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For the hundredth time... until Apple plays hardball and calls these crooks out, this will not stop. They will just take more, and more, and more, because it's never been about what they're saying. It always been about greed and corruption; backdoor deals in dark rooms etc. Apple is going to have to get tough on this and fight back. There is no other option.

I think you need to swap in "EU" for "Apple" in your above statement
 
The App store (Google Play included... though Google and MS greatly reduced commissions on these categories to 10%) is a mafia level exploitation.

How so? iOS isn't even the dominant platform. If you think Apple's terms are onerous, you can always develop for Android. Of course, there's no money to be made there...

This is how markets are supposed to work. If Apple charges developers too much, they leave for another platform, and Apple suffers, forcing them to change their rules. But that doesn't seem to be happening.

I'm all for the EU forcing everyone to standardize on USB-C over Lightning; USB-C has a great future, and Lightning was a poor-performance money-grab by Apple. But this is different: if you want to install apps using a third-party store, it's going to cost more. I can't even imagine the support headaches and cost Apple will have to endure to support third-party stores.
 
"Core Technology" There it is. Put up or shut up. Either STOP USING Apple's developers' work, or PAY FOR IT. 🤷‍♂️
Isn't every developer paying for it by paying Apple an annual developer fee though?

The developer fee includes "all the tools, resources, and support you need to develop and distribute apps, including access to beta software, app services, testing tools, app analytics, and more."


Paying the developer membership fee *and* getting chargd a Core Tech Fee means Apple is double billing developers.
 
Paying a yearly per-user fee just to run an app marketplace is straight up insane, it's blatantly anti-competitive and there's no chance it will survive regulatory scrutiny.

The other provisions are a little more fuzzy, and I wouldn't be shocked if they mostly survive intact.
It’s already survived regulatory scrutiny. People are assuming this was put in place WITHOUT engaging with regulators up front. What Apple’s done complies with DMA. There’s just a lot of folks that don’t understand DMA. (Or doesn’t understand DMA as well as Apple does)
 
It works the other way also, app developers provide "free" labour to enhance the Apple platform. Maybe developers should also charge Apple a fee everytime they contribute something to the platform?

You seem to think that you are entitled to a user base and the digital foot traffic provided by Apple.
 
Developers need to make their apps better on android and windows over apple etc or even harsher. Make the new features timed android exclusive.....Apple will soon bend over when they realise they arent the first choice. Simple warfare like Epic is doing. The market needs more balls like Epic Games.
 
This is how markets are supposed to work. If Apple charges developers too much, they leave for another platform, and Apple suffers, forcing them to change their rules. But that doesn't seem to be happening.
The market is not working, and that's why the EU is stepping in. There are only two relevant operating systems left. The terms are mostly the same on both of them. You would be suprised how similar the rules are in both App Stores. Developers have zero leverage over either Apple or Google.

Big publishers could get together and boycott Apple and Google for a while to put preassure on them. But guess what, that would also be illegal under competition rules.
 
Yet they are following the rules. Further the first “App” store is nothing more than an app they charge $10 a month for.
 
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So like.... Android.... MacOS, Windows.... last I checked, they all work like this.
I mean it's kind of like expected that if you want people using your platform and OS you provide tools, APIs, etc. App store greed isn't the only way to make money - and this is laughable. Apple, the company that has screwed developers for years with excessive fees under the guise of their control freak nature, er, review process, being why.
Do you know what sets iOS apart from those other platforms? It's the thriving and profitable third-party consumer app store marketplace that they offer. Despite what some people on forums might think, the success of the App Store is BECAUSE of Apple's quality control and distribution model, both of which supports customers to easily discovering, downloading, installing, and paying for verified third-party apps.

Experiment: Write down the steps to find, install, and pay for a third-party app on macOS (not on the Mac App Store) or Windows. Now write down the steps to do the same on iOS.

Developers want to change iOS app distribution without analyzing why the marketplace model was so distributive and profitable for Apple ands developers, who have received 70% - 85% of the marketplace profits.
 
Surprised it took this long. Apple's "plan" was a blatant non-compliant middle finger. Instead of opening IOS to outside markets, they found ways to charge fees anyway. Agree or disagree with the EU's ruling, Apple did show some courage with the balls they have in their "compliance."
Apple has some of the best lawyers in the world combing over every inch of the wording of the DMA. I can almost guarantee what they're doing complies with the letter of the law as written.
 
Companies are really complaining about getting tons of free dev work from apple? If you're going to use Apple's frameworks and API's to make your product work in a must more cost-efficient way than building from scratch, you should pay the piper. I've developed multiple apps, and am happy to pay my share to apple (tho I wish it was lower) because I KNOW it would have cost me 10x to build it from scratch.
 
Isn't every developer paying for it by paying Apple an annual developer fee though?

The developer fee includes "all the tools, resources, and support you need to develop and distribute apps, including access to beta software, app services, testing tools, app analytics, and more."


Paying the developer membership fee *and* getting chargd a Core Tech Fee means Apple is double billing developers.
You, of course, have repeatedly misrepresented that quote from Apple. Membership does include those things, but membership requires the fee AND agreement to terms.
 
It works the other way also, app developers provide "free" labour to enhance the Apple platform. Maybe developers should also charge Apple a fee everytime they contribute something to the platform?
Could you imagine if all of the major developers (Epic, MS, Spotify, whomever else) started charging a 50¢/year Apple platform surcharge, complete with separate billing cycle and email notification? Apple would lose their mind. I'd pay (50¢ * a few apps) to see that!
 
