[ad_1]
Apple responded to an Australian antitrust complaint saying it is already possible for iOS developers to bypass the App Store.
The company claims that developers can use the web to sell services like subscriptions. Amusingly, the company goes on to suggest that progressive web apps are a viable alternative to iOS apps …
Apple had already requested an end to an Australian lawsuit for a technical detail.
The Epic Games vs. Apple dispute isn’t the David vs. Goliath battle that the game developer wants people to believe, the Cupertino company said: It’s more of a battle of two Goliaths.
Apple has asked an Australian court to rule against a lawsuit in the country, saying Epic had agreed to terms that made it clear that any legal challenges must be brought in California.
ZDNet spotted another case, in which Apple mapped out a much more substantial defense.
Apple responded to the Australian watchdog’s survey of app markets, this time rejecting the characterization that the Apple App Store is the most dominant app market and saying it there are other options for iOS users, for example by going to a website.
“Apple perceives and treats other distributors of applications, for platforms other than iOS, as significant competitors whose prices and policies limit Apple’s ability to exert power over developers,” said the iPhone maker in a statement. [PDF] at the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC)
“Apple is not in a position to ignore the environment in which its application market operates and does not accept the qualification by the Commission of the Apple App Store as” the application market the most dominant by far ”.”
In it, Apple suggests that developers who want to make apps available to iPhone owners can do so by creating what’s known as Progressive Web Apps (PWAs).
Web browsers are used not only as a distribution portal, but also as the platforms themselves, hosting “progressive web apps” (PWAs) that eliminate the need to download a developer’s app through the App Store. (or other means).
PWAs are increasingly available for and through browsers and mobile devices, including on iOS. PWAs are applications designed using common web technology such as HTML 5, but which have the look, feel, and functionality of a native application. They may even have an app icon that resides on the home screen of the device.
Web applications are more and more popular. Companies such as Amazon, Google, Starbucks, Pinterest, Uber, and the FT use web applications. Amazon, for example, just launched its mobile gaming service Luna as a web app. Microsoft and Google are also launching gaming apps on iOS through web apps. The developer of the Telegram messaging app also recently said that it is working on a rich web app for iOS devices.
It’s somewhat ironic, because the whole reason for the creation of the App Store was that native apps provide a much superior experience than web apps. When the iPhone launched in 2007, Steve Jobs initially planned that developers would build web apps, but quickly changed his mind – and the App Store launched the following year.
As we explain in our antitrust guide, the issue at the heart of the dispute is the definition of the marketplace for iOS applications.
Apple argues that it does not have a dominant position in this market, as it considers the relevant market to be either “smartphones” or “applications”. With the company holding a minority share of the smartphone market in most of the countries where it operates, it believes it cannot be considered to have a dominant position.
Competition regulators tend to view the relevant market as “iOS apps”, and here Apple has a 100% monopoly on their sale and distribution. Other than peak cases, there is no way for a developer to market an iOS app without selling it through the App Store.
Apple faces worldwide antitrust pressure on the App Store, including the US federal government, a number of US states, the UK and a number of other European countries.
Photo by Rob Hampson on Unsplash
FTC: We use automatic income generating affiliate links. After.
Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more information on Apple:
[ad_2]
Source link