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Is there Amazon Kindle app for iOS? If there is, isn't it the exact same type of app as Steam Link? Access your content library, buy more content. If Apple let

by jakubp 8y ago

Is there Amazon Kindle app for iOS? If there is, isn't it the exact same type of app as Steam Link? Access your content library, buy more content. If Apple lets Amazon do this (presumably because Amazon is too big to ignore) and won't let Steam do it (because Steam isn't big enough), then this feels more like a cartel than monopoly.

huseyinkeles 8y ago
it actually has, but you can not buy new books, only read the ones you've already bought.
Haydos585x2 8y ago
My understanding of Kindle and Audible on iOS is that Amazon does not _sell_ content on the iOS apps. You can only download/access your content. I always found this annoying with Audible and having to use my laptop to purchase and then download in the app. I haven't had an iPhone in a few years but I think the Steam app was similar.
- pragone 8y ago
  I always assumed this was because Amazon didn't want to have to pay the 30% or whatever cost to Apple for in-app purchases.
  - canuckintime 8y ago
    Precisely. Amazon's Kindle app actually predated Apple's in-app purchasing mechanics. Apple forced Amazon to remove the already in use in-app Kindle store after Apple started charging 30%
matwood 8y ago
There is, but the way the Apple app store rules work is that if you are purchasing something for use in the current app, it must go through the IAP API and give Apple their cut. Purchases for things outside the app (like physical items) are fine. The way this works with Amazon, is in the Amazon store app a user can buy ebooks/audiobooks (along with anything else Amazon sells), and then those books are sent to the Kindle app on iOS. There is no option to buy content directly in the Kindle app. I also believe the apps cannot directly link to each other as that would circumvent the above. EDIT I just checked (it had been awhile) and it looks like you can no longer buy the books within the Amazon store app either, and can only get a sample.
- jakubp 8y ago
  Ok. What if Amazon customer buys a kindle ebook on Amazon.com and then reads it on iOS Kindle app? I don't imagine Apple gets a cut in that scenario, do they? A comment here said that Valve was open to disabling buying in the app and they are still banned. Hmm. I can see how Apple's position to get some cut is reasonable, but we are talking multiplatform here. Was Valve unwilling to give Apple any cut at all? Was Apple insisting on too big a cut? What's going on?
- fma 8y ago
  So that's why I can't buy books on the app... Even though I can find it. Always confused the hell out of me but makes sense now.
- danso 8y ago
  Why is the Amazon Store app not subject to the Apple fee? I’ve always bought stuff via browser and Amazon.com
  - signal11 8y ago
    The Amazon store app doesn't sell anything which might compete with iBooks or the iTunes store, i.e. - no digital books, music or movies. In my other comment on this thread I've pointed out how this creates hilariously bad UX for iOS users.
  - matwood 8y ago
    As I edited above, it looks like Amazon changed this (or maybe it was always like that since I always use the website). According the Apple documentation though, a user should be allowed to bypass IAP for purchases that will be consumed outside the application. See: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#in-app-purchase https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#in-... https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#physical-goods-and-services https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#phy... Admittedly it has been a few years since I was deeply in iOS development dealing with this.
- signal11 8y ago

by jakubp 8y ago

huseyinkeles 8y ago

it actually has, but you can not buy new books, only read the ones you've already bought.

Haydos585x2 8y ago

My understanding of Kindle and Audible on iOS is that Amazon does not _sell_ content on the iOS apps. You can only download/access your content. I always found this annoying with Audible and having to use my laptop to purchase and then download in the app. I haven't had an iPhone in a few years but I think the Steam app was similar.

pragone 8y ago
I always assumed this was because Amazon didn't want to have to pay the 30% or whatever cost to Apple for in-app purchases.
- canuckintime 8y ago
  Precisely. Amazon's Kindle app actually predated Apple's in-app purchasing mechanics. Apple forced Amazon to remove the already in use in-app Kindle store after Apple started charging 30%

matwood 8y ago

There is, but the way the Apple app store rules work is that if you are purchasing something for use in the current app, it must go through the IAP API and give Apple their cut. Purchases for things outside the app (like physical items) are fine. The way this works with Amazon, is in the Amazon store app a user can buy ebooks/audiobooks (along with anything else Amazon sells), and then those books are sent to the Kindle app on iOS. There is no option to buy content directly in the Kindle app. I also believe the apps cannot directly link to each other as that would circumvent the above. EDIT I just checked (it had been awhile) and it looks like you can no longer buy the books within the Amazon store app either, and can only get a sample.

jakubp 8y ago
Ok. What if Amazon customer buys a kindle ebook on Amazon.com and then reads it on iOS Kindle app? I don't imagine Apple gets a cut in that scenario, do they? A comment here said that Valve was open to disabling buying in the app and they are still banned. Hmm. I can see how Apple's position to get some cut is reasonable, but we are talking multiplatform here. Was Valve unwilling to give Apple any cut at all? Was Apple insisting on too big a cut? What's going on?
fma 8y ago
So that's why I can't buy books on the app... Even though I can find it. Always confused the hell out of me but makes sense now.
danso 8y ago
Why is the Amazon Store app not subject to the Apple fee? I’ve always bought stuff via browser and Amazon.com
- signal11 8y ago
  The Amazon store app doesn't sell anything which might compete with iBooks or the iTunes store, i.e. - no digital books, music or movies. In my other comment on this thread I've pointed out how this creates hilariously bad UX for iOS users.
- matwood 8y ago
  As I edited above, it looks like Amazon changed this (or maybe it was always like that since I always use the website). According the Apple documentation though, a user should be allowed to bypass IAP for purchases that will be consumed outside the application. See: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#in-app-purchase https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#in-... https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#physical-goods-and-services https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#phy... Admittedly it has been a few years since I was deeply in iOS development dealing with this.
signal11 8y ago