Really hoping the EU finally forces Apple to open up their devices and we can be done with their nonsense. Let me use real Firefox on my iPad already!
Apple is legally required by the EU Digital Markets Act to allow 3rd party app stores on iOS by March 2024
And that will probably only ever apply to the app store in the EU.
This is not going to be popular but Apple’s walled garden is why I am a customer. The fact that they don’t carry decades of baggage into to their ecosystem is a benefit. Did I hate that I had to leave a perfectly fine 2012 iMac because no more updates and missing features? Sure, but I got a decade out of one computer.
They control the hardware and software in a tightly integrated manner that works great. People who complain about this not being open… you’ve got other options. To me, it’s a product differentiator.
Before someone says I’m not capable of using a “real” OS, I ended up here in 2007 due to OSX with its *nix backend. I started time sharing on a VAX8800, built a career on Sun stuff, jumped to Linux in 1994 doing development (submitted driver updates, FAQs and more). I’ve never looked back and I’m certain I am as efficient and productive as I can be. I use Linux and Windows as well but for different things.
I get your point, but third-party app stores are optional. You can still only download apps from THE App Store.
And I get what you mean, when it comes to the longevity of devices. I feel like this will change in the future, but time will tell.
While I sometimes get annoyed with Apple and the App Store policies, I also view this as a differentiator. It’s arguably more secure. It’s a trade off I can live with.
It will be interesting to see how Apple plays out the third party store.
I would too but when it happens it’ll probably only apply to EU users
Yeah, can’t say I have much hope they’ll allow sideloading everywhere, as much as I’d love it. Their restrictions around adult and cannabis-related apps are so silly.
Sigh
Apple, please just stop…
Apple just became the first company in history to surpass $3 TRILLION in value. Something tells me you don’t get there unless you’re the type of company that won’t “just stop” lol
They would make more money if they would do what consumers actually want.
You say that as if they’re not constantly breaking records for sales. Clearly, the majority of people are just fine with how Apple is handling things…
The majority really couldn’t care less about any of this; they want their phone to be reliable, predictable and have enough social media apps to let ‘em kill time.
Which is exactly why this makes sense for most people. I trust Apple with my payment info and love that every app doesn’t have its own payment and subscription platform. To me, it’s a huge plus that the experience of making a purchase on the iPhone is identical 100% of the time and is reliable 100% of the time. Epic is just as troublesome when it comes to my trust and the last thing I want is what happened on Steam - the Steam part is awesome but then everyone and their mother wants their own launcher, transaction system, and achievement system. That sucks ass.
From what I’ve seen, most of the people asking for this aren’t even Apple customers; almost like Apple’s target customers couldn’t care less or are against this for the most part, while people who wouldn’t buy an iPhone to begin with are ‘celebrating’ this ‘increase in choice’.
Honestly, though, that’s the majority of arguments against Apple for stuff like this. The “right to repair” stuff is just as bad faith and I say that as someone who mostly supports the concept of “right to repair”. People always bring up Louis Rossman as if he’s some kind of saint as opposed to a business man trying to drive engagement and profits to his business. The guy knows his shit when it comes to repair but then also pretends like every repair store out there can do what he does. He also fakes issues and ignores when people call him out on them.
The entire problem with his schtick, and I say this with all respect to him, is that he wants to open things up for his own business and doesn’t care if the rest of the repair shops of the world use shitty components or do shitty work just because he doesn’t. He lives in NY and can charge whatever he wants for individual repairs. Most people and most shops can’t.
Because the vocal minority isn’t what Apple caters to. Everyone wants the iPhone to stay mostly the same. The vocal minority wants more innovation. I’d kill to have a iPhone 15 Pro Mini and 15 Mini. I think phones are getting too big. But Apple says “Fuck you this is what you get and you don’t throw a fit”
That’s weird because it’s not like they’re getting bigger. The iPhone has been the same size since like the X.
I can relate to both sides of this fight, but to lend my POV on Apple’s stance, they have a valid argument.
When you sign the developer agreement and submit an app to the App Store, you are entering into a contract to make concessions to Apple’s business model, and Epic clearly violated these T&Cs.
If Epic truly wanted to institute change in App Store policies in order to maximize their profits from Fortnite, they would have first engaged Apple to initiate the discussion and work towards an amicable solution, which Apple would likely flat out deny. It’s at this point that Epic could have used its substantial presence in the industry to rally the developers, the press, and its own user base to stand up to Apple policies and effect that change.
As it stands, their decision to wait for their assured dismissal from the App Store to pursue litigation and position themselves as trying to “stand up for indie developers” comes off as insincere and primarily seeking publicity based on Apple’s action in simply abiding by its own long established policies.
Note: While I am primarily a Mac user in my personal life, I tend to be very critical of Apple’s business practices in general, and while I have my own negative opinions about Fortnite’s transactional model, I try to be unbiased in my response to their actions and subsequent behavior.
