What are third-party app developers worth to Apple? What is access to V Apple's platform worth to developers? While the past year has brought squabbles and lawsuits and regulations related to such things as dating apps in the Netherlands (fave.co/3VSSQNM), the core issue is this: The iPhone and its App Store have generated an enormous amount of money, and as is so often the case, all the involved parties would like to have more of it.
What's clear, at least right now, is that Apple has decided to fight any court- or regulator-mandated reduction in the amount of money it takes from the App Store ecosystem. (Apple itself has reduced its cut voluntarily a few times, including for subscriptions that last longer than a year and for developers who make less than a million dollars in revenue.)
What's also clear is that Apple doesn't feel that the 30 percent it takes from most App Store transactions is a fee for running the App Store and handling its finances. Instead, Apple feels that it is money owed to Apple for the creation and maintenance of the iPhone as a platform for third-party apps. It's not just credit-card transactions, bandwidth from servers, and the salaries of the App Store's approval and editorial teams. It's Xcode, documentation, and developer relations. And most of all, it's access to a billion people who use and love their iPhones.
PARTY LIKE IT'S 2007
When Apple introduced the iPhone, it didn't have an App Store. From the moment the iPhone was announced, everyone speculated that it was only a matter of time until one was created, and a bit more than a year later, Apple announced that it would allow developers to create iPhone apps and sell them in the App Store.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
GAMESIR X2S TYPE C: TURN YOUR iPHONE INTO A SMALL STEAM DECK
If you're serious about getting a better handle on your iPhone gaming, consider a gamepad, an external device that provides physical controls-actual buttons, joysticks, direction pads, and more.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT APPLES NEW IPAD PRO M4
HERE'S ALL THE LATEST NEWS ABOUT THE iPAD PRO REFRESH.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE 2024 M2 iPAD AIR
HERE'S THE LATEST NEWS ABOUT THE NEW IPAD AIR, INCLUDING PRICING. SPECS. AND NEW FEATURES.
Are we in Apple's post-iPad era?
The new Pro and Air raise more questions about where the tablet fits in Apple’s lineup.
ANKER 675 USB-C 12-IN-1: STYLISH DOCKING STATION AND STAND COMBO
The Anker 675 USB-C 12-in-1 Docking Station and Monitor Stand solves several of your laptop's limitations in one user-friendly, stylish, friendly and functional product.
TIMBUK2 CLASSIC MESSENGER BAG: STYLISH UPDATE TO AN URBAN ICON
There was a time when a trip downtown was filled with the hustle and bustle of people. And a lot of those people sported Timbuk2's Classic Messenger Bag-not just bicycle messengers, but also commuters going to work, tourists sightseeing, and anyone else trying to get where they need to go.
Apple needs to become a software company again
The Al features baked into iOS 18 and macOS 15 need to be compelling enough to convince people to upgrade.
Don't expect the Mac Studio and Mac Pro to be updated at WWDC-or in 2024
Updates to the high-end desktop Macs won’t happen until 2025.
Apple's M3 chip lineup is a victim of the times
The chip that was supposed to be the next generation of Apple silicon has suddenly become a footnote in Apple history.
The iPad Pro's M4 chip breaks the rules and changes everything about Apple silicon
Now that the M4 iPad Pro is here, what will this mean for the chips coming to the iPhone and Mac?