It's not just about that. I am sure if the court would force them to allow sideloading, they'll make sure to never promote your app if you decide to offer both options to the users.

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para_parolu 4 days ago | parent [-]

And that’s fair. Apple doesn’t have to provide services to businesses

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Nevermark 4 days ago | parent | next [-]

Punishing developers for not exclusively using their App Store would be clearly uncompetitive.

If they have to allow other stores, then they are not going to be allowed to punish developers for using them.

(Assuming the lowest bar possible in anti-competitive resolution follow through.)

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earthnail 4 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Not until alternative stores become competitive. Realistically they have such a monopoly thar you end up in a chiclen and egg situation. Their monopoly is so large that noone wants to distribute via small alt stores, meaning alt stores never get large.

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anilgulecha 4 days ago | parent [-]

A chicken and egg problem is highly unlikely. Here's a few probable situations:

1) A fdroid equivalent pops up, which them becomes a collection of fantastic open source apps, and soon develops a strong user base.

2) Google launches play store for iPhone, which will on day 1 get millions of users.

3) Meta launches metaStore, which so the only way to get Facebook, threads, Instagram and WhatsApp. This becomes the fastest growing store in a matter of a week.

One may personally not like this world - but imo it's a better world than the one we have - personally for (1) to exist.

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qwytw 4 days ago | parent | next [-]

> 3) Meta launches metaStore, which so the only way to get Facebook, threads, Instagram and WhatsApp. This becomes the fastest growing store in a matter of a week.

Why? They don't do this on Android.

At then end of the day the number of active users would fall if they do this. That's unavoidable. So what incentives do they have to not distribute on the App Store? It's not like (unlike in Epic's case) Apple is requiring Facebook to hand over 30% of its revenue.

fdroid is of course great. Extremely niche and not that significant, though.

> Google launches play store for iPhone, which will on day 1 get millions of users.

Amazon tried that on Android. Of course I would expect Google to do much better but that doesn't mean a lot.

	▲	jen20 4 days ago \| parent [-]
		> Why? They don't do this on Android. So they can fuck their users in ways not currently permitted.

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close04 4 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

On #3, Meta could have done it for Android and I don't think they did. Actually if Android is a god estimation of how it looks like with 3rd party stores, it won't be super disruptive.

Unless the iOS market is so lucrative it will garner far more interest.

	▲	spect88 4 days ago \| parent [-]
		> Actually if Android is a god estimation of how it looks like with 3rd party stores, it won't be super disruptive. Google Play has fewer restrictions though. Apple doesn't even allow alternative browser engines. Until last year they didn't allow any emulators.

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JumpCrisscross 4 days ago | parent | prev [-]

> Meta launches metaStore, which so the only way to get Facebook, threads, Instagram and WhatsApp

Would note the trade off: this store will be a bastion of tracking, possibly with Meta requiring its bugs be installed for inclusion.

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anilgulecha 4 days ago | parent [-]

Highly probable.

This will rightly push Apple in the right direction - to bring the right OS controls at the operating system level / store API level, and not leave things up to apps. This is a better world, despite short term issues with metaStore.

	▲	JumpCrisscross 4 days ago \| parent [-]
		> bring the right OS controls at the operating system level / store API level, and not leave things up to apps This will almost certainly be litigated. We also haven’t broached national laws mandating a government-controlled App Store. (Would expect this to emerge in right-wing Europe or India first.)

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crossroadsguy 4 days ago | parent | prev [-]

As long as they clearly give the option, at the time of first setup - or an upgrade, to select which app store becomes default; and make it very easy to change default app store later, just like default browser, default search engine et cetera. But they must not be allowed to disallow for the reason that "you are on another app store, we don't like you, go away!".

Yup, it's then fair and they can keep the banner in their App Store that screams at font size 38 "This Journal App Is Da Best", "No Other Note App Has Been Made Greater Than This One".