Apple announced major updates to its App Store policies in the European Union yesterday under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) including new app distribution for EU-based developers and a new two-tier system for Store Services fees on purchases made outside of apps. EU devs are now free to advertise in-app offers for digital goods and services via external websites, other apps, and alternative app marketplaces. Developers can also include multiple URL destinations inside their apps with redirects and tracking. Apple’s notorious scare screens, which users see when they tap an external link,...
Apple's request for a stay on a US court's ruling has been denied, so it has to immediately stop charging developers for payments made outside of the App Store. The company filed an emergency motion last month seeking a stay on a ruling in April, which found Apple in "willful violation" of a 2021 injunction that barred it from forcing anticompetitive pricing. It's also filed an appeal against that ruling, which is yet to be finalized, so things could still change in the future. Apple’s stay is denied by the 9th Circuit Court. The long national nightmare of the Apple tax is ended.May next...
China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) is expected to begin a full-scale antitrust investigation on Apple’s App Store. The measure is expected in response to the recent trade tariffs imposed on Chinese goods by the United States. The upcoming probe is expected to target the App Store’s 30% commission on in-app purchases. In addition, SAMR will review Apple’s policy of restricting third-party payment systems and alternative app stores from its platform. Chinese developers Tencent and ByteDance have been critical of Apple’s App Store policies for several years, which...
Coming seemingly out of nowhere, DeepSeek has already climbed to the top of the free apps list on the Apple App Store in the US. In a victory that could prove symbolic, it dethroned OpenAI’s ChatGPT app that previously held the top spot. It’s not just the US either, DeepSeek is the #1 free app in 51 countries. Further, the app is in the Top 10 free apps lists in 111 countries on the App Store and in 18 countries on the Google Play Store. DeepSeek is quite new, only founded in 2023, and it released several AI models. However, it is the latest model, DeepSeek R1, which caused the storm –...
Apple released its Final Cut Camera app for iOS on the App Store today offering precise manual control over video capture with ISO, shutter speed, white balance and manual focus. The free app lets users customize video resolution (720p, 1080p or 4K) and framerate (24fps, 30fps, and 60fps). Final Cut Camera app for iOS Final Cut Camera supports video recording in HEVC (H.265) and ProRes with Log color encoding with the latter limited to iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max devices. The user interface also shows your iPhone’s battery percentage and remaining storage. Users who own an iPad...
Apple said it removed Meta-owned apps WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store in China. The US company was ordered to do so by the state government, which cited national security concerns. Other Meta apps including Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram remain available, as well as other popular US social media apps like YouTube or X (formerly Twitter). Apple stated that the Cyberspace Administration of China ordered the removal of these apps from the China storefront. "We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree", added the...
Apple has updated its App Store guidelines and developers can now link alternative payment platforms inside their apps. The new development is limited to the iOS and iPadOS App Stores in the US and requires developers to apply for a special entitlement to enable the option to link payments to outside websites and platforms. Apple in-app link purchasing template for outside payments There are a few asterisks here, Apple will take a 27% commission of each payment made outside of the App Store (compared to the regular 30% Apple App Store tax), and developers still have to offer Apple’s...
Netflix has a new Gaming Controller app on the App Store for iOS and iPadOS devices. The app will allow users to play supported gaming titles from Netflix on their TV by pairing their phone or tablet. The app is not yet functional as we await for Netflix to put the final touches. The controller layout features a directional stick on the left side and A-B-X-Y buttons on the right as well as Netflix and menu buttons in the middle. There’s no indication when the Android version of the Gaming Controller app is coming. Netflix Gaming Controller on iOS Netflix Games now supports over 50...
Apple released developer documentation, revealing a new price system is coming on App Store. The company is now increasing the number of price points 10 times, allowing developers to pick between 900 option. This is a major step up from the existing $0.99-per-step system, and should the developers chose to, they can set whole-number values. Pricing for apps and in-app purchases can start at $0.29, while the highest a developer can charge is $10,000, although this would require special permission from Apple. The new steps will include every $0.10 interval up to $10 or every $0.50...
Introduction
Updated: Our iOS 6 review has been overhauled to include the iOS 6.1 software updates.
On the surface, it might not look like much has chan[……]