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Apple today held its California Streaming keynote, where it unveiled the iPhone 13 along with updated versions of the Apple Watch and iPad mini. But one seemingly minor product announcement caused a stir in the developer community: the new full software keyboard that Apple is adding to the Apple Watch.
It wasn’t until last month that Kosta Eleftheriou, the developer of FlickType, announced that its scanning keyboard for the blind would be removed from the App Store over Apple’s objections. His reasoning was unclear, with Eleftheriou claiming that Apple had started rejecting updates to the app because it required full system access, a fact disputed by Eleftheriou, claiming that it still operated without permissions.
A separate version for the Apple Watch would remain, but Apple also removed this one, telling Eleftheriou that keyboards are not allowed on the Apple Watch.
Now Apple has announced its own nearly identical keyboard for the Apple Watch – and seven years after the smartwatch launched, nothing less. Eleftheriou thinks there is no coincidence here. “So now we know,” he wrote in a Tweeter. “See you in court, [Apple]. Eleftheriou has already sued Apple for blocking its iPhone-based keyboard, a move it deems anti-competitive.
Sherlocking – Apple has in the past taken ideas from the developer community and incorporated them into its products. There’s actually a name for it – “Sherlocked,” or the phenomenon where Apple takes a popular third-party tool and makes it useless by copying it directly. It has happened a few times, but in the current climate where developer sentiment is not in Apple’s favor, it looks particularly bad.
Being based in California, Apple’s ruling against FlickType could be in direct violation of state’s Unfair Competition Law (UCL), which is worded broadly but prohibits unfair trade acts and allows the court to order injunctions to prevent unfair competition. Apple doesn’t allow developers to offer their apps outside of the App Store, which means they have to follow its rules and are always at its mercy.
It was under UCL law that Apple was recently forced by a judge to change its App Store rules and allow developers to connect to external payment methods, where they don’t. do not have to pay him any commission. The developers argue that Apple’s requirement to use its payment method hurts competition because they could get a better deal from another payment processor if allowed, and the fees, in general, hurt business. small enterprises.
Changing tides – Previously, developers were much more respectful of Apple for creating nifty tools and a secure market for selling apps. But now they’ve become embittered by Apple’s strict, Byzantine rule system and the 15-30% tax it charges on in-app sales.
The company is not the rebellious little upstart it once was, but a $ 2.5 trillion giant that makes heaps of money. Developers cannot so easily absorb the costs charged by Apple and always run the risk of losing their business, as in the case of FlickType. Apple’s demands no longer seem fair or reasonable, and critics say its defense of ensuring a safe environment for consumers is a blanket for it to continue to make billions from the App Store. Apple is believed to generate over $ 20 billion in app store revenue each year.
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