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The core question here is whether we consider the app store on mobile OS' to be part of the OS, or a separate product. Apple believes the App Store and iOS to
by curryst 5y ago
The core question here is whether we consider the app store on mobile OS' to be part of the OS, or a separate product. Apple believes the App Store and iOS to be one inseparable unit; you cannot have one without the other. They are the same product. Google on the other hand, does not. They want to spread their proprietary services throughout everything, but you can make a usable version of Android without Google Play. It's degraded, but it works.
If they are distinct products, then it sure looks like Apple using market dominance to push competitors out of the app store space. If they are the same product, then it seems reasonable for Apple to charge whatever fee they like for distribution to their products.
I tend to think they are distinct products. Competitors are able to treat them as distinct products, so there isn't a technical reason they must be unified. There is some consumer benefit in reduced cybercrime from a curated app store, but there is also consumer harm in the loss of choice (i.e. using an app store that allows torrent clients or porn).
- zepto 5y ago> Competitors are able to treat them as distinct products, so there isn't a technical reason they must be unified. This is faulty reasoning. There are technical reasons, and competitors choose a different set of trade-offs. > there is also consumer harm in the loss of choice There is no such harm, since as you have pointed out, competitors are available for consumer who want those things.
- salamandersauce 5y agoBut what if I want a torrent client AND a way to watch my iTunes purchases on my phone? Heck not even iTunes purchases, movies I have on iTunes from digital codes from Blu-ray bundles. (And before someone mentions Movies Anywhere, that's US only)
- zepto 5y agoWhat if I want an electric toothbrush AND a way to play my iTunes purchases?
- ksec 5y ago>There is no such harm There is harm to developers or companies where Apple is holding access to a large market.
- zepto 5y agoApple’s role is beneficial to the market. Their curation enables consumer trust.
- salamandersauce 5y agoLol. False trust at best. There's still scams to be had on the App Store.
- zepto 5y agoA few scams slip through, but millions are stopped. You may not care, but a lot of people have been saved from a lot of problems. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2021/05/app-store-stopped-over-1-5-billion-in-suspect-transactions-in-2020/ https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2021/05/app-store-stopped-ove...
- ksec 5y agoThere are only 2 Million App on App Store. That 1 million Apps rejected seems another one of those Apple number which is missing context. As they have been doing in the past 5 - 6 years.
- zepto 5y agoIt’s easier to a attempt a scam than create a real app. So there is no reason to doubt this number. The App Store is protecting people.
- ksec 5y agoExcept we have plenty of evidence of Scams, and plenty of evidence of Apple blocking the perfectly valid apps. And more that App Store isn't only about protecting people but also act as competitive advantage. All of the above were exposed in the current EPIC vs Apple Trial ( Although those evidence are not of particular used in the EPIC trial itself ) You might think all of that are ok in US, these practices dont sit well in Euro Centric Minds.