Since the first Macintosh came out and revolutionized how we interact with our computers, there has been this truism: if you want the Apple software experience, you have to buy Apple hardware. Nearly 44% of US smartphone sales are iPhones, a statistic that is poised to rise as 82% of teens are iPhone users, and even more say their next device will be an iPhone. Apple invented the App Store, and with it, the modern app marketplace. If you have an iPhone (or any iOS device) the only way to install apps is through the App Store; all those apps must use Apple’s purchase APIs for all digital transactions — and Apple takes a 30% cut of all sales. (This is why you can’t buy a Kindle book or Audible audiobook within those apps on your iPhone.) A class action lawsuit by an Apple customer and three other plaintiffs alleges this is a monopoly allowing Apple to overcharge, and this week, they defended their case before the Supreme Court.
What? You’re not fascinated by legal hair-splitting? You don’t care what bearing a 40-year-old decision about brick manufacturing may have on how you buy extra Poké Balls or Lures in Pokémon GO? Then check out a couple other news items linked below about how to get money back from the Apple App store, or what perils you might face from an app store without Apple’s strict controls.
- How Apple hopes to stop a customer lawsuit over its App Store monopoly (Ars Technica) “In Apple’s view, customers buy apps from developers, who turn around and pay Apple a 30 percent cut. That means that only the developers—not ordinary iPhone users—have standing to sue Apple.”
- Antitrust, the App Store, and Apple [Stratechery] “One of the more humorous aspect of yesterday’s oral arguments was the way discussion presumed that Apple was an abusive monopoly.”
- How to Get a Refund From the Apple App Store [How-To Geek] “While Apple might not make a big deal about it, getting a refund from the App Store is not only possible, it’s pretty easy to do. Whether you’re requesting a refund for an in-app purchase or a whole app, the process is the same.”
- Make Sure You Didn’t Download One of These Malicious Apps From Google Play [Lifehacker] “More than 560,000 people reportedly downloaded them before they were taken out of the store, and two of the apps even made it to Google Play’s “trending” section before they were pulled, likely adding even more downloads. “
From the Ohio Web Library:
- Johnson, Leif. “How the App Store Changed My World (and Probably Yours, Too).” Macworld – Digital Edition, vol. 35, no. 9, Sept. 2018, pp. 35–38.
- Vijayan, Jaikumar. “Google Removes 145 Malware-Laden Apps From Play Store.” EWeek, Aug. 2018, pp. 1–2.
- Perkins, Todd. “Building Your First iOS App.” Lynda.com, Sept 27, 2018.
