Apple Addresses Spotify’s Claims in a Statement

After Spotify filed a complaint against Apple earlier this week, Apple has today released a statement trying to address Spotify’s claims.

According to the statement:

What Spotify is demanding is something very different. After using the App Store for years to dramatically grow their business, Spotify seeks to keep all the benefits of the App Store ecosystem — including the substantial revenue that they draw from the App Store’s customers — without making any contributions to that marketplace. At the same time, they distribute the music you love while making ever-smaller contributions to the artists, musicians and songwriters who create it — even going so far as to take these creators to court.

and

Spotify wouldn’t be the business they are today without the App Store ecosystem, but now they’re leveraging their scale to avoid contributing to maintaining that ecosystem for the next generation of app entrepreneurs. We think that’s wrong.

Great points, but the statement complete sidesteps why the company disallows apps to mention other available payment models. I think Apple is fair in asking for a 30% cut for payments made through the App Store, but Spotify (and other apps) should also be allowed to tell their users that they can purchase the same subscriptions, using other payment methods, sometimes cheaper, from the service’s own website. Apple itself says that many Spotify users are free users and Apple is fine not getting any revenue from them. For any revenue Spotify receives outside of the App Store payment system, Apple shouldn’t need to ask for a cut.

Moreover, Spotify wouldn’t be in this tough position if Apple didn’t have its music streaming service, with substantial unfair advantages over Apple, offered at the same price as Spotify. Right now, Apple offers a competitor service on the same platform as Spotify, at the same price as Spotify, and has substantial advantages that users like.

March 15, 2019 ✚ Permalink

Spotify Files a Formal Complaint Against Apple

Spotify has announced that it has filed a complaint against Apple with the European Commission (EC), the regulatory body responsible for keeping competition fair and nondiscriminatory.

Daniel Ek, founder and CEO of Spotify, writes:

In recent years, Apple has introduced rules to the App Store that purposely limit choice and stifle innovation at the expense of the user experience—essentially acting as both a player and referee to deliberately disadvantage other app developers. After trying unsuccessfully to resolve the issues directly with Apple, we’re now requesting that the EC take action to ensure fair competition.

and

We aren’t seeking special treatment. We simply want the same treatment as numerous other apps on the App Store, like Uber or Deliveroo, who aren’t subject to the Apple tax and therefore don’t have the same restrictions.

More power to Spotify!

The company has created a lovely website called Time to Play Fair that shows a timeline of all the ridiculous App Store policies that Apple has in place as well as the rejections that Spotify has faced over the years.

March 13, 2019 ✚ Permalink

Apple Introduces (RED) iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus

Apple has today introduced (PRODUCT)RED iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, which will be available for order on Apple.com starting April 10, 2018 (tomorrow) and in Apple Stores starting April 13, 2018 (Friday).

For 11 years, our partnership with (RED) has supported HIV/AIDS programmes that provide counselling, testing and medicine that prevents the transmission of HIV from a mother to her unborn child. So far, we’ve raised over US$160 million through the sale of our (RED) products. Every purchase brings us a step closer to an AIDS‑free generation.

These new (RED) models of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus) will be available in 64GB and 256GB versions for the standard non-RED pricing of $699/$849 and $799/$949 respectively. The India pricing has been announced as starting at ₹67,940/- and will be available in May.

April 9, 2018 ✚ Permalink

A Roundup of All the Good Apple HomePod Reviews

Apple HomePod Reviews

Apple’s HomePod goes on sale in just three days. The pre-orders have been open for a little over a week now and so far, very little has been known about this new category of device from Apple. Thankfully, the embargo for the reviews has lifted today and several HomePod reviews are now rolling out as I type this.

