saarek

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saarek
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  • Trump demands 25% tariff on any iPhone not made in the US

    saareksaarek
    No problem, just add 25% to the price in the USA and let customers know why. The Orange one will soon back track.
    narwhalcflcardsfan80sinophilialondorOferbloggerblogAshburn12StrangersjibiOS_Guy80

  • After a lengthy legal battle and billion-dollar loss, 'Fortnite' is back on iOS

    saareksaarek
    Hedware said:
    CheeseFreeze said:
    "we love developers" as long as we get a 30% cut.

    Just because Karl Benz invented the automobile doesn't mean he gets a cut of every toll road.

    Saying Apple deserves a 30% cut of all digital goods because they built the platform is like saying a mall owner deserves a percentage of everything sold in every store, forever, even after the store builds its own loyal customer base and no longer relies on foot traffic.

    Sure, Apple built the “mall” - the App Store - and they deserve fair rent for access and discovery. But when Apple blocks tenants from even telling customers that cheaper options exist outside the mall, or forces them to use Apple’s own checkout system, it stops being about fair business and becomes about control.

    The real issue isn’t whether Apple should earn money - they already do, handsomely. It’s that they’ve positioned themselves as landlord, tax authority, and competitor all at once. Epic’s win doesn’t mean developers escape costs - it just means they can finally choose how to run their businesses. That’s not freeloading. That’s competition.

    And let’s be honest: a free economy isn’t absolute. It needs guardrails. When two companies are the app economy, protecting free markets requires regulation - not just to stop abuse, but to keep the system open for the next generation of creators.

    Those complaining developers would not be developers if there was no Apple App Store. They should be bowing down doing homage to Apple whenever someone buys their app.
    And the iPhone would not be the mega smash hit that it has been without developers. At the end of the day it is a partnership, and yes, sometimes partnerships involve money from one party to another.

    But Apple should respect the development community, who also happen to be customers of Apple as well, far more than they do.
    elijahgmuthuk_vanalingamtiredskillswilliamlondonwatto_cobra

  • After a lengthy legal battle and billion-dollar loss, 'Fortnite' is back on iOS

    saareksaarek
    randominternetperson said:
    saarek said:

    A really bad look for Apple and a sign that they have lost their moral compass.
    Based on your objections, it's not at all clear when Apple had a moral compass that you would approve of. Steve Jobs defended Apple's financial interests even more aggressively than the current leadership.
    Steve certainly believed in making profit, he was a good capitalist and would not shy away from charging high margins.

    I'm not sure if you have read any of the witness statements, judges comments or evidence of this trial. Phil clearly struck a tone of understanding that developers are customers too, that they should be offered a good experience and they are needed.

    The other Apple execs obfuscated, some were clearly caught out lying about dates and knowledge of events, and were all pushing Tim Cook to be as greedy as possible.

    A friend of mine runs his own web design business and also, as a side business, is a co-owner of a small app development business. It's not just the onerous fees that he chafes under, rather most of the process of submitting and maintaining of an app is a lesson in frustration. Furthermore, his ability to interact with customers is terrible. He can't even do something simple, like issue a refund. Rather, he has to get the customer to submit a request to Apple, which takes 24-48 hours to be answered.

    He's been stuck in bureaucratic loops, with no way to speak directly with a manager, over seemingly random denials of apps due to unwritten rules, etc.

    I say again, developers are Apple's customers too. More importantly, apps are the lifeblood of iOS. Apple should look after them more and bend them over financially a lot less.

    Alex1Nelijahgwilliamlondonwatto_cobra

  • After a lengthy legal battle and billion-dollar loss, 'Fortnite' is back on iOS

    saareksaarek
    Reading through some of the court notes and witness statements, it does seem that Phil Schiller is about the only person coming through from this with a good reputation in tact. Everyone else, both from Apple and Epic just come off as placing greed above all else.

    Apple should have dropped the 30% fee to a much more reasonable amount years ago. They get to triple dip at the moment, to develp iOS apps one needs to own a Mac, then they sell the iDevices to customers with margins that'd make a harlot blush and finally they exact a 30% toll for all software sold on iOS. They seem to forget that developers are also customers and that fleecing them for all they can get should not be the primary objective.

    Don't get me wrong, Epic's Sweeney is no shining white knight figure here, he is a total arsehole. But everyone else, excluding Phil Schiller, also look like total money grabbing scum bags.

    A really bad look for Apple and a sign that they have lost their moral compass.
    neoncatwilliamlondonjibAlex1NelijahgtrainMan83watto_cobra

  • iPhone 17e may be nearing test production ahead of a 2026 launch

    saareksaarek
    It makes sense to release in September. The 16e looks very over priced, part of that is because it came out months after the standard iPhone 16’s which were already discounted by stores, as such the price gap is £100 or less.
    williamlondon