Not surprised. Apple might be forced to allow this in other regions too considering the various regulatory issues.
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iOS 26.2 to Allow Third-Party App Stores in Japan Ahead of Regulatory Deadline
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Says every teenager ever born, only to find out later in life how stupid they were.
Yes, but Apple has parental controls to prevent it, and if it happens because the controls weren’t set up, will take care of it if the parents reach out. Will Epic?
With a few exceptions, most of the stuff the EU's pushing benefits large developers rather than consumers. Consumers benefit from having one centralized place where they can download their apps, one single wallet app to use, only one entity to trust with their financial data, etc. This is bad for the Spotifys and Epics of the world, but I think you have a hard case to make if you want to argue that making life easier for them makes life better for consumers.
That was my point, the people claiming the sky is falling if Apple permits other AppStores to install apps, when it happens in their country does that mean the concerns were hyperbole or will their give-up their devices in protest.
Unfortunately Apple does business in countries with regulations along with their customers who vote the same people pushing for these regulations. Unless you have a better option this is the way presently.
but it’s easier to get a refund from apple than some developer
Not really shocked by this. Japan was always going to follow the EU sooner or later. People have been installing stuff outside the App Store for years anyway, just unofficially. Sometimes it works, sometimes apps stop opening and you wait until whatever installer you used updates things again. I’ve had that happen more than once with apps I grabbed from ScarletiOSStore. Apple allowing it officially doesn’t mean it’ll suddenly be smooth, just a bit less awkward.
I love how many Apple defenders get so offended when there is any criticism at all. They take it personally, as if a trillion corporate behemoth is their best friend. Pathetic sycophants.
Meanwhile the rest of us are just saying “Let us use our phones the way we use our MacBooks. Treat us like adults and let us install what we want.”
Meanwhile the rest of us are just saying “Let us use our phones the way we use our MacBooks. Treat us like adults and let us install what we want.”
This! 👆
We'd have been there a long time ago if Apple hadn't gotten higher than a kite from mainlining revenue cocaine off all the subs & game IAP.
I think the real issue (and while we'll never agree) is that some of us actually believe Apple's current system is better for most users, and that while revenue of course plays a part that the current system is actually better, even if annoying for power users. I really do believe that if Apple thought making iOS like MacOS was better for users they'd do it.
I'm sure I'll get called naive or an Apple sycophant, or whatever, but as someone who used to work in tech support on a college campus in the late 1990s-early 2000s, you'll never convince me that the Mac/Windows paradigm is actually better for most users.
I keep asking why Android has such a higher malware rate than iOS if it isn't because of Apple's rules, and no one ever responds. It's suspect that's because it's obvious the reason is the rules. But you could ask the exact same question about MacOS. Why does iOS have massively fewer instances of malware than MacOS? Is it because the A-team engineers are all on iOS? Are iOS users more technical and smarter about avoiding sketchy apps? Or is it because iOS' rules protect users. I know which one I think it is.
I do not.
In fact, if they could, I think they'd lock down macOS to be like iOS.
They don't because it'd be the end of the Mac.
To their credit (I guess), this lesson was learned quickly in the early days of the Mac App Store.
I also think many are having trouble accepting how much Apple has changed under Tim Cook. If this were any other company, I really think folks would be looking at this and talking about it differently. There's a lot of coasting on reputation and wistful nostalgia from the old Apple (not saying you necessarily).
Yep, I think this is why we'll never agree on this. Our fundamental "facts" are different.
It's really impossible to overstate how much the revenue coming in from the iOS lockdown clouds Apple judgement and influences actions around all this.
It's truly like a drug.
It's truly like a drug.
Correct, but I don't appreciate "facts" in quotes.
The Mac App Store thing was real (and still is).
They got major backlash and had no choice but to pivot on that.
No offense intended with the quotes - I just meant that you disagree with things I assume as true and correct and I disagree with things you assume as true and correct.
I actually agree Apple would like to make MacOS more like iOS. Just disagree about the reason why.
Let me ask you this.
If Apple truly believes the "best experience for their users" is how iOS does it.
Why don't they do that on the Mac?
Why not force it and tell everyone to pound sand if they don't like it.
(ignoring what we know about the past as described above, which is hard, I admit)
These Mac Apps are all using Apple IP, are they not?
This is all digital stuff.
Isn't the argument that Apple is entitled to a cut?
Agree. It’s all about market share at the point of opening an App Store. Windows still dominates desktop. Which means Apple can’t force the locked down model on Macs.
But they dominate with iOS and therefore get to throw their weight around. Why is this so hard to understand?
I don't want to cast aspersions about my friends on the forum, but I do think people give Apple too much benefit of the doubt with regard to good intentions.
I think the history of the Mac, different use cases for the product, and massively smaller install base warrant different rules. The Mac's user base contains a lot of power and professional use cases iOS was never designed for. I know it's common on here to say that iPhones are "general purpose computing devices" but I actually would push back on that a bit, sure they're more general purpose than a game console, but there are tons of use cases they are not designed for.
I think, if starting from scratch, Apple would absolutely lock the Mac down like iOS, but if they did it by edict now, people like me who have been using the Mac for almost 40 years now would have things break, tools we're used to go away, massive disruption to developers would result in a tons and tons and tons negative impacts on end users. In other words, I don't think locking down MacOS is actually what is best for MacOS users, and I doubt Apple does either. It's harder to take something away than it is to never grant it in the first place.