Apple has removed over 30,000 applications from the App Store in China, according to a new report from Bloomberg. The report cites new data from Qimai Research Institute, and it explains that games accounted for 90% of the app removals.
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As part of the big tech monopoly judicial hearing yesterday, the court has released many pages of documentation to support its claims against Apple’s alleged monopolistic App Store practices. One of these emails shines a light on Apple’s dealing with Amazon.
During the proceedings, Apple CEO Tim Cook said they treat every developer the same, but the details of the Amazon Prime Video deal seems to fly in the face of that …
Airbnb and ClassPass have found themselves in an interesting dispute with Apple, as they adapt their business models in response to the coronavirus crisis. Apple is, they say, now demanding a cut of their revenue.
The issue is a tricky one, but may prove yet another antitrust concern for the Cupertino company …
A new study today from Analysis Group, supported by Apple, aims to defend the 30% cut Apple takes from App Store transactions. According to the research, Apple’s App Store commission rate is similar to those of other app stores and digital content marketplaces.
Apple CEO Tim Cook recently agreed to testify to the House antitrust committee, alongside the chief execs of other tech giants, but it appears it has already heard from Microsoft’s president – who reportedly expressed concerns about the App Store.
The committee has a wide-ranging remit to see whether tech giants are guilty of anti-competitive behaviors, with Apple coming under the most scrutiny for the way it operates the App Store …
During Q2 of this year, Zoom completely shattered the previous App Store record for downloads, previously set by TikTok, according to analytics data. While TikTok notched up 67 million US downloads in Q1, reports Sensor Tower, Zoom hit almost 94 million US downloads in Q2.
Demand for the videoconferencing app was of course driven by the coronavirus crisis, which saw record numbers of people working from home. Worldwide, across Apple’s App Store and the Google Play store, Zoom became only the third app to reach 300M downloads in a quarter, joining TikTok and Pokémon GO.
Sensor Tower says Zoom wasn’t the only app to benefit …
Apple and Google should warn users about the ‘national security risks’ of apps developed by foreign entities, says the chairman of the congressional Subcommittee on National Security, Rep. Stephen Lynch.
Lynch has written to both tech giants arguing that apps by ‘our adversaries’ could be used to gather sensitive information on American citizens …
It appears that a longstanding border dispute between India and China was behind India’s partial ban on Chinese apps from the country. In one of the more bizarre elements of the story, it has been reported that Indian and Chinese soldiers fought with clubs and rocks …
Apple has brought some big changes to the refund process for in-app purchases including notifications for developers that are live now with seven different options for how to take action. Other changes to the App Store include Family Sharing now being an option for in-app purchase subscriptions, in-app purchases on Apple Watch, and more.
Following the Platforms State of the Union address this afternoon at WWDC20 Apple has shared some highlights on its new developer tech and tools to “foster the next generation of apps.” These include Xcode 12, new features in SwiftUI, App Clips and Widgets in iOS and iPadOS 14, improved access to Apple’s platforms like Find My and HomePod, as well as a new App Store Review process that gives developers a way to “challenge” guidelines.
Apple will be removing thousands of games from the Chinese App Store as it finally begins complying with a law that came into force back in 2016. It’s believed at least a third of all games in the store could be removed.
The law requires developers to obtain a license in order to publish an app in China. Although Apple has asked for the license number when apps are submitted for review, it has been turning a blind eye to loopholes used by major publishers and indies alike …
This week we’ve seen some serious tension build in the developer community with Apple as the makers of Basecamp tried to release its Hey email service iOS app, but was rejected in the App Store Review process as well as by the App Review Board and VP Phil Schiller. Now Basecamp/Hey’s CEO has written an open letter to Apple sharing the belief that this is more than just about the 30% cut that Apple takes from App Store purchases and the core issue comes down to a “lack of choice” that Apple “forcibly inserts themselves” between app developers and their customers.
Last year when Apple announced its Sidecar feature at WWDC for macOS and iPadOS, Astropad found itself Sherlocked and unsure if it would survive. A year later, the company is diversifying its business and things are looking up. Here is a cautionary tale and an inside account on the upside of being Sherlocked as well as Astropad’s thoughts on how Apple could solve its antitrust challenges…
Heading into WWDC, Apple isn’t exactly getting off to the best of starts. While outlining my view of Apple’s overall handling of the antitrust charges leveled against it, I mentioned one of the specific issues the company faces: the nature of its relationship with developers.
Developers should feel that Apple is on their side, but even ones who have had their apps featured by Apple are saying that they don’t feel this way. That Apple is, instead, an entity that can at any time and for any reason decide to kill their business.
Twenty-four hours later, things have gotten worse rather than better. First, Microsoft said that Apple and Google have a bigger antitrust case to answer than the Redmond company did some twenty years ago. But the even more damaging development came from Apple itself …
Apple has once again rejected the Facebook Gaming app on the iOS App Store, reinforcing that the company is not as open to competition. The app was being reviewed by Apple for the past few weeks, but now the company has decided to definitely reject it.
Apple is standing firm on its decision to reject the Hey email app from the App Store — and its App Store policies in general. In a new interview with TechCrunch, Apple executive Phil Schiller said that the company has no plans to change App Store rules as they are today.
Apple’s antitrust issues have again hit the headlines this week – not just once, but twice.
First, there were the two additional European Union antitrust investigations, which are just the latest in a long line of probes into Apple’s alleged anti-competitive behaviors. As a non-exhaustive list, there’s Congress, the Department of Justice, a number of US states, the EU, France, Japan, South Korea, and Russia.
Then Apple pulled Basecamp’s email app Hey from the App Store, just days after approving it …
The creators of Basecamp introduced a new email service this week, simply dubbed Hey. The subscription-based email service costs $99 per year, and that subscription is what’s now causing a battle between Basecamp and Apple’s App Store review team.
TikTok clone Zynn, which unexpectedly topped the App Store charts last month, has now been removed from both Apple and Google app stores after complaints of plagiarism and pyramid selling …
Apple is facing another anticompetitive complaint, this time filed by Rakuten who owns the Kobo ebook brand. The Financial Times reports that Kobo is filing a formal complaint that it cannot fairly compete against Apple Books in the App Store while it is subjected to sharing 30% of revenue from purchases made in the Kobo app.
Kobo is currently forced to sell all of its content through its website to avoid paying Apple 30% of revenues. This means customers cannot conveniently buy books inside of the app itself.
In a new post on its Newsroom website today, Apple touts that the App Store ecosystem supported $519 billion in billings and sales globally in 2019 alone. This data is based on a study conducted by independent economists at the Analysis Group.
Thailand is the latest in a growing number of countries seeking to impose a tax on digital services, ensuring that tech giants pay tax locally. If confirmed by parliament, it will hit Apple revenues from the App Store and Apple Music among other things …
“Just Mercy”, the film based on a true-story about racial injustice starring Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx has been made available to stream for free on Apple TV.
Meanwhile, Apple has shared a new App Story today titled “Stand Up to Racism” with a number of curated digital resources to keep informed, speak out to your elected officials, donate to charities, learn from history, support Black developers, and more.
Been on the App Store over the past few days? You might have noticed a curious new free iPhone app in the number one spot called Zynn. As it turns out it’s a TikTok clone that’s going after users of the popular app in the US. So how did it just beat out the massively popular TikTok in the App Store charts? A pyramid scheme that pays people to use it and refer friends…