App Store

Update: Responses from Epic and Spotify added below.

Apple’s App Store commission cut is a very clever way to reduce the antitrust pressure on the company, but it’s not a magic bullet. Early responses suggest that both complaints and investigations will continue.

Apple has reduced its commission from 30% to 15% for the overwhelming majority of developers – all those earning less than a million dollars a year in net revenue …

Apple’s new Small Business Program represents a massive U-turn by the company, disguised as something far smaller.

The company has been coming under antitrust fire around the world, with most of the attention focused on the 30% commission it charges to developers. Apple has previously dismissed any suggestion that it should reduce this rate …

Apple has announced a notable change to its App Store commission structure today. The company is launching the App Store Small Business Program, which will lower the App Store commission to 15% for developers who earned up to $1 million in proceeds during the previous calendar year.

As Apple has already confirmed and we have detailed here, the new Macs with the M1 chip will run iOS apps natively. And to push this feature forward, Apple will add nearly all iOS apps to the Mac App Store. However, there are some apps that will not be available to Mac users — either by developer choice or compatibility issues.

Apple has announced today that developers will be required to provide new privacy details to users in the App Store starting December 8. These privacy “nutrition labels” were first introduced at WWDC over the summer, with Apple saying the goal is to better inform consumers of the privacy practices of individual applications.

Apple announced today that the App Store prices in Brazil, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Russia, and South Africa will be increased in the next days. Price changes affect the apps and in-app purchases available, but Apple doesn’t say if services like Apple Music and iCloud subscription will also have the price readjusted.

Epic Games has stepped up its rhetoric against Apple, claiming that the App Store contract is illegal and that Apple’s view of what is reasonable is “crazy and misguided.”

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney yesterday tweeted his view on the dispute …

Back in 2016, Apple let Nintendo offer Super Mario Run for pre-order via the App Store as the app was featured during the iPhone 7 keynote. Then, in 2017, the company made this feature available to all developers. As of today, developers can offer apps for pre-order on the App Store up to 180 days before the release date.

Microsoft is out today with an update to its app store that features 10 new policies to “promote choice, fairness and innovation.” While detailing the changes, the company took a shot at Apple over its App Store rules. Notably, the move sees Microsoft align with the Coalition for App Fairness that’s leading the Apple antitrust charge.

Sensor Tower last week estimated Q3 App Store revenue at $19B, up 31% year-on-year. App Annie is now out with its own data and estimates a somewhat more conservative 20% growth to $18B.

Both agree on two key points, however …

The former Apple App Store head told the congressional antitrust committee that the Cupertino company uses its convoluted rules ‘as a weapon against competitors.’ He cited Apple Arcade as evidence of this, the company allowing its own subscription gaming service when it bans things like Xbox Game Pass.

Former App Store director Phil Shoemaker said that Apple creates ‘arbitrary’ rules which allow it to block or hinder unwanted competitors to its own apps and services …

Apple’s App Store revenue grew 31% year-on-year in Q3, climbing from $14.5B last year to $19B this year, according to Sensor Tower analytics data.

Google Play revenue grew even faster, with 33.8% growth, but still only managed a little over half of Apple’s numbers at $10.3B …

Draft European Union legislation raises the possibility that pre-installed Apple apps might be banned in Europe. Instead, consumers would be offered the option of installing them, creating a more level playing field between Apple and third-party developers offering competing apps.

The Digital Services Act also proposes to apply limits to the powers of ‘gatekeeper platforms’ like Apple’s App Store …

Apple is today responding to increasing antitrust pressure with an App Store PR blitz. This includes a complete revamp of its main App Store page, a new page promoting the benefits of the App Store to developers, new messaging, and a new program for developers of streaming video apps.

The response begins on Apple’s homepage, with a large banner at the top pointing visitors to the new App Store page. The headline message is ‘The apps you love from a place you can trust’ …

A number of big developers who object to Apple’s App Store policies have jointly formed the Coalition for App Fairness, a non-profit intended to coordinate efforts to do battle with Apple. Founding members include Epic Games, Spotify and Tile, each of which is involved in high-profile disputes with the iPhone maker.

It will add to the antitrust pressure faced by Apple as the coalition accuses the Cupertino company of ‘taxing consumers’ and ‘crushing innovation’ …

Following the announcement that Apple will release software updates to the public on Wednesday, the company is now accepting apps compatible with iOS 14, iPadOS 14, watchOS 7, and tvOS 14 on the App Store.