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iOS Kindle app now has a ‘get book’ button after changes to App Store rules

theverge.com

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Re: iOS Kindle app now has a ‘get book’ button after changes to App Store rules

#21

Post by bigyabai »

dmitrygr wrote: post #14

App Store revenue was a significant source of income for Apple. Money that paid for development of iPhone and iOS. I don’t know what sort of idiotic thinking it takes to imagine that they won’t need to find another way to recapture that money. It will probably come in the form of higher costs for development licenses, or hardware. For example, absolutely nothing stops them from charging you for using the SDK. No one…

The development of the iPhone and iOS is payed-for in the exact same way it is on MacOS. With the outrageous hardware margins Apple commands, profiting hundreds of dollars off each unit sold.

Re: iOS Kindle app now has a ‘get book’ button after changes to App Store rules

#22

Post by modeless »

dhosek wrote: post #4

I thought that the terms of the entitlement to be able to link to an external purchase point was that you still needed to offer IAP under Apple’s terms. Did I misunderstand that?

Did you miss the recent court ruling that said Apple is not allowed to restrict developers from linking to external payments systems at all?

Re: iOS Kindle app now has a ‘get book’ button after changes to App Store rules

#23

Post by mmastrac »

dmitrygr wrote: post #14

App Store revenue was a significant source of income for Apple. Money that paid for development of iPhone and iOS. I don’t know what sort of idiotic thinking it takes to imagine that they won’t need to find another way to recapture that money. It will probably come in the form of higher costs for development licenses, or hardware. For example, absolutely nothing stops them from charging you for using the SDK. No one…

The billions of dollars in cash beg to disagree with you. I don't think they are hurting for money.

Re: iOS Kindle app now has a ‘get book’ button after changes to App Store rules

#24

Post by tantalor »

beastman82 wrote: post #17
paxys wrote: post #8

Smart that developers are quickly updating their apps while Apple is still appealing the decision. Once users get used to the added purchase options and cheaper pricing there's no going back, regardless of what the final ruling is.

those users will stick with their Apple products and lose the ability to "get the book" (so to speak). So yes, there is going back.

> lose the ability

What, why? They can complete the purchase flow in a browser instead of the app. What is lost?

Re: iOS Kindle app now has a ‘get book’ button after changes to App Store rules

#25

Post by wordofx »

lurk2 wrote: post #15
dmitrygr wrote: post #14

App Store revenue was a significant source of income for Apple. Money that paid for development of iPhone and iOS. I don’t know what sort of idiotic thinking it takes to imagine that they won’t need to find another way to recapture that money. It will probably come in the form of higher costs for development licenses, or hardware. For example, absolutely nothing stops them from charging you for using the SDK. No one…

> Money that paid for development of iPhone and iOS. iOS has gotten progressively worse every year since 2012. It may not be the worst idea to turn off the tap.

How is it worse? It’s better now for me than years ago.

Re: iOS Kindle app now has a ‘get book’ button after changes to App Store rules

#26

Post by geoffpado »

granzymes wrote: post #7
havaloc wrote: post #2

If Apple eventually wins their appeal think among how hard it will be to put the genie back in the bottle.

If this significantly cannibalizes Apple’s App Store revenue I would actually expect that they come up with a different way to monetize (maybe based on installs or number of users). They could also implement that independent of the injunction, which applies to steering rules.

> They could also implement that independent of the injunction, which applies to steering rules.

They actually can't, not with the latest ruling that unlocked this Kindle change. Apple annoyed the judge enough with their shenanigans that she shut this down, too. The ruling reads (emphasis mine): "Effective immediately Apple will no longer impede developers’ ability to communicate with users *nor will they levy or impose a new commission on off-app purchases*."

Re: iOS Kindle app now has a ‘get book’ button after changes to App Store rules

#27

Post by xp84 »

snkzxbs wrote: post #5
goosedragons wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Gonna be a looot of apps refusing to update.

I suppose they can just take them down.

They can, and then they’ll have to face their customers directly with it being exactly clear (even to “normies” who don’t follow obscure tech news like this) exactly whose greedy fingers are taking things away from them.

Up till now, situations like Kindle were just weird quirks to most people and most people wouldn’t have been able to tell you why you can’t do this very normal-seeming thing on iOS. If/when Apple takes it away, it’ll be obvious to everyone what’s going on.

Re: iOS Kindle app now has a ‘get book’ button after changes to App Store rules

#28

Post by ewidar »

tantalor wrote: post #24
beastman82 wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

those users will stick with their Apple products and lose the ability to "get the book" (so to speak). So yes, there is going back.

> lose the ability What, why? They can complete the purchase flow in a browser instead of the app. What is lost?

They mean that if apple wins the appeal, the in-app new purchase flow will be removed but users will likely not leave the apple ecosystem

Re: iOS Kindle app now has a ‘get book’ button after changes to App Store rules

#29

Post by lxgr »

Amazing!

Now if Amazon could also fix the incredibly frustrating, long-standing bug of their iOS app where tapping the screen anywhere does not turn pages, but instead toggles through "page numbers" -> "time left in chapter" -> "time left in book" etc., I'd be happy with it.

Re: iOS Kindle app now has a ‘get book’ button after changes to App Store rules

#30

Post by ec109685 »

victorantos wrote: post #18

Let's be clear: Amazon isn't doing this out of the goodness of their heart or to "provide customers the most convenient experience possible." They're grudgingly complying with a court order while Apple appeals. That spokesperson's PR spin is laughable. The fact that it took LEGAL ACTION to get basic functionality that existed on Kindle e-readers from day one speaks volumes about how these tech giants operate. They'll…

Do you mean Apple isn’t doing this out of the goodness of their heart?
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