In amajorrulingthis week , Apple has been force to end taxing app developer a immense fee just for the privilege of making apps on its political platform . After years of delay tactic and stonewalling ( and , the judge says , “ outright Trygve Lie ” in court ) , Apple has to permit app developers to offer in - app purchases through stores outside the App Store , here in the U.S. Apple will attract the decision , but is take to comply with it in the lag .
It ’s not the sweeping rules instituted by the European Union , which found the program to be a “ gatekeeper ” and therefore has to set aside third - political party app stores , app sideloading , alternate tap - and - pay processors , and so on . Those regulations , which Apple fight against tooth and nail ( and has been regain to be partly desecrate even now ) , have resulted in a interpretation of iOS that many sense isbetter than the one we have in the U.S.
These are n’t disjunct instances . Apple has consistently fought every potential effort to allow exploiter to get apps on iPhone or iPad , or to pay for them , using anything other than Apple ’s own computer memory and payment processing . Apple tell us the main reason is security measure and simplicity , but it also hap to take a big undercut off the top ( 30 percent , but Apple has been game into various programs and policies to lower that somewhat for some developers ) . As a result , Apple iscurrently being sued by the federal governmentover antimonopoly encroachment .
The new Pebble watch won’t play nice with the iPhone because of Apple’s restrictions.
Out of control over control
Back in the 80s , Apple started as a scrappy upstart , punctuate lower costs and more freedom for user and developers , in thoroughgoing contrast to IBM , which want to master and limit you . Now Apple seems to consider itself as a holistic ecosystem , a growing meshing of devices and help made by and for the welfare of Apple . To the extent that it take into account other developers get at to “ their ” chopine , it is being magnanimous to do so . Access to the iPhone is agiftfrom Apple … or at least , that ’s the attitude it seems to convey .
Apple use more persuasive language than that , of course . It talk about how much it “ invests ” in developer tools and the App Store and how the fees developer are coerce to give are a necessary toll .
The fact is , Apple is n’t a petite company give way up against the big IBMs and Microsofts of the Earth any longer . It ’s one of the world ’s most valuablecompaniesand the most influential in technical school . It has severalbillioncustomers . Apple nowisthe IBM of the 80 , the Microsoft of the ’ 90s … and it does n’t seem to recognize it .
Apple made Vision Pro with little regard for the user’s comfort.
debate all the ways Apple still prevents anyone else from making a smartwatch that can do what the Apple Watch does on the iPhone . Apple give its own watch special privileges , and even its own apps and Service on the ticker are exclusive . Earlier this yr , the original Maker of the Pebble smartwatch announced a new modernized interpretation and highlighted all the ways Apple prevents any other smartwatch from working as well with the iPhone as the Apple Watch . It ’s not a short list .
The novel Pebble lookout man wo n’t play nice with the iPhone because of Apple ’s limitation .
Pebble
Most of Apple ’s problem could be annul if it were n’t so greedy about owning and see to it all access to the iPhone and iPad for every developer . Apple construe app distribution as a critical gross source , on top of its industry - result margins on ironware . Instead , it should see app development and statistical distribution as acost center . It should be a money - lose endeavor , like advertising , because it builds requirement for Apple ’s product .
Apple ’s title for its obsession with controlling all app statistical distribution and payment always come down to security and privacy , but that ring hollow when the company will gladly trade you a Mac — an overt platform that allows unmediated web download of apps , alternate app computer memory like Steam , and open payment . And yet Mac users are not suffering some experiential seclusion or security hazard , and for that matter , neither are Android users ( which far outnumber iPhone users , globally ) .
What ’s more , the EU ’s forcing of relaxed rules over app distribution , payments , web internet browser , and default apps has not resulted in headline after newspaper headline of EU iPhone users being hacked , swindled , and cyber - stalked . It ’s just ok . It ’s all fine . We could all have it this path , globally , and all it would do is cause a nominal drop in Apple ’s revenue — again , this is themost valuable company in the worldthatjust made a profitof more than $ 27B per fourth off mostly computer hardware cut-rate sale and military service .
There are two ways to make the best intersection or help , whether it ’s earbuds , apps , app stores , or whatever else : One is to offer a good experience at a better price so customer select you , the other is toprevent othersfrom being able to grow an experience or price that can beat yours . Apple does both , but seems to favour the latter as much as the former .
Does Apple know what people want anymore?
I ’m starting to think that Apple leadership does n’t know what people want anymore . Too many hardware lines are puzzle in an dateless cycle of “ the same as last twelvemonth but just a fiddling better . ” Thebig iPhone pushthis year is go to be a super - thin role model ( call it “ iPhone 17 tune ” if you will ) , which of course will limit outer space for advanced cameras and bigger bombardment . When you ask people what they want out of an iPhone , nearly everyone suppose a cheaper price , longer shelling biography , and a honorable camera ( with less photo processing ) . That ’s basically the opposite of where Apple is manoeuvre .
How did Apple Intelligence terminate up so bad ? Which drawing card within Apple tell , “ Yeah , this is great , people will love this . get ’s build up ourentire marketing campaignaround it ? ” How is Siri onlynowgetting the attention it demand , when it has been a public trick for year ? Why does Apple keep trying to courtroom gamers to the Mac when it so very distinctly does n’t understand what gamers desire or need , and is n’t willing to gift in delivering it ? Why ca n’t Apple make a decorous mouse ? Why are theresixdifferent iPads ? Why is the company bring in twist to have on on yourhead(Vision Pro and AirPods Max ) that count twice what they should ? Did n’t anyone try these things out ? Is it just an absolute obsession with puddle everything out of metal ?
Apple made Vision Pro with little respect for the user ’s quilt .
David Price / Foundry
I mean , look at this newSnapshotwebsite Apple just launched a few mean solar day ago . Who is this for ? Why is it so bad ? You ca n’t search it , you ca n’t curb the scrolling , you ca n’t find any actual interesting information about any of these renown … why does this even exist and why does it have it ’s ownsubdomainon apple.com ?
I want to be able to download apps and app computer storage on my iPhone like I do on my Mac . I want to be able to make up for things using Apple ’s defrayment method if I prefer , or some other method if I prefer . I want developer who use Apple ’s defrayal processing to pay fee of around 5 percent , comparable to Stripe or Square ( around 3 - 4 percentage ) , plus a percent or two to pay for Apple ’s upkeep of the App Store . That would excite developers about making iPhone / iPad their first selection , like it used to be back in the early years of iPhone . I want computer hardware makers to be able to make equipment that do all the thing Apple ’s own devices do , from fast - coupling and instant switching to sending iMessages , so that they can vie on quality , toll , and advanced new capabilities .
I would benefit from all these thing . Youwould gain from all these things . App developers and hardware makers of all kinds would do good from these matter . Apple is surely aware of all these conception … none of this is new or fresh , much of it exists on the Mac and competing platforms . But Apple would make nominally less money , and it ’s starting to feel like that ’s all Apple really cares about these days .
orchard apple tree require to change its corporal polish from the top down . There ’s a pervasive vibe that “ we know what ’s best , you ’re lucky to be here , ” and it needs to start taking a more customer - first , exploiter - centrical advance . It feel like the company act as though we ( the drug user and developers ) necessitate them , when it should act as though it needs us .
