Apple is dropping its cut of most App Store sales to 15 percent

Apple’s cut from most sales on the App Store is dropping to 15 percent in January following increasing pressure.

In an announcement on Wednesday, Apple said its new App Store Small Business Program will enable any developer which earns under $1 million in sales per year to keep more of their revenue.

The previous 30 percent cut Apple took from App Store transactions has come under increased scrutiny over the past year. Apple says the “vast majority” of iOS...

18 November 2020 | App Stores

Opinion: How can overseas developers capitalise on the world’s largest app market?

It’s a question many in the mobile application sector ask regularly – how do you get an app to take off in the lucrative and ever-growing Chinese app market?

The statistics about the smartphone industry and mobile usage in the world’s largest country are emphatic – 1.3 billion mobile internet users, almost 100 billion app downloads in 2019, half of the global consumer spending on mobile apps, and a mobile gaming industry that accounted for US$15B in the first six months of...

5 November 2020 | Android

Play Store downloads hit 28.3 billion during lockdown

It seems Android users spent their extra time during lockdown trying some new apps.

According to data from SensorTower, 24.3 billion apps were downloaded from the Play Store in Q1 2020. This jumped to 28 billion downloads in Q2 and peaked at 28.3 billion in Q3. For perspective, that represents a 31 percent year-on-year increase.

These were the most popular categories of downloads on the Play Store in Q2 2020:

Gaming (13.49%)Education (9.11%)Business (6.95%)Tools...

22 October 2020 | Android

Apple refutes US antitrust report saying devs are ‘primary beneficiaries’

Apple has issued a statement in response to a US House Judiciary report which accuses the company of running a monopoly.

The report (PDF) specifically takes issue with the App Store and echoes concerns from lawmakers and developers around the world that Apple’s practices are anticompetitive.

Here is Apple’s statement in full:

"We have always said that scrutiny is reasonable and appropriate but we vehemently disagree with the conclusions reached in this...

7 October 2020 | App Stores

Developers aren’t happy with Apple’s surprise release of iOS 14

Turns out developers want more of a heads up before a major OS update is pushed to over one and a half billion users.

Apple’s event yesterday was focused on launching shiny new watches and tablets. The only major announcement for developers was the bombshell that iOS 14 is launching today:

https://twitter.com/JPEGuin/status/1305934894036647941

Ok, so granted there’ve been eight public betas of iOS 14. Most developers probably knew a final release was imminent....

16 September 2020 | Apple

Apple developers can soon issue codes for discounted subscriptions

Developers for Apple's increasing number of platforms will soon be able to issue codes for discounted subscriptions.

While we now have macOS, tvOS, watchOS, iOS, and iPadOS… fortunately, we have the App Store to bind them.

Apple has announced a new feature called Offer Codes. The name is pretty self-explanatory, but there are some details to be aware of.

While it's long been possible to issue codes for discounted apps, developers were stuck if they wanted to...

4 September 2020 | App Stores

Julia developers reveal continued affinity for Python – and would otherwise use it

Half of what this article will say is not meaningless: a new user survey from the arbiters of dynamic programming language Julia has underlined the importance of Python for its community, as well as wider data science applications.

The results were based on a poll of more than 2,500 users and developers of the MIT-created language in June. Python was clear as the second placed language - behind Julia, of course - both in terms of usage and appreciation.

58% of those...

27 August 2020 | Development Tools

Huawei’s Google license expiry means it’s time to support HMS

Huawei’s license with Google has expired, which means it’s time to support HMS (Huawei Mobile Services) or risk losing users.

The US Chamber of Commerce added Huawei to its now-infamous Entity List in May, meaning no American firm can partner with the company without explicit government permission. A temporary exemption was made for existing relations to ensure US consumers and businesses have a smoother transition away from the firm.

Huawei’s existing devices,...

17 August 2020 | Android

Epic calls out Apple in ‘Nineteen-Eighty Fortnite’ video following App Store removal

Epic Games has released a 1984 (or "Nineteen-Eighty Fortnite")-style parody of Apple's own famous video after Fortnite was removed from the App Store.

Apple removed the hit game after Epic attempted to circumvent the App Store's built-in payment systems. Not long after, Epic started the #FreeFortnite campaign and released this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euiSHuaw6Q4

Epic is among the increasing number of companies, developers, and even lawmakers that are...

14 August 2020 | App Stores

Microsoft joins App Store backlash after xCloud game streaming blocked

Microsoft has joined the growing number of developers who are disgruntled with the App Store’s policies after its game streaming service xCloud is blocked.

Apple’s notorious “walled” platforms have become more open in recent years, but some frustrating policies remain which restrict developers and lead to a poorer experience for Cupertino’s customers.

Game streaming services are growing in popularity – especially with 5G rolling out – but there's a notable...

7 August 2020 | App Stores