You butchered it alright. Get real, almost nobody buys their phone based on a closed or open ecosystem. Most consumers probably couldn’t even tell you what a “closed ecosystem” or “open ecosystem” even means, let alone make a purchasing decision based on it.
Which means, by definition, people are forced to use those stores if they want the app. It is EXACTLY as they said.
Precisely, other emulators on the App Store means you download one of Delta’s competitors from there. Unlike smartphone platforms, of which there are just two, there are typically myriad apps that do the same thing. Many of which will be on the App Store to get the highest exposure to consumers.
Of course I did. I’ve always said Apple and Epic both use the laws to their advantage. See below.
The creation of alternative App Stores changes the ecosystem that many have liked and enjoy. One can say, "Well, then don't use alternative App Stores because everything else is the same." I argue, "Not true." With every change like this there are pros/cons. For example, once upon a time NCAA Football Bowl games were all available for free on over the air TV. Not anymore. If you want to watch most sports, you need to have some type of subscription TV service (cable et al) The same thing will happen here. Apps will migrate out of the App Store. Thus, what was a simple process will become more complicated; what was once a one stop shop will require more work.
The competition isn't really between stores. It's between apps and hardware. If the EU had ever bothered to do their homework and actually study the history of software development on both closed and open platforms they would have understood that part of it. Look at consoles as an easy example: people don't talk about the stores as being important to a new console generation at all. They talk about which company has the best hardware and the best lineup of games.
Emulators are free and (wink wink, nudge nudge) should only be used for running games you already own. So there's no real economic or competitive benefit to emulators being available in mobile stores.
And they're not even following their own rules for "gatekeepers". The iPadOS App Store in the EU has 50% of the active monthly users that are required for the DMA to apply.
If they are influenced or not, it's none of my business.In fact, as a consumer I look what is best for me. And what Apple is doing is not consumer friendly and also in my opinion anti-competitive. Why don't let the users choose how they want to use their device? Idk why it's so difficult for apple to understand.
If Apple was really anti-competitive they would have mediocre hardware and a half-assed selection of apps while still raking in the $$. That's the purpose of being anti-competitive: you don't have to bother with improving your products and services. But of course everyone knows that isn't the case with Apple. Example: their focus on developing their own SoCs for iPhone significantly improved the product relative to what off-the-shelf performance would have been and they extended that approach to their desktop/laptop lineup later on. Apple currently has some of the best performance per watt chips for consumer products on Earth.
You should worry about if your politicians are influenced because while you think that things are working out in your best interest now, it doesn't always mean it will be. And you will be one of the first ones complaining about it.
You are right, out of context of the goals of our societies, nobody should touch the product a company wishes to sell.
Epic has desperately tried for years to cleverly obfuscate that this struggle is purely about money and their attempts to get as much of it as humanly possible. Making the struggle about "rights" or "freedom" is just insulting. Apple on day #1 outlined their policies, EPIC knew it, EPIC got rich off it, and EPIC violated it willingly and deliberately. Now EPIC is making Apple out to be some evil empire attempting to squash EPIC's ongoing struggle for freedom and oppression on behalf of the common man. EPIC needs to stop this ridiculous charade and turn all of their efforts on all the sweats in their lobbies...I love getting sniped right off spawn by a level 550 with a legendary reaper when I don't even have a weapon yet. Talk about oppression...
With Apple soon to be required to bring the same EU changes that it made on the iPhone to the iPad, Epic Games today confirmed that it will release Fortnite for the iPad in the future.
Epic Games is already working to release an iPhone version of Fortnite in the EU, with the game set to be available from the forthcoming Epic Games Store, an alternative app marketplace. The iPhone version of Fortnite is coming "soon," and an iPad version will follow "this year."
The European Commission said this morning that iPadOS, the operating system designed to run on the iPad, is considered a digital gatekeeper under the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA). As a result, Apple has six months to comply with the requirements set by the DMA, and we've already seen those requirements implemented on iPhone.
As of iOS 17.4, iPhone users in the European Union can download apps from alternative app marketplaces rather than the App Store, and starting in iOS 17.5, apps are available directly from developer websites. Right now, only iPhone apps can be downloaded outside of the App Store, but Apple will need to expand this functionality to the iPad as well.
Within six months, EU users will be able to download iPad apps from alternative app marketplaces and from websites. As with the iPhone updates, the upcoming changes are limited to the European Union, and the iPad app ecosystem will function as is in the rest of the world.
Article Link: Epic Games to Bring Fortnite to iPad in EU After iPadOS 'Gatekeeper' Decision
iOS/Android currently dominate mobile because they were better operating system solutions for smartphones than what previously existed. In other words, they were MORE innovative than what EU companies like Nokia and Ericsson were offering at the time. And nobody can deny that the evolution of mobile hardware for iPhone and Android is easily at the level or better than what was concurrently happening for desktop/laptop hardware. The 2007 iPhone looks positively prehistoric compared to the 2023 iPhone in terms of performance and functionality.
Are you unfamiliar with the European Commission‘s claim that Apple received favorable tax status in Ireland?
If third party app stores are full of only apps that would never have been available in Apple’s app store, then the ruling wouldn’t be a loss to any consumers. But if there are any apps that would have been in Apple’s app store but now are not because they’re allowed to be in third party app stores, then it’s a loss to consumers who wanted all their apps available in one first party location. The latter is much more likely the case. This isn't a win for all consumers, it’s a win for all developers.Why would it be a loss for those who don't plan on installing from 3rd party stores though? What difference would it make for them (other than perhaps hurt pride while stanning for their favourite brand).