"Core Technology" There it is. Put up or shut up. Either STOP USING Apple's developers' work, or PAY FOR IT. 🤷‍♂️

iOS dev here who literally could never make a penny without standing on the shoulders of thousands of Apple iOS devs, who’ve put in uncountable years of effort into areas I basically have zero experience or expertise in. 👋

Most people claiming Apple's cut is unearned don’t know what “import Foundation” does at the top of literally every iOS code file in literally every AppStore app. (Hint: It's not necessary to get an app into the App Store!)

Ditto for:

import UIKit
import SwiftUI
import CryptoKit
Button()
let task = URLSession.shared.dataTask(with: session)
etc, etc, etc…

Literally 💯 of iOS apps use code written by Apple to do a staggering amount of their work.

ZERO apps roll their own custom code instead of using the mountain of frameworks and APIs that Apple has built and perfected (complete with expected features like free dark mode, rotation, language, compat across device, accessibility size, backgrounding, persistence, etc, etc, etc features).

ZERO apps do this because it would cost 10-20x as much to develop, and nobody would pay for the lesser experience.

Even the simplest app would take literal years more development, and STILL not achieve anything close to feature parity by dropping in Apple’s code with zero effort.

Oh, and when iOS updates with new features, or a new style? INSTANTLY that app needs massive work to retain feature parity with other apps that did zero work to match style or make use of many new features. (Sometimes a TEENY bit of work to make a huge new feature work if you want.)

Show me an app developer who doesn’t lean HEAVILY on Apple’s developers’ work, and I’ll show you somebody who gets to talk about the “outrageous” price Apple charges for their work. 🙄

Yes but you could say the same about glibc, Microsoft's C# and thousands of other libraries, and countless other development environments, languages, and operating systems.

Apple already requires developers to buy a Mac. Microsoft (used to?) charge for Visual Studio.

You're making two different points here. Most people acknowledge that Apple is due some sort of compensation. The problem is the onerous terms they've chosen.
 
So funny seeing mostly American users cheerleading for apple, so strange because apple doesn’t care about any of us.

”pull out of the EU” 🤣

yeah sure, pull out of your 2nd biggest market where they don’t use iMessage or bow to peer pressure over bubbles.

smart, that’ll show them.

This is bullying by apple, plain and simple, it’s 90s Microsoft and it won’t stand.

Apple have no designers left, no car, no modems, failed headset, no microLED, failing in china now, no AI.

They use to lead and everyone followed, now they’re clinging on while the world moves on.
 
Fine. Let me write an app without import Foundation in it, self-sign it, and let anyone install it without any scare screens or hoops to jump through. There are plenty of UI frameworks out there, and Apple isn't unique in any way except their unending greed.
Except. Apple dealt with everything. Apple advisors to deal with customer complaints. Refunds and managing all the charges and setup cost in the countries they were in. I find it annoying that no EU companies seem to be copping this scrutiny. Spotify alone should be taken to task for their practices. Epic games is a whole other story. Fact is Epic and Spotify were happy to sign up to Apples store when it suited the. Then they go greedier and did not want to pay for the privilege anymore.
 
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Yes but you could say the same about glibc, Microsoft's C# and thousands of other libraries, and countless other development environments, languages, and operating systems.

Apple already requires developers to buy a Mac. Microsoft (used to?) charge for Visual Studio.

You're making two different points here. Most people acknowledge that Apple is due some sort of compensation. The problem is the onerous terms they've chosen.
They maybe onerous terms. But Epic and Spotify have not been civil about the whole process. Why would you play nice with companies who just like to waste money dragging you through the legal system and abusing you via social media. Let’s be clear non of it is about the customer.
 
Regarding this: "The way the European Commission responds to Apple's proposal 'will serve as a litmus test of the DMA and whether it can deliver for Europe's citizens and economy.'"

KEEP IN MIND: Not a single one of the signatories of the letter gives two ****s about the DMA benefiting EU citizens. They only care about the DMA benefiting themselves–the billion-dollar companies.

These companies that are complaining want more access to your data, your payment methods, your analytics, your location history, your everything. They want all this valuable data that Apple currently keeps from them through App Store and iOS privacy and security safeguards.

This is why the companies are up in arms about Apple's implementation of the DMA. They didn't get the unfettered access they wanted to your data.
 
Microsoft makes a phone? 🤣
When did i say they made a phone? Microsoft makes Windows Tablets (Apple makes a tablet/ipad with an app store no? 🤣) with apps like Microsoft office, one drive, copilot, link to windows, Xbox cloud gaming, most of which are essential to a massive amount of people in the Apple ecosystem.
 
You're not wrong. But it should also be mentioned, that Apple wants and needs third party developers on their platform. IPhones would be far less attractive without all the apps those devs have worked very hard to develop. It's not a coincidence that first party SDKs can be used for free on most platforms.
Xcode is free. The developer fee is quite low (and per org, not even per seat, unlike MS) and serves mostly as a barrier to keep the store from being overwhelmed with junk apps. If you publish a free app, then you only pay that nominal fee. I would also point out that companies like Epic and Unity also charge fees to developers. They use different fee structures, but you still need to pay if you make money using their tools. Apple's commissions are inline with the rest of the industry.

For all the Apple detractors, how should they be permitted to monetize? Or should they be forced to sell data like Meta and Google and give away everything for "free"?
 
You, of course, have repeatedly misrepresented that quote from Apple. Membership does include those things, but membership requires the fee AND agreement to terms.
It's those terms that companies and developers are asking the European Commission to look into to determine if they're fair or not.

What's the problem? If they're fair, then Apple has nothing to worry about. If they're not fair, then Apple will have to comply with the terms of the DMA/European Commission. If Apple doesn't like the terms, then they can leave the EU market in the same way MR members tell unhappy iOS users to leave for Android, right?
 
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