European lawmakers have provisionally agreed upon a new law that would force Apple to allow user access to third-party app stores and permit the sideloading of apps on iPhones and iPads, among other sweeping changes designed to make the digital sector fairer and more competitive.
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The wording of the legislation has yet to be finalized, but once the language is in place, the European Parliament and the Council will need to approve it. The regulation must be implemented within six months after its entry into force. Digital competition chief Margrethe Vestager said today that she expected the DMA to come into force “sometime in October.”
Should the Digital Markets Act go on to become law, Apple will have to make major changes to its iPhone and iPad platform to accommodate the requirement to allow for non-App Store apps. Apple said it was “concerned that some provisions of the DMA will create unnecessary privacy and security vulnerabilities for our users.”
Apple is also facing similar legislation in the United States, with U.S. House lawmakers in June introducing antitrust bills that would result in major changes to the tech industry if passed.
According to Apple's rules for naming iPhones, the four new 2H22 iPhones could be called iPhone 14 (6.1”), iPhone 14 Max (6.7”), iPhone 14 Pro (6.1”), and iPhone 14 Pro Max (6.7”).
Only two Pro models would upgrade to the A16 processor, while the 14 & 14 Max will remain the A15. All four new models will likely come with 6GB RAM, with the difference being LPDDR 5 (14 Pro & 14 Pro Max) vs. LPDDR 4X (14 & 14 Max). https://t.co/tHcszIz6gX
If Kuo is correct, starting next year, Pro and non-Pro iPhones will be differentiated by their chip performance, too, and I would expect that to remain the case year after year. That makes sense to me — it’s true for Apple’s “Pro” models in the MacBook and iPad lineups.
If this rumor is true, why wouldn’t most users opt for an iPhone 13 for less money? I sure would.
Today's “Peek Performance” event was more exciting than we initially thought it would be, with Apple debuting a new Mac Studio machine and Studio Display alongside a 5G version of the iPhone SE with A15 chip and an M1 iPad Air with 5G chip.
Wow, I know the rumours were there but until it was announced I didn’t think that Apple would do an event given the war in Europe we are currently facing.
Apple pundits have been speculating whether Apple would hold an event next week in light of the war in Ukraine. They are and some folks think this is a mistake and I tend to agree.
As a European I really think this is a mistake. I for one will not be watching or reporting on this event. Not in protest but as in there’s bigger issues right now and consumerism isn’t one of them.
It’s time for our annual look back on Apple’s performance during the past year, as seen through the eyes of writers, editors, developers, podcasters, and other people who spend an awful lot of time thinking about Apple.
This is the seventh year that I’ve presented this survey to a hand-selected group. They were prompted with 12 different Apple-related subjects, and asked to rate them on a scale from 1 to 5 and optionally provide text commentary per category. I received 53 replies, with the average results as shown below:
Thank you, Jason, for putting this together every year. I love reading the text commentary, in the different categories, provided by participants.
The top contender again this year is the Mac, with a grade of A+.
Dr. Drang said, “I spent the 3–4 years before 2021 teaching myself how to work on the iPad. It was a struggle, but I did it because I wasn’t sure Apple would ever make a good laptop again. In February, I got my M1 MacBook Air, and it was like coming home again.”
There was a time, I think, when all of us dedicated Mac users probably felt like Dr. Drang. I was certainly using the iPad more than I wanted to. In November, I got my M1 iMac and like Dr. Drang, it has been liking coming home again.
If you’re into this sort of thing, please take a few minutes and read Jason’s report.
Apple says it will take a 27% commission on purchases made in dating apps through third-party payment options in the Netherlands, in compliance with a Dutch regulatory ruling.
In an update on its developer support site, Apple said it would collect 27% commission instead of its usual 30% on transactions made in dating apps that use alternative payment methods. Apple says the decreased commission excludes the value for collection and remittance of taxes that the company carries out.
Apple was blasted by developers on Twitter who took issue with the exorbitant fee. Steve Troughton-Smith called the move “absolutely vile” and said Tim Cook and the rest of the executive team should be “ashamed.” Marco Arment wrote that you “can just FEEL how much they despise having to do any of this.” Others noted that it “defeats the purpose of the law” and that developers will still need to pay at least 3 percent to the payment provider, thus negating even the small savings.
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While this system is limited to dating apps in the Netherlands, it’s a peek into how Apple will treat such orders around the world as the various regulatory cases are settled.
