If there’s a segment of Apple’s business that seems to fly in the face of the company’s philosophy—not just in terms of making a product that is substandard or lackluster—but in terms of actually being at odds with the way it otherwise does business, you couldn’t put forth a more prominent example than the App Store.
The discussion, always at a constant simmer in the Apple community, bubbled up once again last week even as Apple CEO Tim Cook was grilled by lawmakers over antitrust concerns. Developers, regularly dissatisfied with the company’s lack of transparency and equality over rules, took the opportunity to renew criticism of not only that, but the hefty 30 percent cut of proceeds.
The App Store has been a profitable business for both developers and Apple in the decade-plus since its launch, but there’s a strong argument that as much of its benefits have accrued to those making the apps that feed it, just as much—if not more—has found its way into the coffers of the platform owner. Enough so that the company has built an entire fast-growing segment of its income around Services, amongst which the App Store is undoubtedly the crown jewel.
Apple’s impetus to keep on keeping on isn’t hard to understand. But, as the App Store embarks upon its second decade of operation, it may at least be worthwhile to investigate what changes could be made to improve it.
THE UNKINDEST CUT
Esta historia es de la edición December 2020 de Macworld.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición December 2020 de Macworld.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Mac 911
Solutions to your most vexing Mac problems.
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: Great-sounding headphones that support aptX
B&W's new top-of-the-range Bluetooth earbuds sound great and include an innovative smart case that supports aptX technology for high-quality audio-even on Apple devices.
AirPods versus AirPods Pro: How they compare
Don't know whether to buy the AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with ANC, or AirPods Pro 2? Here's how they stack up.
Apple's true hit of 2024 isn't the iPhone 16
Apple's unsung hero of the fall is the AirPods 4.
Ugreen Revodok Pro 210: Decent speeds at a nice price
A hub for users who don't need top performance from their connections.
Anker Prime 100W GaN Wall Charger: Clever and compact
Anker proves that with a clever design, you can also achieve compact dimensions suitable for traveling.
Wombat Willow: A solid typing tool with some quirks
This isn't a keyboard that lets you simply plug in and go-you need to read the manual.
pdfFiller: An overpriced, half-baked PDF editor for macOS
A basic PDF editor that doesn't fulfill its promises and costs too much.
iPHONE 16 & 16 PLUS REVIEW: THE PHONE FOR EVERYONE CREEPS INTO PRO TERRITORY
APPLE'S BEST ALL-AROUND PHONE IS BETTER AND ALL-AROUNDER.
APPLE WATCH SERIES 10 REVIEW: MODEST IMPROVEMENTS TO A PROVEN FORMULA
IF YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR A BIG APPLE WATCH REVAMP, THIS ISN'T IT, BUT IT'S STILL THE BEST SMARTWATCH AROUND.