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Netflix is the latest company to try bypassing Apple’s app store

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Re: Netflix is the latest company to try bypassing Apple’s app store

#251

Post by sokoloff »

bluecalm wrote: post #181
bepotts wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a consumer, I love it. I love that I buy an iPhone and Apple doesn't allow any non-trusted binaries to run on my phone, enforces strict style guidelines (the average app just looks better on my iPhone than Android IMO), has one place where all possible apps are, maintains a distribution channels that allows all my apps to be updated easily, and builds hardware and software that is designed to work together. I love…

You could still have app store and side channels. If you want security and Apple stamp of approval just use default app store. If you want cheaper apps, maybe from trustworthy trusted companies, install them as well. Supporting obligatory 30% tax on any developer work makes my blood boil. If Apple model wins it will be a disaster for innovation and salaries. I will never buy or recommended Apple products for this rea…

If you compare it thinking of it as a sales tax model, Apple’s tax rate is almost 43%.

Dev sells app for $0.69, Apple adds a 43% tax on top ($0.30), for a cost to consumer of $0.99 before paying the state/local tax.

Re: Netflix is the latest company to try bypassing Apple’s app store

#252

Post by Donzo »

threeseed wrote: post #240
Donzo wrote: post #229

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I actually just let my membership to their developer program lapse after 4 years. In addition to having to pay money to develop on their platform, the return I get is questionable. The straw was that they're forcing me to republish old programs, just to force them through their new compliance tunnels. Frankly, I'm sick of their hoops and their walled-garden. I'm ok with forcing users to the browser now. Amazon does i…

I think you're being a bit disingenuous here. The point of republishing old programs is to make sure they are running against the latest SDK. This is an important aspect for the ecosystem. It forces apps to work properly on the latest OS as well as support technologies like App Thinning. It's not just to mess you around for compliance reasons.

A website from 1996 will look much the same in a modern version of Chrome. Good luck with your SDKs.

Re: Netflix is the latest company to try bypassing Apple’s app store

#253

Post by [deleted] »

threeseed wrote: post #239
madrox wrote: post #214

I worked on an app that is in the same category as Netflix. A week before launch, Apple chose to reject us in spite of months of meetings and reviews with their app teams and assurances we were in-bounds since we were working with them for launch featuring. It came down to the fact we required an email address and password for IAP so you could bring your subscription to the web or other platforms. While everyone else…

> but as a developer whose livelihood is tied to their decisions, I'm tired of being jerked around. I am a developer of a dozen very popular apps and I couldn't disagree more with your position. Developers having a wonderful experience or sustained livelihood isn't the goal here. It's to make sure consumers are protected and cared for. As Tim Cook would put it that's their North Star.

[deleted]

Re: Netflix is the latest company to try bypassing Apple’s app store

#254

Post by TheSpiceIsLife »

dperfect wrote: post #174

> They are being redirected to the mobile web version of the app and asked to enter payment details with Netflix directly. Sorry, but if Apple's policies are applied consistently (I know they often aren't), this won't fly. I have an app with a basic email/password sign-in screen (the app represents a small part of a larger web-based SaaS product). Apple has rejected my app for including anything in the app that even…

I wonder if it would be possible for developers / other stake holders to launch an investment fund who's sole purpose is buy shares in Apple / Microsoft / etc with the view to influence internal policy.

Activist investor style.

Re: Netflix is the latest company to try bypassing Apple’s app store

#255

Post by m-p-3 »

sumeno wrote: post #168
wvenable wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a consumer, you're paying 30% on every app purchase for that privilege. That's a pretty high tax on all your apps, if you ask me.

Considering how cheap apps are an extra 30% for some level of quality guarantee is a steal

30% on a subscription-based model is not cheap. Calculate that over a year or more, and that's not exactly pocket change.

That's roughly $40 per year that goes into Apple's pocket on an $11/month subscription in the name of marginal security.

Re: Netflix is the latest company to try bypassing Apple’s app store

#256

Post by true_religion »

IMTDb wrote: post #110
markkanof wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But in a case like Netflix the whole ecosystem that Apple/Google have built aren’t providing any value for Netflix. No one discovers Netflix through the App Store. The iPhone is just one more device that Netflix will try to support because customers want to be able to access Netflix on as many different types of devices as possible. This is way different than for example an indie dev building a game that is best enjo…

Netflix can choose to disable subscribing to it's services through the app. Maybe no one "discovers" netflix through an iOS device, but apparently a lot are starting their subscription through it.

Netflix can't disable subscriptions and simply write "please go to Netflix.com to start your trial" or else Apple will reject that app.

