billion downloads.

Article Link: Aptoide Launching Alternative iOS Game Marketplace in EU

 

[asiga]

What I want is not an alternative appstore, but being able to open a Terminal in iOS and running a compiler, as well as all Unix commands. In fact that would fix Apple: rather than trashing MacOS, turn iOS into a real computer. Problem solved.

 

[Danilamak]

Maybe one day we will see Steam store

 

[Doodah7]

Woe is meeee, the end is nigh!!!!

As a European, I'm delighted but I wait with glee for all the frothing at the mouth from the American audience which aren't affected by this.

 

[cjsuk]

This will be dead by the end of the year.

Most of the people I know don’t even know what an App Store is let alone know how to choose one or even care about it.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Apple's 50 euro cents Core Technology Fee (CFT) will be covered by a fee charged to developers for in-app purchases, which means IAP-driven apps will be "preferred" in Aptoide iOS, according to the marketplace's CEO, Paulo Trezentos.

So even without the app store, its legacy of damage to the software ecosystem continues.

 

[contacos]

The f up part about all of this is that apparently the same app cannot be published on different stores, e. g. AppStore and 3rd Party Store.

 

[mdnz]

The f up part about all of this is that apparently the same app cannot be published on different stores, e. g. AppStore and 3rd Party Store.

Apple is currently not applying fully to the new law, the EU will come after them. It says in the new law they also cannot hinder anyone installing applications, and requiring a "Marketplace" or asking a fee to install third party apps is indeed hindering.

 

[coffeemilktea]

As someone who's been a long-time user of Android — a place where alternative app stores have existed for years — I have to say:

This is wonderful news for the, like... maybe three dozen people who love having alternative app stores. It's truly a new and exciting era in the world of mobile computing. 😜

 

[NEPOBABY]

What I want is not an alternative appstore, but being able to open a Terminal in iOS and running a compiler, as well as all Unix commands. In fact that would fix Apple: rather than trashing MacOS, turn iOS into a real computer. Problem solved.

What you are asking for is for hackers and fake apps to be able to acquire root privelages on your device. That’s not going to be allowed. You will never be able to sudo on iOS and iPadOS and anyone forcefully telling us we need that is either working for scammers or enemy governments.

Even on desktop operating systems these admin tools need to be hidden by default from regular users and only accessible by users who are highly technical and know what they are doing security-wise.

 

[jlc1978]

Apple is currently not applying fully to the new law, the EU will come after them. It says in the new law they also cannot hinder anyone installing applications, and requiring a "Marketplace" or asking a fee to install third party apps is indeed hindering.

As long as they allow sideloading by the user, they are not hindering installations; a Marketplace plus signing merely is an offering on top of sideloading.

 

[Haiku_Oezu]

Yeah I don’t know about this one, Aptoide has always been “that one place with paid APKs downloadable for free” to me

 

[bzgnyc2]

What you are asking for is for hackers and fake apps to be able to acquire root privelages on your device. That’s not going to be allowed. You will never be able to sudo on iOS and iPadOS and anyone forcefully telling us we need that is either working for scammers or enemy governments.

Even on desktop operating systems these admin tools need to be hidden by default from regular users and only accessible by users who are highly technical and know what they are doing security-wise.

I had this briefly on a phone I had jailbroken for a brief period. It was fine. The world didn't blow up but it also didn't solve any of my life problems.

As far as iOS (i.e. the OS for phone-sized computers), I don't see any reason for Apple to hinder access to a command-prompt, UNIX utilities, etc, though I don't think they need to support them either.

As far as sudo, etc, it appeared like the system already ran everything as root anyway. Granted this was a while ago and I didn't really dive into it (plus my eyes aren't that good for a UNIX command line on a 4" screen) but my memory was that iOS uses an all-root rootless design. That is everything ran as root but root itself was not the traditional all-powerful UNIX root.

 

[bzgnyc2]

As long as they allow sideloading by the user, they are not hindering installations; a Marketplace plus signing merely is an offering on top of sideloading.

Well if they fully allowed sideloading there never would have been this discussion about marketplaces in the first place.

Additionally I believe it would be considered a restraint of trade on Apple's part if they restricted developers who worked with non-Apple stores from doing business with the Apple store. That is when you are as big as Apple, you can't require "exclusives".

 

[NEPOBABY]

I had this briefly on a phone I had jailbroken for a brief period. It was fine. The world didn't blow up but it also didn't solve any of my life problems.

As far as iOS (i.e. the OS for phone-sized computers), I don't see any reason for Apple to hinder access to a command-prompt, UNIX utilities, etc, though I don't think they need to support them either.

