After adamantly opposing "sideloading" competing app stores onto the iPhone, it appears that Apple is now aiming to permit them with iOS 17, which will be released the following year, so they can adhere to European legal requirements. According to the Bloomberg story, Apple is considering making its camera and NFC (Near Field Communication) stack available to developers.
To date, Apple's walled-garden strategy has required that iPhone customers only download programmes from the company's own App Store. On the other hand, Android enables users to download outside app stores on their gadgets.
According to the Bloomberg article, Apple's sideloading project has already begun under the direction of Andreas Wendker, the company's engineering vice president, who answers to Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering. According to reports, prominent executives including Jeff Robbin and Eddie Cue are also working on the project.
A Win for Developers?
Developers won't have to pay Apple a 30% (or, in certain situations, 15%) royalty for in-app purchases if the tech titan opens up to other app shops. Many businesses who have criticised Apple's cost system, such as Spotify, Tinder/Match Group, and most recently, Twitter, may be satisfied by this.
Currently, Apple permits some developers in specific areas to use third-party payment systems, such as all developers in South Korea and dating app developers in the Netherlands. They must still pay a sizable charge to Apple, though.
There is a good probability that regulators abroad will follow the DMA's lead and Apple's present efforts to enable sideloading in iOS 17 could be expanded to cover additional jurisdictions if the DMA forces Apple to permit third-party app stores in the EU.
This information is released as a jailbroken iOS version of the alternative Android app store Aptoide, which is situated in Portugal. Paulo Trezentos, co-founder and CEO of the business, told TechCrunch that he thinks Apple would certainly allow for independent app stores.
Apple’s Reluctance
Apple executives have frequently voiced concerns over sideloading's potential impact on user security. To stop people from "accidentally installing potentially harmful software on their devices," iOS 16 even added a developer mode. Apple's protracted Epic battle has also centred on issues like sideloading and App Store royalties.
The corporation has made it difficult for developers to use third-party payment systems in the Netherlands and South Korea, where it was forced to slightly open its platform. It required app developers to provide consumers with detailed warnings before they utilise an alternative payment method, and in certain circumstances, Apple has forced them to submit a different app file for a specific area.
While technically abiding by local regulators' regulations, the corporation is raising obstacles so that developers won't change their payment method.
Warning about using third-party payment methods in the Apple App Store
In a similar vein, if Apple chooses to make life tough for both developers and users in order to comply with EU regulation for iOS 17, only the most tech-savvy people will decide to sideload. To further discourage potential switchers from remaining with Apple's App Store, the corporation might also put up ads and cautions about using third-party app shops.
