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  • App Store policy and developer fee drama won't change Apple's ways at all

    macplusplusmacplusplus
    Rayz2016 said:
    BUT!

    Upgrade pricing! Come on, Apple! It’s been years!
    Why upgrade pricing? From a consumer POV, I don't want to pay extra for the refinement of their sloppy coding. Upgrade pricing is an outdated software marketing model and seems to me like the abuse of "this software is supplied to you as-is without any warranty whatsoever" rhetoric. If they add some extra features worth charging separately, then the In-App Purchases scheme exists just for that. IAP mechanism eliminates the need for upgrade pricing.
    aderutter

  • App Store policy and developer fee drama won't change Apple's ways at all

    macplusplusmacplusplus
    arlomedia said:
    Although I did read the whole thing, the opening and closing statements stood out to me:
    The same system they decry is what gets them to all of their customers 
    I don't think Netflix, Spotify, Hey or developers working in niche markets with multi-platform products get all their customers from the App Store. The 30% commission is justifiable for a customer acquisition, but not for a download service when the developer brings the customers. Apple could distinguish between these cases by using referral codes or offering the option of "unlisted" apps for developers who don't need the App Store for promotion, and adjust their fees accordingly.
    That's math, that's economics, that's business. Not wanting to pay for a service does not mean that the service costs too much universally.
    The "free market" arguments would make sense if Apple didn't hold a monopoly on the most important mobile ecosystem, and developers had any other way to distribute apps to that segment of its customers. I'm not saying the platform should be opened up like macOS or Android; I'm saying that as long as there aren't alternatives, you can't argue that market forces have proven the validity of a price, or casually invite developers to go elsewhere if they don't like it.

    I released my first app, a quirky personal project, in 2010 and thought the commission was fair at the time. Now I'm involved in substantial, multi-platform services that have their own life beyond the App Store, and have costs beyond the software itself, and sending off 30% of the revenue for those doesn't seem appropriate. The partial reduction of subscription fees from 30% to 15% was an acknowledgement that the app landscape had changed, but now I'd like to see Apple make more reforms rather than double down on the old rules.

    I'm actually not sure why anyone other than Apple itself would argue for high developer fees. Do people think Apple's products would suffer without this revenue? That's the only reason I can think of. Arguing to lower or eliminate developer fees, undercutting the other platforms, makes more sense. That would further incentivize developers to focus on iOS, and make it an even more attractive ecosystem for Apple's current and potential customers.
    Apple does not impose high developer fees. The developer fee is $99 / yr. What you pay in the AppStore is not a fee, it is a sales commission. This is the best online selling model ever seen, since it does not require an upfront listing fee, like eBay, Amazon and almost all online marketplaces impose.
    SpamSandwich

  • App Store policy and developer fee drama won't change Apple's ways at all

    macplusplusmacplusplus
    Here is the thing:

    You pay a yearly upfront fee of a few thousand dollars plus a tiny commission whenever your app sells,

    OR

    You pay a small yearly developer fee ($99) plus a fair commission when your app sells.

    The first is the model adopted by eBay, Amazon and many online marketplaces. The second is the AppStore model. Apple makes an earning if and only if the app is sold. For the others the revenue circuit is closed as soon as an item is listed.

    If Apple were to introduce the so called "listing fee" to be charged yearly upfront, developers would flee the AppStore in flocks, to struggle elsewhere...

    Thanks God they may always go to eBay or Amazon to sell their precious gems !
    aderutter

  • Phil Schiller says no App Store policy changes coming after 'Hey' drama

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    gatorguy said:
    gatorguy said:
    gatorguy said:
    bulk001 said:
    Schiller would seem to be misinformed. Lots of consumer apps don’t work when you download them. Netflix, Hulu, Gmail etc come to mind. Also the Amazon app - you can add things to your cart and then leave the app and pay (it also doesn’t work till you login).
    How so? When you launch Netflix you login and start immediately to watch. Don't have a Netflix account? Then you make an in-app purchase.
    I don't think so. You have to go to their website to sign up AFAIK 

    https://appleinsider.com/articles/18/12/28/netflix-kills-in-app-subscription-option-for-iphone-ipad-users

    So Appleinsider is wrong? 
    So what? We're talking about today's AppStore not two years ago's...
    Check and call...
    https://help.netflix.com/en/node/25097

    Netflix benefits from a "reader" app "immunity" and as such, it may not fit exactly into the general scheme  "offer in-app purchases and sell wherever you want". The rules make a clear distinction between reader apps and other types of apps:

    "Guideline 3.1.3(a) - Business - Payments - "Reader" Apps....."

    "Guideline 3.1.3(b) - Business - Payments - Multiplatform Services

    Apps that operate services across multiple platforms may allow users to access content, subscriptions, or features they have acquired in your app on other platforms or on your website, provided those items are also available as in-app purchases within the app. Your HEY Email app does not offer access to content, subscriptions, or features as in-app purchases within the app. In fact, the app does not function as an email app or for any purpose until the user goes to the Basecamp Hey Email website to start a free trial or purchase a separate license to use the app for its intended purpose."

    Even if Netflix does not accept iTunes payments, its case is different from that Hey's which doesn't offer any content to be qualified as a "reader" app. The payment options allowed to Netflix are irrelevant to Hey.

    cat52jdb8167

  • Phil Schiller says no App Store policy changes coming after 'Hey' drama

    macplusplusmacplusplus
    gatorguy said:
    bulk001 said:
    Schiller would seem to be misinformed. Lots of consumer apps don’t work when you download them. Netflix, Hulu, Gmail etc come to mind. Also the Amazon app - you can add things to your cart and then leave the app and pay (it also doesn’t work till you login).
    How so? When you launch Netflix you login and start immediately to watch. Don't have a Netflix account? Then you make an in-app purchase.
    I don't think so. You have to go to their website to sign up AFAIK 

    https://appleinsider.com/articles/18/12/28/netflix-kills-in-app-subscription-option-for-iphone-ipad-users

    roundaboutnow