5 ms·

I found myself actually able to use browser to purchase Kindle books on iPhone now, is it because of this lawsuit?

lxgr 3y ago
Do you mean an in-app browser in the Kindle app, or just amazon.com in Safari? I don't see how Apple would prohibit me from visiting a website, and they've allowed use of content/subscriptions purchased elsewhere in iOS apps for a while now. What has not been allowed (at least until today) is to directly link to that external website.
radley 3y ago
Apple can't control browser content, only capabilities, so you could always make purchases via Safari, Chrome, etc.
ncallaway 3y ago
No, in a regular browser you can make purchases on Amazon like normal. If you attempt to purchase a kindle book from within the kindle app, you will not be able to. Nor will there be any messaging explaining how to make a purchase (because apple does not allow such messaging). You’ll just be mysteriously confused about why you can’t buy a book.
- LeafItAlone 3y ago
  Why can I buy an Audible audiobook directly in the app on iOS (and for cheaper than listed on Amazon), but not a Kindle book?
  - ncallaway 3y ago
    Someone in Amazon probably decided that Audible's unit economics could afford to take a 30% cut, while Kindle's could not. I'm not surprised, since you can often buy a Kindle + Audible book for cheaper than buying the Audible book alone. If you look at the Audible book (such as Wool https://www.audible.com/pd/Wool-Audiobook/B0BKR3Y6SP https://www.audible.com/pd/Wool-Audiobook/B0BKR3Y6SP) the price is often higher than if you look at the Kindle book price, and adding the Audible narration (https://www.amazon.com/Wool-Hugh-Howey-ebook/dp/B088SY4GSD https://www.amazon.com/Wool-Hugh-Howey-ebook/dp/B088SY4GSD). In the Wool example, the Audible book is $31.64, but the Kindle book with the audible add-on is $9.48 ($1.99 + $7.49). Even if the Kindle book was selling for "list price", it would still be cheaper at $27.48. So, I'm guessing there's just a lot less margin headroom to eat a 30% cut on Kindle prices, but plenty to eat that on Audible's prices.
  - halostatue 3y ago
    You can't. You can use your credits from your subscription, but you cannot pay for a new audiobook in the app.
    - hildebrand_rare 3y ago
      They changed this recently, and do allow direct in-app purchases now. In some random podcast interview with an exec at Amazon, I remember them saying that each team gets to make their own independent decision on this, and Audible as a unit decided to allow in-app purchases and pay Apple their cut.
    - deleted 3y ago
      [deleted]
    - LeafItAlone 3y ago
      Yes you can. I just did. And it was cheaper than the listed price on web. It’s a relatively recent feature (past year), but it’s possible.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
  - kelnos 3y ago
    Because the Audible unit at Amazon set their own policy on this, and decided it was better for them and their users to pay Apple's 30% cut. No idea why the price through the app was better than the price on the website. Maybe some kind of promotion? Weird.

lxgr 3y ago

Do you mean an in-app browser in the Kindle app, or just amazon.com in Safari? I don't see how Apple would prohibit me from visiting a website, and they've allowed use of content/subscriptions purchased elsewhere in iOS apps for a while now. What has not been allowed (at least until today) is to directly link to that external website.

radley 3y ago

Apple can't control browser content, only capabilities, so you could always make purchases via Safari, Chrome, etc.

ncallaway 3y ago

No, in a regular browser you can make purchases on Amazon like normal. If you attempt to purchase a kindle book from within the kindle app, you will not be able to. Nor will there be any messaging explaining how to make a purchase (because apple does not allow such messaging). You’ll just be mysteriously confused about why you can’t buy a book.

LeafItAlone 3y ago
Why can I buy an Audible audiobook directly in the app on iOS (and for cheaper than listed on Amazon), but not a Kindle book?
- ncallaway 3y ago
  Someone in Amazon probably decided that Audible's unit economics could afford to take a 30% cut, while Kindle's could not. I'm not surprised, since you can often buy a Kindle + Audible book for cheaper than buying the Audible book alone. If you look at the Audible book (such as Wool https://www.audible.com/pd/Wool-Audiobook/B0BKR3Y6SP https://www.audible.com/pd/Wool-Audiobook/B0BKR3Y6SP) the price is often higher than if you look at the Kindle book price, and adding the Audible narration (https://www.amazon.com/Wool-Hugh-Howey-ebook/dp/B088SY4GSD https://www.amazon.com/Wool-Hugh-Howey-ebook/dp/B088SY4GSD). In the Wool example, the Audible book is $31.64, but the Kindle book with the audible add-on is $9.48 ($1.99 + $7.49). Even if the Kindle book was selling for "list price", it would still be cheaper at $27.48. So, I'm guessing there's just a lot less margin headroom to eat a 30% cut on Kindle prices, but plenty to eat that on Audible's prices.
- halostatue 3y ago
  You can't. You can use your credits from your subscription, but you cannot pay for a new audiobook in the app.
  - hildebrand_rare 3y ago
    They changed this recently, and do allow direct in-app purchases now. In some random podcast interview with an exec at Amazon, I remember them saying that each team gets to make their own independent decision on this, and Audible as a unit decided to allow in-app purchases and pay Apple their cut.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
  - LeafItAlone 3y ago
    Yes you can. I just did. And it was cheaper than the listed price on web. It’s a relatively recent feature (past year), but it’s possible.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- kelnos 3y ago
  Because the Audible unit at Amazon set their own policy on this, and decided it was better for them and their users to pay Apple's 30% cut. No idea why the price through the app was better than the price on the website. Maybe some kind of promotion? Weird.