If any company then I think Tencent has the money and will to bring Apple to the court (they have 40% share in Epic). And won't be surprised if this will be a new chapter in the US v China trade fight.
Apple removes Fortnite from App Store after Epic attempts to bypass fees
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Re: Apple removes Fortnite from App Store after Epic attempts to bypass fees
#52What is Apple’s end game here? It seems like they’re fighting a losing battle and digging their own antitrust grave. Pretty clever on Epic’s part to specifically highlight how Apple’s app store fee hits the user directly. Pretty short-sighted of Apple to immediately pull an app for providing consumers with additional disclosure about where their money is going.
Good lord - on HN the monopoly comments are so crazy sometimes. What is the monopoly issue Apple has? Use android if you don't like Apple's product line. Apple is at 22% share.
Monopoly or not, Apple users (apple love lock in, moving to android is not trivial) are not treated particularly well.
Re: Apple removes Fortnite from App Store after Epic attempts to bypass fees
#53Earlier quoted context omitted.
There are a ton of competing app stores, the fact that you can't access them on an iPhone means nothing. Apple made a platform, they have every right to set the rules. Don't like it go somewhere else there are plenty of other choices.
"Apple made a platform, they have every right to set the rules. Don't like it go somewhere else there are plenty of other choices." is not necessarily sound reasoning here. US telecoms were broken up as a monopoly even though they made the platform and had every right to set the rules. "go somewhere else" implies buying a new phone , potentially under contract, and smartphones aren't cheap.
US Telecoms were broken up also because they offered little choice to the customer. Ma bell owned the vast majority of them and owned the lines making it hard to impossible to offer other services. Apple isn't even the most popular smart phone. Nothing forces you to use Apple.
Re: Apple removes Fortnite from App Store after Epic attempts to bypass fees
#54What is Apple’s end game here? It seems like they’re fighting a losing battle and digging their own antitrust grave. Pretty clever on Epic’s part to specifically highlight how Apple’s app store fee hits the user directly. Pretty short-sighted of Apple to immediately pull an app for providing consumers with additional disclosure about where their money is going.
Good lord - on HN the monopoly comments are so crazy sometimes. What is the monopoly issue Apple has? Use android if you don't like Apple's product line. Apple is at 22% share.
>on HN the monopoly comments are so crazy sometimes
what's crazy is harping on a technicality about the word "monopoly" and then to ignore the actual issue that is implied by the criticism, market power.
Even two companies aren't a market, if you get hung up about monopoly call it a duopoly. The state of affairs is ridiculous. There should be a thriving market of competing stores, payment systems, operating systems and so on, yet we're stuck with at best two alternatives, both of which are extremely locked down.
Re: Apple removes Fortnite from App Store after Epic attempts to bypass fees
#55What is Apple’s end game here? It seems like they’re fighting a losing battle and digging their own antitrust grave. Pretty clever on Epic’s part to specifically highlight how Apple’s app store fee hits the user directly. Pretty short-sighted of Apple to immediately pull an app for providing consumers with additional disclosure about where their money is going.
Good lord - on HN the monopoly comments are so crazy sometimes. What is the monopoly issue Apple has? Use android if you don't like Apple's product line. Apple is at 22% share.
The iOS app store has a fairly large majority of mobile app revenue.
Re: Apple removes Fortnite from App Store after Epic attempts to bypass fees
#56Really hoping regulators crack down hard on Apple's clearly anticompetitive practices. If Apple allowed sideloading the entire point would be, of course, moot, but Apple's continued refusal to allow this is really the biggest problem, IMO.
As a user I'm quite happy with Apple intermediating my relationship with companies that seek to do business with me over the phone, and I'd actually be happier if Apple took over more of my relationships. I don't want a situation where 10 apps means 10 different privacy agreements. I also don't want to deal with app companies directly for returns or their custom payment solutions — an "Amazon" is way better.
Then you're welcome to not use anything other than Apple's services.
You're just annoyed because you want third party apps, but you don't want to follow their ToS :)
Re: Apple removes Fortnite from App Store after Epic attempts to bypass fees
#57This is not surprising to me, and I have to say, I completely agree with it. Epic publicly and blatantly bypassed multiple App Store restrictions with their move today. Surely they were expecting this to happen, so what comes next? Perhaps Epic has been planning a major lawsuit and this will provide them with the reason to launch it? Edit: https://twitter.com/FortniteGame/status/1293984290326433792 They have an entir…
I'm very sure Epic saw this coming. I assume they, and many others, are spoiling for a fight with Apple over this and are willing to take this risk in bringing public opinion with them.
Of course they did.
It's to coincide with EU/US investigations into the Apple and Google App Stores.
Re: Apple removes Fortnite from App Store after Epic attempts to bypass fees
#58Saying the App Store is a monopoly every chance you get doesn’t mean it actually is.
And vice versa: saying it isn't doesn't mean it actually isn't. Opinions are unproductive to discuss without reasoning attached.
Re: Apple removes Fortnite from App Store after Epic attempts to bypass fees
#59In a way this is the equivalent of an old-school carriage dispute but for apps. I wouldn't be surprised if we see more of this in the future.
Re: Apple removes Fortnite from App Store after Epic attempts to bypass fees
#60Earlier quoted context omitted.
> and I'd actually be happier if Apple took over more of my relationships. I’m really curious what you mean by this. Which additional transactions do you wish Apple would take a 30% cut on? You DoorDash orders, your rent, your salary?
If it meant my work processes were as streamlined and organized as Apple's operating standard? Political antics gone? Safety and security with no negotiation? Tempting... (Just experimenting with the idea, not that I actually agree with this line of thought.)
If what I hear from people who work for Apple is true, I wouldn’t be so optimistic.