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That sounds like a problem iOS will eventually deal with, as many apps are going to want this technology, and since Apple distributes apps - they aren't interes
by onlyrealcuzzo 1y ago
That sounds like a problem iOS will eventually deal with, as many apps are going to want this technology, and since Apple distributes apps - they aren't interested in the average app being 10x larger when they could solve the problem easily.
Though, I won't be surprised if they try to force devs to use their models for "privacy" (and not monopolistic reasons, of course).
- lxgr 1y agoGiven Apple's track record in dealing with the problem of ballooning app sizes, I'm not holding my breath. The incentives are just not aligned – Apple earns $$$ on each GB of extra storage users have to buy.
- bilbo0s 1y agoI was thinking that the entire time I read HN User onlyrealcuzzo's comment. Why, on Earth, would Apple ever want to solve the problem of Apps taking up more space? That's just not good business. Way better business right now to put R&D into increased memory access speeds. Apple would need to have a different business model entirely for them to have a business case for fixing this. They may fix it because they just want to help out they AI guys? Maybe in the future they're getting money from the AI guys or something? So fixing it starts to make a lot of sense. But all other things being equal, the money for Apple is in this not being fixed.
- happyopossum 1y ago> Why, on Earth, would Apple ever want to solve the problem of Apps taking up more space? To make their devices more pleasant / less frustrating to use. They’ve got a long track record of introducing features that reduce app size, speed up installs, and reduce storage use from infrequently used apps - there’s no reason to believe they’d stop doing that except for cynical vitriol.
- elpakal 1y agoI don't know how true your comment is about them earning money on each GB, but if you're interested in app size analysis on iOS I made this for that reason https://dotipa.app https://dotipa.app. I occasionally post decompositions of public .ipa's on the App Store, and I'm looking forward to seeing how these change over the next year.
- lxgr 1y agoIt seems straightforward to me: Apps take up storage, and the only way to get more of that is to pay Apple's markups, as iOS devices don't support upgradable storage. On top of the already hefty markup, they don't even take storage capacity into consideration for trade-ins.
- theyinwhy 1y agoI am not aware of any phone allowing storage upgrades.
- debugnik 1y agoThat would be microSD cards, for which iPhones don't have slots.
- diggan 1y agoProbably most phones before the iPhone (and many afterwards) had SD cards support, you've really never came across that? I remember my Sony Ericsson around 2004 or something had support for it even.
- hu3 1y agomicroSD. Of course, never supported in any iPhone.
- numpad0 1y agoThey earn from in-app purchases too!
- bilbo0s 1y agoNot anymore! Only half joking. I really do think the majority of that revenue will be going away.
- numpad0 1y agoOh no. It just could. The App Store is slowly regressing into a gambling area and there are obviously people in power that don't like it. I think if it were to go, it'll take Android sideloading with it and we'll be miles closer to some computing doomsday scenario. Oh no.
- int_19h 1y agohttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-20/apple-to-open-ai-models-to-developers-betting-that-it-will-spur-new-apps https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-20/apple-to-...