Re: Netflix is the latest company to try bypassing Apple’s app store

#257

Post by dwaite »

macintux wrote: post #146
ballenf wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it that you love that they don't give you the choice of restricting or not restricting installs? Or simply appreciate that app vetting and security are services you're willing to pay for. It seems more like the latter, but you're expressing more like the former. I can see the value in the vetting service to a lot of people, but I just don't understand the idea of embracing a forced restriction on other people that…

> I can see the value in the vetting service to a lot of people, but I just don't understand the idea of embracing a forced restriction on other people that you happen to like yourself. Here are some benefits to the one-size-fits-all policy Apple uses: * Developers are forced to comply with Apple's rules. Otherwise companies could develop shitty apps that use private APIs to work around Apple's restrictions and then…

> * Developers are forced to comply with Apple's rules. Otherwise companies could develop shitty apps that use private APIs to work around Apple's restrictions and then force customers to open up their devices to use it.

This. Apple consistently chooses to make workaround options complex for the purposes of discouraging this sort of activity.

See:

* Deprecated APIs are actually obsoleted and removed; your app won't run in the new OS version and that means people buying hardware can't run your app.

* Right click has long been a hardware feature but off by default, so that apps wouldn't build in non-standard mouse 'gestures'.

* New ITP anti-tracking features in Safari have no off switch The solution to cookie issues is to change how your app works (such that you don't use hidden cross-domain redirects/frames)

* Side loading apps onto iOS devices is not possible without a business profile or the end user having a development environment - and misused business profiles are revoked.

* The option to turn off app signatures has been removed from the UI (not always the case - Minecraft for instance used to tell users to turn app signature verification off globally to work around their lack of app signing).

* Android has a list of permissions you must grant apps in order to install them. iOS on the other hand requires the application to prompt for individual permissions (location information, microphone access, etc), requires a description of why they want that permission, and per App Store guidelines must run with (reduced) functionality should the user say no.

Re: Netflix is the latest company to try bypassing Apple’s app store

#258

Post by shady-lady »

Aunche wrote: post #242
shady-lady wrote: post #232

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Had they made Android a walled garden like Apple, they wouldn't have been fined....Android is free, which unequivocally is a net positive for consumers It's unequivocally a positive if they play by the rules. They fell foul of Europe(who was protecting it's consumers). Google's not a charity and made the choices they made to get to where they are. Making Android free ensured they quickly became relevant in the emer…

> Google's not a charity and made the choices they made to get to where they are. That's my point. They chose the option where everyone wins the most, especially themselves. The alternatives would have set the smartphone industry back several years as Google would struggle to make phones and phone manufactures would struggle to make a halfway-decent operating system. Google's policies are "anti-competitive" in the sa…

> phone manufactures would struggle to make a halfway-decent operating system

They'd have bought from one of the other mobile OS vendors(Symbian, MS) or made their own (Nokia w/Maemo). It could be argued that Google distributing Android for free(so as to ensure the continued dominance/inclusion of Google Search) did set the smartphone industry back. Who the hell wants to compete against free? Even more so when that "free" is coming from a XXX billion dollar company. Which is maybe why MS gave up on mobile OS, or Symbian no longer exists or Maemo.

> you're forcing the companies to follow a set of rules to use your product

...and Europe found those rules broke the existing law.

Re: Netflix is the latest company to try bypassing Apple’s app store

#259

Post by threeseed »

Donzo wrote: post #252
threeseed wrote: post #240

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you're being a bit disingenuous here. The point of republishing old programs is to make sure they are running against the latest SDK. This is an important aspect for the ecosystem. It forces apps to work properly on the latest OS as well as support technologies like App Thinning. It's not just to mess you around for compliance reasons.

A website from 1996 will look much the same in a modern version of Chrome. Good luck with your SDKs.

What a hilarious statement to make.

Sure a website from 1996 will look the same. It will also have no accessibility, work terribly on mobile, be largely like reading a Word document and have none of the interesting features of modern web sites. Your world is not the world most people want.

Re: Netflix is the latest company to try bypassing Apple’s app store

#260

Post by ec109685 »

jefe_ wrote: post #188

Accidentally subscribed to Youtube Red / Premium through the App Store. Got an e-mail a few months ago when Youtube shifted to Premium congratulating me that I was grandfathered into the old rate and features forever. I noticed their new rate of $11.99 seemed similar to what I was already paying. This is when I discovered Google had included a $3 surcharge to cover App store fees in the App store price (don't blame t…

You aren’t allowed to charge extra for a subscription in an app in the App Store.
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