Apple has announced a new “contingent pricing” feature for subscriptions in the App Store. According to the company, this gives developers a new way to “attract and retain subscribers” by offering “a discounted subscription price as long as they’re actively subscribed to a different subscription.”
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We learned yesterday that the European Union looks set to impose an App Store anti-steering ban on Apple. That is, Apple would no longer be allowed to prevent Spotify and other music services from linking to their own company’s website for subscription sign-ups.
The ruling we’re expecting is a narrow one, in response to a complaint filed by Spotify almost four years ago now, and will likely only apply to streaming music services. But the principle is a sound one, and is unlikely to pose any great risk to Apple …
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Following last month’s announcement of the 2023 App Store Award winners, Apple has now shared an in-depth look at the most popular apps for the year. In a press release, Apple recognizes “the most popular apps and games of 2023, with year-end charts localized for users in more than 35 countries and regions.”
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Yesterday saw an Epic Games victory in its court case against Google, a jury finding that the Play Store was indeed operated in an anti-competitive fashion.
This is despite the fact that Epic mostly lost a near-identical case against Apple back in 2021. The differing conclusions in the two cases puts Apple back under pressure …
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It was confirmed back in September that Apple will need to comply with antitrust requirements relating to app sales, and it seems most likely this will require the company to allow third-party app stores on iPhones. Microsoft has now indicated its intention to run one of these.
One key driver for the plan is likely Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of mobile gaming giant Activision Blizzard …
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The ongoing back and forth between Apple and a UK antitrust watchdog will go on, London’s Court of Appeal has decided. For those keeping score at home, this particular antitrust case is over whether Apple should be investigated for two things.
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After teasing the finalists earlier this month, Apple has now unveiled the full list of App Store Award winners for 2023. AllTrails has taken home the iPhone App of the Year crown, while Photomator was crowned the Mac App of the Year. Head below for a full breakdown of the winners across all of Apple’s platforms and categories.
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Apple and Google should be held legally responsible for gatekeeping app downloads by teenagers, suggests Facebook and Instagram developer Meta.
The proposal to shift legal responsibility comes as social media platforms face increasing legal battles from parents and lawmakers alike …
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Apple and Google will be made responsible for paying Japanese sales tax on apps and in-app content sold by developers based outside the country, the government has said.
There are two different routes the companies could take to comply with the new policy …
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Apple has announced the finalists for this year’s App Store Awards, recognizing nearly 40 app and game developers across 10 different categories. These apps, Apple says, “are delivering exceptional experiences and making a profound cultural impact.”
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Apple has been under pressure in the European Union as the Digital Markets Act antitrust legislation requires the company to allow users to sideload apps outside the App Store to increase competition. 9to5Mac has now found evidence in the iOS 17.2 beta code that the company is indeed moving towards enabling sideloading on iOS devices.
Update: Apple has published new documentation for the ManagedAppDistribution API on its website confirming that it is primarily intended as an MDM solution. As we suggested in our report, it could still be used for other purposes. You can read the original article below.
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According to a new report from The Information, Apple recently fired several members of its App Store team in China over “business misconduct.” Through a year-long internal investigation, Apple reportedly uncovered a variety of misdoings, including improper contact with mobile game developers, sexual assault, and more.
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The Chinese developer behind the hugely popular Genshin Impact mobile game has twice tried to evade Apple’s 30% cut on in-app purchases, according to a new report.
This is despite a close relationship between gaming giant miHoYo and Apple, including multiple awards, a personal visit by CEO Tim Cook, and two of the company’s games being featured during the iPhone 15 launch …
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Apple’s long-running battle with Korean antitrust regulators is showing no signs of ending any time soon.
In the latest development, the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) has found both Apple and Google guilty of anti-competitive behavior, required changes to their respective app store policies, and warned of possible fines …
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A week after other companies did so, Apple has finally complied with a Chinese app law that requires developers to have a registered local company in the country.
The move comes after it was suggested that social media apps like X, Instagram, and Facebook would have to be removed from the Chinese version of the App Store …
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Apple might soon have to remove some of the App Store’s most popular apps in China. A new report from the Wall Street Journal today says that Apple will be forced to “strictly implement rules” that ban unregistered foreign apps on the App Store. Most notably, this could impact social media apps including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Twitter (currently known as X).
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Update: Reuters reports that the Chinese regulator has now published a list of 26 companies who have complied with the law, and Apple is not listed.
A range of Android app stores have taken action to comply with the latest developer clampdown in China, meeting a deadline of the end of August. Several days past the deadline, however, Apple’s Chinese App Store appears to have taken no action to comply with the new law …
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Apple has opened applications for its next Entrepreneur Camp for underrepresented founders and developers. The company is expanding its outreach to include developers from Indigenous backgrounds this year.
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The European Union has now named the six tech giants whose services will be subject to the Digital Markets Act antitrust law, with Apple as one of the so-called “gatekeepers.” It’s been confirmed that the App Store is subject to the law, while the status of iMessage remains under investigation.
In total, some 22 services operated by the the six companies are deemed sufficiently influential to be covered by law …
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The App Store has become an extremely important business for Apple, since 26% of the company’s revenue comes from services. A lot of people download apps every day, but interestingly, there seems to be a new trend in the app market. A recent research shows that users are downloading fewer apps from the US App Store. However, this doesn’t mean that developers are making less money from their apps.
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Apple has voraciously denied accusations that the App Store has monopolistic control over iPhone apps, yet the company’s ability to unilaterally close developer accounts without explanation forms a textbook antitrust case.
One small games developer had its Apple Developer Program (ADP) account terminated without explanation, was unable to appeal as it hadn’t been told what accusations it needed to address, took Apple to court – and then had its account reinstated after five months of lost sales, still without explanation or apology …
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The Digital Markets Act (DMA) legislation could force Apple to open up iPhone to third-party app stores in the EU next year and Setapp says it will be ready if that happens. The company known for its popular app subscription service has officially announced its Setapp mobile app store and is taking applications from developers who would like to join in.
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The New York Times is putting a spotlight on an ongoing challenge Apple faces with the App Store, and what parents are doing about it.
The piece highlights a website called the App Danger Project. The website uses a machine algorithm to provide two resources for parents.
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Yet another app clampdown in China looks set to cause problems for developers both inside and outside the country, but with small developers from the US and other foreign countries hit hardest.
A new law will require all developers to “file business details” with the Chinese government, in what some are saying amounts to requesting permission to make an app available through the App Store …
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