Apple sends a letter to Hey: Change your app or get out of the App Store

Post by davidg109 » Fri, Jun 19, 2020, 1:41 PM UTC

spartas wrote: post #190

davidg109 wrote: post #137

I’m on Apple’s side on this one. They’ve made Hey’s choice simple: change it so it’s compatible for people to use their mainstream email services (no $ involved), or make it subscription out of the box. Currently you need some dumb invite-only code. I actually feel misled by Hey’s comments pointing out that Netflix, etc. require a subscription to make the app useful. It wasn’t until I little additional digging reveal…

I'm with HEY on this issue. As of a few months ago, Netflix abandoned in-app purchases entirely on Apple platforms. Try it yourself: sign out of your Netflix account on iOS and try and create a new account. There is no option to pay for a Netflix subscription within the app on iOS. It just isn't there. Fastmail is another app already on the App store that requires an account (but has no option to sign up within the a…

Post by spartas » Fri, Jun 19, 2020, 1:49 PM UTC

davidg109 wrote: post #191

spartas wrote: post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm with HEY on this issue. As of a few months ago, Netflix abandoned in-app purchases entirely on Apple platforms. Try it yourself: sign out of your Netflix account on iOS and try and create a new account. There is no option to pay for a Netflix subscription within the app on iOS. It just isn't there. Fastmail is another app already on the App store that requires an account (but has no option to sign up within the a…

I’m still seeing in-app purchases as an option via App Store for Netflix. I can’t comment on the other apps you mentioned except for Gmail. And here’s where I disagree with you. Gmail is still functional without paying anything. You don’t hit a paywall immediately after downloading. The app provides immediate functionality to users. If Google decided to force subscription-only, that’s when Apple would be saying you n…

Post by wayneftw » Fri, Jun 19, 2020, 2:16 PM UTC

helsinkiandrew wrote: post #25

villgax wrote: post #3

> We understand that Basecamp has developed a number of apps and many subsequent versions for the App Store for many years, and that the App Store has distributed millions of these apps to iOS users. These apps do not offer in-app purchase — and, consequently, have not contributed any revenue to the App Store over the last eight years. They literally have paid 8 years of Developer Program fees for supporting the AppS…

It's a different matter whether 30% is a valid cut for Apple to make on Hey In App subscriptions. But $2,400 (8*$300/year?) for the delivery and update, notifications and Siri integration etc to millions of apps/devices sounds a pretty good deal.

Post by majewsky » Fri, Jun 19, 2020, 2:29 PM UTC

stephenr wrote: post #189

Hamuko wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Not exactly, as Comcast don’t provide the infrastructure to Basecamp to host and deliver it’s service. Neither Comcast or Apple provide any infrastructure to Basecamp for hosting. They are just in charge of delivering the ways and means of accessing their platform.

They provide all the infrastructure to deliver the iOS app binary, receive notifications, etc.

Post by qeternity » Fri, Jun 19, 2020, 2:34 PM UTC

fierarul wrote: post #181

qeternity wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 2 monopolies Uh... Also, monopoly has a very specific definition. It does not mean "company with large marketshare".

You are trying hard not to understand the message. The laws change to fit what people consider right. What Apple is doing might be almost legal but it is not right and laws can be written to spell this out for them and others. Computing should be declared a human right and selling mass produced general purpose computers without allowing anybody to deploy any desired software on that computer should be illegal.