As far as sudo, etc, it appeared like the system already ran everything as root anyway. Granted this was a while ago and I didn't really dive into it (plus my eyes aren't that good for a UNIX command line on a 4" screen) but my memory was that iOS uses an all-root rootless design. That is everything ran as root but root itself was not the traditional all-powerful UNIX root.

You are one person speaking for himself. You are not the billion of people who are targeted by scammers and fake apps trying to get full access to the device. Stories are much different at wide scale. You might be an expert at using Windows and Android phones too. But you are not speaking for the millions of people who are victims of hacks and social engineering every day.

Please, think before you post things on the internet. Root access and deep level system access should not be easily accessible on any consumer device which has things like finance apps and personal information on there.

Why does that even need to be explained after all the horror stories??????? Don’t you have family, relatives, friends, employers and children who could be exploited?

Are there scammers posting on these forums and trying to make Apple customers demand things that would reduce their security?

 

[jlc1978]

Well if they fully allowed sideloading there never would have been this discussion about marketplaces in the first place.

It'll be interesting to see how it plays out in the EU.

Additionally I believe it would be considered a restraint of trade on Apple's part if they restricted developers who worked with non-Apple stores from doing business with the Apple store.

I disagree. Apple can still choose what apps to allow in, as they always have; especially since there are alternative ways for developers to deliver their apps.

That is when you are as big as Apple, you can't require "exclusives".

Size should not dictate the ability to offer exclusives to titles. If Apple or another store wanted to pay a developer for an exclusive that should be perfectly legal.

 

[Amazing Iceman]

This will be dead by the end of the year.

Most of the people I know don’t even know what an App Store is let alone know how to choose one or even care about it.

With only 30 titles, I doubt it will get far. Unless this is a high school kid’s hobby running a store from his bedroom pc.

 

[Amazing Iceman]

You are one person speaking for himself. You are not the billion of people who are targeted by scammers and fake apps trying to get full access to the device. Stories are much different at wide scale. You might be an expert at using Windows and Android phones too. But you are not speaking for the millions of people who are victims of hacks and social engineering every day.

Please, think before you post things on the internet. Root access and deep level system access should not be easily accessible on any consumer device which has things like finance apps and personal information on there.

Why does that even need to be explained after all the horror stories??????? Don’t you have family, relatives, friends, employers and children who could be exploited?

Are there scammers posting on these forums and trying to make Apple customers demand things that would reduce their security?

You both are right, no need to panic.

 

[mdnz]

As long as they allow sideloading by the user, they are not hindering installations; a Marketplace plus signing merely is an offering on top of sideloading.

Having to resign a sideloaded app every 7 days sure sounds like hindering to me. We all know what is meant by sideloading (or installing, like any other computer). What Apple is doing is not providing us with it.

 

[purplerainpurplerain]

This will be dead by the end of the year.

Most of the people I know don’t even know what an App Store is let alone know how to choose one or even care about it.

Never download a third party App Store without 100% certainty about who the owners are, where are they based and what other things they are involved in.

You all know why.

 

[purplerainpurplerain]

Apple is currently not applying fully to the new law, the EU will come after them.

Who regulates EU lawmakers when they make bad or corrupt decisions?

 

[scorpio vega]

Oh yay more apple becoming like lagdroid.

 

[bzgnyc2]

You are one person speaking for himself. You are not the billion of people who are targeted by scammers and fake apps trying to get full access to the device. Stories are much different at wide scale. You might be an expert at using Windows and Android phones too. But you are not speaking for the millions of people who are victims of hacks and social engineering every day.

Please, think before you post things on the internet. Root access and deep level system access should not be easily accessible on any consumer device which has things like finance apps and personal information on there.

Why does that even need to be explained after all the horror stories??????? Don’t you have family, relatives, friends, employers and children who could be exploited?

Are there scammers posting on these forums and trying to make Apple customers demand things that would reduce their security?

How about I won't tell you what to think and say and you won't do the same? We clearly have different philosophies and I don't see that getting bridged in a social forum for Mac technology. Hope it all works out for you. Good luck!

 

[bzgnyc2]

It'll be interesting to see how it plays out in the EU.



I disagree. Apple can still choose what apps to allow in, as they always have; especially since there are alternative ways for developers to deliver their apps.



Size should not dictate the ability to offer exclusives to titles. If Apple or another store wanted to pay a developer for an exclusive that should be perfectly legal.

On point 1 agree

On 2, Apple can decide which apps to let in to its store except based on that company's doing business with other companies. Under US law I believe that would be an illegal restraint of trade. Walmart can't refuse to carry a product because that product is also available at Target. I would be surprised if EU law is more lax in this area.

On 3, scale matters. There are things that small companies can do that large companies cannot. Then there are things that are illegal for all companies but small companies will get away with and big companies will not.

 

[frenchcamp49er]

So 8 people will use this the other 99.9% don't care