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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

#91

Post by redczar »

madeofpalk wrote: post #80
redczar wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I buy the security and privacy argument. I don’t want to deal with anyone other than Apple for refunds, cancellations, etc. I don’t trust anyone else to make these things easy.

It would be great if the market could figure out this.

The market figures it wrong in lots of instances. Like cancelling cable subscriptions or gym membership. The market, in your parlance, did decide this by Apple being the most profitable phone maker. People could buy other phones and didn’t. I guess that version of the market figuring it out you don’t like.

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

#92

Post by crooked-v »

madeofpalk wrote: post #83
digianarchist wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The likely outcome is that Apple will reduce the 30% to something at least marginally competitive with alternative payment systems.

Many companies would never use Apple's IAP regardless of the cost because companies want a direct relationship with their user for things like refunds and trials and other stuff.

My immediate interpretation of "direct relationship" is one part "we want your email to send you marketing spam" and one part "we want to add as much friction as possible to cancellations".

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

#93

Post by paxys »

threeseed wrote: post #57
gjsman-1000 wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This also, long term, could kill the 30% commission. Why, as a developer, would you be stupid enough to launch your app as a paid product on the App Store? Your discoverability is massively impaired, we already knew that. You also give Apple 30% of your cash. Free app + external web purchase = maximum discoverability at 0% tax. When things get more advanced, that web purchase link will be an authenticated URL - meani…

a) It's 15% for most developers. b) Buying a product through IAP is one click. Versus having to go to a signup page, provide details, enter credit card details, wait for credit card verification flows etc. The drop off in conversions during this can be often greater than 15%. c) Apple's centralised subscription management has been extremely useful and consumer friendly. Versus having to now deal with NY Times style s…

B is also one click, considering Stripe and others already offer Apple Pay as a payment option.

For C, customers can choose to continue using Apple's subscription management if they think it's worth the 30% premium that Apple charges. Or Apple could reduce the price to something more reasonable (Stripe Billing offers a similar feature set and costs 0.7%).

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

#94

Post by 9283409232 »

mrkpdl wrote: post #72
chaosbolt wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple is a status brand, customers will still defend their decisions even if they found out that Tim Cook is a real life Sith lord or something of that magnitude.

This is a misconception. For most Apple users it isn’t about status, it’s just the brand they use because they like the products and the way they work together. That doesn’t mean they don’t wish they were better in many ways (including this one).

It can be both. Like the whole green bubble vs blue bubble thing in iMessage. More people than you might think look at Apple as the status brand but that doesn't mean they don't also enjoy how well everything works together.

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

#95

Post by cyberax »

madeofpalk wrote: post #81
gjsman-1000 wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This also, long term, could kill the 30% commission. Why, as a developer, would you be stupid enough to launch your app as a paid product on the App Store? Your discoverability is massively impaired, we already knew that. You also give Apple 30% of your cash. Free app + external web purchase = maximum discoverability at 0% tax. When things get more advanced, that web purchase link will be an authenticated URL - meani…

> Why, as a developer, would you be stupid enough to launch your app as a paid product on the App Store? Higher conversion rate.

That's been highly questionable for a while.

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

#96

Post by crooked-v »

madeofpalk wrote: post #86
what wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They can just charge you per install or update over some threshold. Which wouldn’t be a commission on off-app purchases.

It cannot be overstated just how furious the judge is with Apple. I cannot imagine the judge will tolerate anything that undermines the spirit of the ruling.

Yeah, this is already in territory where he's pushing criminal prosecution referrals for Apple executives. It's well into "protect your own hide, personally, by making sure you comply with the ruling" for people making the decisions at Apple.

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

#97

Post by OsrsNeedsf2P »

justanotheratom wrote: post #60

Apple is generally on the side of customers, but this is a clear example of how anti-customer-friendly their policy was. As a customer, I had to jump through hoops to buy a book on their premium platform.

> Apple is generally on the side of customers,

I'm not convinced;

Planned obsolescence, repair issues, phone-home privacy issues, vendor lock-in, etc

Apple is certainly innovative which helps consumers, but that's about it. The rest is bare minimum for the price point.

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

#98

Post by FireBeyond »

lxgr wrote: post #29

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.

Anywhere?

I've never seen that bug. Now, if you tap it near the bottom on the left-hand side, it toggles through that, by design (just as it does on the Kindle tablets)...

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

#99

Post by cyberax »

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.

Here's a thought: Apple should NOT be able to "monetize" third-party apps. At all. They have no right to the work of other people.

Apple wants to mandate a review? That's fine. Charge developers for the reviewers' time with a reasonable profit margin, and Apple _already_ charges $100 a year for access to the AppStore.

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

#100

Post by FireBeyond »

goosedragons wrote: post #87
threeseed wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are plenty of no longer supported apps on people's phones. No one is blaming Apple for it.

I think it'd be a bit different if Kindle, Spotify, Netflix and co. all suddenly stopped working/got worse.

And if Apple yoinks them out, then why should the developer respect the "no disparagement" or "no telling your customers about payment/alternatives"? Which to me was always the ultimate expression of Apple absolutely knowing they are being greedy. Not just "You can't tell your customers you can pay less elsewhere", but "You can't even tell your customers about our involvement in your pricing decisions".
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