iOS 17.4 Introduces Alternative App Marketplaces With No Commission in EU

[AppliedMicro]

App developers who choose to continue to distribute under the App Store will pay Apple reduced commission with the new terms. Apple is dropping the 30 percent commission to 17 percent, and the 15 percent commission paid for subscriptions over a year old or by small businesses will drop to 10 percent. Apple says the vast majority of apps will qualify for the 10 percent rate.

So much for all the „Apple is just breaking even at 30/15 percent“ and „it‘s a normal retail margin“.

 

[PommeFruits]

Sounds like Apple is relinquishing some control, contrary to recent articles stating otherwise!

Only because they're legally forced to.

 

[platinumaqua]

So is it possible to install other apps directly without going through another app store?

 

[poorcody]

Assuming the US situation doesn't change in the medium term, it actually will be a nice experiment between the two approaches. We'll get to see if there is more malware, tech problems, quality changes, greater choice, increased support costs, etc. in Europe compared to America.

 

[fishmoose]

This will be huge for adult content, anything else I kind of doubt it.

 

[DoogH]

Apple is reducing their cut to 17%. It’s almost like competition is good for the consumer.

 

[eilavid]

Why will you have to install all these app stores?

I would like to continue to use the Office suite, for example. Apple's iWork offerings aren't up to par

 

[FlyingDutch]

Only if you opt into the new terms by paying the other fees like app install ones after a certain threshold.
If you stay with the current terms, you continue paying the current fees.

Who would do that in EU ?

 

[Wags]

Wonder if this will open up Apple to just blame other app stores or downloads with any malware & etc issues.
Apple evidently putting labels on apps to inform not from them.

 

[klasma]

MacRumors seems to have forgotten to link to the announcement: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2024...fari-and-the-app-store-in-the-european-union/

 

[lanomds1]

FINALLY the NFC feature will be available so here in Lisbon we may finally be able to board metro/trains/bus with our iPhones. I think it's great news for us EU folks.

 

[yabeweb]

Wonder when we will see the first alternative store….. I am ready!

 

[Rogifan]

I would like to continue to use the Office suite, for example. Apple's iWork offerings aren't up to par

Why wouldn’t you be able to use it in the future? I’m assuming any apps you have on your device aren’t going away.

 

[antnythr]

I’d like it if free open source applications were not subject to the number of installs limitation.

Not that you can’t just build and install the apps yourself if you want to, but having a place where someone has already packaged something up and can be installed easily would be nice.

 

[supergt]

Wonder when we will see the first alternative store….. I am ready!

Apz Store coming soon!

 

[eilavid]

So only EU users get access to non-WebKit browsers?

"To reflect the DMA’s changes, developers will be able to use alternative browser engines — other than WebKit — for dedicated browser apps and apps providing in-app browsing experiences in the EU."

Seems like it

 

[cRuNcHiE]

Eagerly awaiting to see if the UK is included in this now we’ve left the EU.

 

[PommeFruits]

such a stupid thing to do

Yeah I too hate having choices!

 

[fishmoose]

Eagerly awaiting to see if the UK is included in this now we’ve left the EU.

The U.K won’t be, EU member states only.

 

[SoldOnApple]

So if you make a free app that goes viral and has 3 million installs, you need to pay Apple a million euro in core technology fees?

 

[supergt]

Eagerly awaiting to see if the UK is included in this now we’ve left the EU.

Haha I hope you're joking. Keep waiting.

 

[Appleman3546]

It will be interesting to see whether the pay per install fee will experience litigation. But I hope that Apple does this in other countries too instead of just the EU, because regulators are certainly going to scratch their heads why Apple didn’t do this for all countries other than greed

 

[hieranonymous]

Considering Spotify, Meta, Epic Games and Microsoft are already planning to launch their own App Stores, I'm not looking forward to having dozens of app stores installed at all

Yeah, one of the things I genuinely love about iOS the lack of multiple storefronts. If major developers start setting up their own vanity storefronts just to install their apps, it’s gonna be like the streaming wars but ten times more annoying.

 

[mthomas184]

Now bring it to the US so we can use a full-featured version of Firefox.

Unless the government forces them like the EU, I dont ever see this happening unfortunately.


Edit: There ya have it. Apple explains why it will not make major iOS policy changes outside of the EU

 

[Dremmel]

Apple you could have avoided ALL of this just by fixing the App Store Search and being a bit more flexible earlier on. Still, I won't be installing any other app stores.