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And your reading of the situation lacks one crucial piece of information: Apple does not allow app authors to forward the “Apple tax” to the user. For example,

by Hermel 6y ago

And your reading of the situation lacks one crucial piece of information: Apple does not allow app authors to forward the “Apple tax” to the user. For example, if a newspaper subscription costs 300$ on the website, the publisher must not charge more than that in the app store event though he only gets 210$ after the “Apple tax”.

pwinnski 6y ago
That has not been true since 2011, nine years ago! https://venturebeat.com/2011/06/09/apple-backtracks-on-in-app-subscriptions/ https://venturebeat.com/2011/06/09/apple-backtracks-on-in-ap...
- toyg 6y ago
  As your sibling comment demonstrates, Apple will try and try again to reinstate that policy. One way or the other, they’ll squeeze developers until the last ounce of profit goes to Apple. They are the supermarket chain of software now, and that’s what supermarket chains do.
  - Spivak 6y ago
    I mean if you're going to hang Apple for crimes they haven't committed yet then you could at least be more creative about them. Apple is going to force all apps that offer messaging as a feature to integrate with iMessage! Apple is going to force companies with an iOS app to turn over 30% of their total gross revenue! And it's additive! If you don't buy an iCloud subscription Apple is going to randomly delete some of your alarms!
    - toyg 6y ago
      You joke, but that’s what they do. Even with no rule change, the obligation to have IAPs has clearly ramped up in the last year or so, simply by getting reviewers go through each and every app-screen with a finer comb. What else will they ramp up in order to increase their profits? All developers in the appstore are effectively sharecroppers; when the landowner needs some money, he can squeeze them at will.
  - pwinnski 6y ago
    I don't think this is true. Look, Apple does all kinds of terrible things, and I definitely think the government ought to take action against them. But Apple one time, in 2011, announced that they were going to put in a rule that you couldn't charge a different amount outside the App Store than inside, and when furor erupted, they never implemented the policy. That's it. One time, never actually in practice. They are still 100% terrible with this nonsense about not being allowed to link to or even mention alternative forms of payment, but let's focus on what they actually do that's bad, rather than what we imagine they might like to do in alternate realities.
    - deleted 6y ago
      [deleted]
enragedcacti 6y ago
This isn't actually the case. That policy was part of a set of changes that were meant to go into effect in July but that Apple rolled back. You're allowed to charge a different price but you can't tell the user that they can get it cheaper elsewhere or that you're paying 30% to Apple.
- kodah 6y ago
  Man, I thought the first one was damning, but uh, this second explanation is just more plain non-competitive behavior.

by Hermel 6y ago

pwinnski 6y ago

That has not been true since 2011, nine years ago! https://venturebeat.com/2011/06/09/apple-backtracks-on-in-app-subscriptions/ https://venturebeat.com/2011/06/09/apple-backtracks-on-in-ap...

toyg 6y ago
As your sibling comment demonstrates, Apple will try and try again to reinstate that policy. One way or the other, they’ll squeeze developers until the last ounce of profit goes to Apple. They are the supermarket chain of software now, and that’s what supermarket chains do.
- Spivak 6y ago
  I mean if you're going to hang Apple for crimes they haven't committed yet then you could at least be more creative about them. Apple is going to force all apps that offer messaging as a feature to integrate with iMessage! Apple is going to force companies with an iOS app to turn over 30% of their total gross revenue! And it's additive! If you don't buy an iCloud subscription Apple is going to randomly delete some of your alarms!
  - toyg 6y ago
    You joke, but that’s what they do. Even with no rule change, the obligation to have IAPs has clearly ramped up in the last year or so, simply by getting reviewers go through each and every app-screen with a finer comb. What else will they ramp up in order to increase their profits? All developers in the appstore are effectively sharecroppers; when the landowner needs some money, he can squeeze them at will.
- pwinnski 6y ago
  I don't think this is true. Look, Apple does all kinds of terrible things, and I definitely think the government ought to take action against them. But Apple one time, in 2011, announced that they were going to put in a rule that you couldn't charge a different amount outside the App Store than inside, and when furor erupted, they never implemented the policy. That's it. One time, never actually in practice. They are still 100% terrible with this nonsense about not being allowed to link to or even mention alternative forms of payment, but let's focus on what they actually do that's bad, rather than what we imagine they might like to do in alternate realities.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]

enragedcacti 6y ago

This isn't actually the case. That policy was part of a set of changes that were meant to go into effect in July but that Apple rolled back. You're allowed to charge a different price but you can't tell the user that they can get it cheaper elsewhere or that you're paying 30% to Apple.

kodah 6y ago
Man, I thought the first one was damning, but uh, this second explanation is just more plain non-competitive behavior.