Here’s a roundup of some of the notable HomePod reviews I’ve come across so far:

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February 6, 2018 ✚ Permalink

Indian Government Approves 100% Foreign Direct Investment for Single-Brand Retail; Signaling a Major Win for Apple

The Union Cabinet today approved changes to the FDI norms for India. The government has eased norms across various key sectors at a meeting led by the PM Narendra Modi, such as construction, aviation, etc. However, the most notable and relevant change comes in the single-brand retail sector. The Indian Government has now approved 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for single-brand retail in India via the Automatic Route. Previously, it was possible to invest up to 49 percent via the automatic route — anything higher than 49 percent required a government approval.

The amendments announced today are “intended to liberalize and simplify the FDI policy so as to provide ease of doing business in the country”, said a release by the Press Information Bureau.

This change is a major win for Apple, who has been trying to setup their own stores in India for a while now. The company did get a step closer in their attempts in April of 2016, but the Indian government wasn’t ready to relax the local sourcing norms for Apple. However, in June that year, the government announced some radical changes to the FDI policy that raised our hopes yet again. Today’s announcements have hopefully brought Apple India a little closer to their goal.

The government has also decided to permit entities to “set off” the 30% local sourcing norms for the first five years, beginning 1st April of the year of opening the first store.

I have been waiting for a really long time to see company-run Apple Stores in India, not for the sales experience, but rather to experience Apple’s incredible support first-hand. It sure seems that the dream is closer to being a reality now.

January 10, 2018 ✚ Permalink

Apple Developer Program Membership Fee Waivers

We’re pleased to announce that Apple Developer Program membership is now available at no cost for eligible organizations. Nonprofit organizations, accredited educational institutions, and government entities based in the United States that will distribute only free apps on the App Store can request to have their annual membership fee waived.

If you’re a nonprofit organization, accredited educational institution, or government entity based in the United States and plan to distribute only free apps on the App Store, you’re eligible for this fee waiver. You have to apply and wait for Apple to review your request and approve it.

I hope this comes to other countries as well.

January 4, 2018 ✚ Permalink

On Vivek Wadhwa’s Factor Daily piece titled “Why Apple is destined to fail in India”

apple-vivek-wadhwa-factor-daily-piece-lol

Earlier today, Factor Daily published this piece titled ‘Why Apple is destined to fail in India‘ written by Vivek Wadhwa. A similarly-worded article from the author also appeared on The Washington Post and VentureBeat a day earlier. I subscribed to Factor Daily via RSS a while ago, primarily for the people behind the site who have delivered some great content in the past. I, however, was definitely not ready for this hilariously bullshit stream of content heading my way.

Now, usually when I come across a title as bold as this one about Apple, and they’re dime a dozen these days, I usually either skip it completely or read it and then skip reacting to it. But this piece by Vivek Wadhwa has such ingenious crap filled inside, I couldn’t help fire up Ulysses. Vivek’s piece essentially says that Apple is destined to fail in India because the company fails to understand the Indian market and that “it is repeating the mistakes it made in China”. However, a lot of points that Vivek raises are just not true, plain wrong, or simply laughable.

[With inputs and corrections from Rohan “RN” Naravane, who was just as baffled upon reading the piece.]

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March 17, 2017 ✚ Permalink

Apple’s New Spaceship Campus is Officially Called Apple Park, Opens in April

Apple Park

Apple has today announced that its new spaceship campus that has been under construction over the last few years will be officially called Apple Park and will open to employees in April.

Spread over 175-acres in the Santa Clara Valley in California, the new HQ includes a 2.8 million-square-foot main building with the world’s largest panels of curved glass. Apple Park also includes a 100-seat theater that has been named after Steve Jobs and is situated atop a hill within the new campus.

Apple Park Steve Jobs Theater

Here are some highlights of Apple Park:

  • Runs entirely on renewable energy.
  • Includes a 1000-seat theater/auditorium.
  • 17 Megawatts of solar panels on the rooftop.
  • Includes a visitor center, along with an Apple Store and a café.
  • World’s largest naturally ventilated building
  • Includes a 100,000 square-foot fitness center for Apple employees.
  • Two miles of walking and running paths

I can’t wait to visit this.

February 22, 2017 ✚ Permalink