Apple and Google are no longer allowed to force developers to exclusively use their own payment system (and consequentially be subjected to service fees), at least in South Korea.
Last week, we reported that the South Korean government was looking to vote on the Telecommunications Business Act, a bill that includes an amendment that aims to force Apple and Google to make some sweeping changes to their digital storefronts. In South Korea the bill is known in short-hand as the "anti-Google bill," but obviously a lot of the focus is more on Apple's App Store. Generally speaking, though, the South Korean government believes this bill should help reign in any company with a monopolistic, or dominant, market position.
Some people believe it's a negative that Apple controls so much of the iPhone experience. Some of those people would point to the Mac and say, "See? They don't have to have such a heavy-handed approach" and maybe they're onto something. But a lot of folks out there don't see it the same way, calling Apple's "guiding hand" just one less thing they need to think about on a day-to-day basis.
The App Store has been the focal point of a lot of scrutiny lately. And it appears that Apple is finally ready to start making some changes based on that feedback, at least in part. Today, the company has announced some major changes coming to the digital storefront, all thanks to an agreement with developers in the United States.
There is a lot of attention on how Google and Apple handle their respective digital storefronts. Some of that attention is all about making changes -- especially when it comes to Apple's App Store. And it looks like one bill from a major economy could set the stage for future change across the board. Which Apple is obviously not too pleased with.
There are many app developers out there in the wild that are more than happy to work with Apple, and work within Apple's App Store ecosystem and rules. Even some big companies. However, there are some developers who have run afoul of Apple's review process for apps in one way or another, or take umbrage with the digital storefront's rules. For Kosta Eleftheriou, it's a bit of both.
There is a lot of attention being put on Apple's App Store these days. And Google's own option, Google Play, too, but certainly more in Apple's direction. Many people want change, including the likes of Epic Games (and Spotify and others). And some United States Senators are leaning in the same direction.
App Store Events is one of the newest features coming soon to iOS 15 and iPadOS 15. It's a way for developers to highlight in-game and in-app events that users can participate in. This new feature is going to launch to the public alongside those software updates later this year, but Apple is already testing it out.
Apple has rules and regulations in place for all sorts of things, but especially for the App Store. Developers must follow those rules if they want to keep their app(s) in the digital storefront. Sometimes those apps only get discovered for bypassing the rules, either in big ways or small, only after the app's been available for some time. (The App Store review process doesn't always catch the offenders.)
What began with Apple's introduction of the "Sign in with Apple" feature in 2019 has finally come to an end. At least for now, as one federal judge has granted Apple's motion to dismiss a long-running allegation of monopoly-like behavior from its services.
It has been almost one year since Apple launched a brand new, universal gift card for "everything Apple." At the time of launch, though, the gift card option was only available in the United States. But, today, just a few weeks short of its anniversary, availability has broadened.
There are a lot of apps out there. Whether you're browsing through Apple's App Store or Google Play, you can find an app for just about anything. In comparison, preinstalled apps aren't as numerous. But apparently they take up the lion's share of attention anyway.