Should you care about sideloading for app stores? And how will it impact Apple, you, and the European market?
  • NOT_RICK@lemmy.worldEnglish
    25·
    10 months ago

    When I can’t sideload just because I’m on the wrong side of the Atlantic I’m going to be really annoyed.

    • soren446@lemmy.world
      61·
      10 months ago

      There’s another sideloading option if you’re able to get the ipa file for an app. Check out AltStore. It’s what I currently use and is getting custom sources in the next update. It unfortunately requires a Mac or Windows computer to install and refresh apps though, so not the most elegant solution.

      • 68x@lemmy.worldEnglish
        5·
        10 months ago

        This is a bit of a hack as it relies on free developer accounts with Apple and Apple still signs the apps. In an ideal world, Apple users should be able to install and run anything they want.

        • abhibeckert@lemmy.world
          1·
          10 months ago

          Apple doesn’t sign them. A free developer account allows you to sign your own apps with a 100 device limit (per employee, if you work at a small company, or unlimited if you pay extra as an “enterprise” developer - which doesn’t actually require being a large enterprise. It basically just costs extra).

          They only need to sign the app if you want a large team of external beta testers - then you have to send the binary to Apple to be scanned for malware and signed by them.

    • the_ramzay@lemmy.world
      4·
      10 months ago

      In Poland/EU we have another fate: so much features of Apple/ios/macOS just doesn’t work/come after 5-7 years from release in USA. For example that’s force me to use google Maps: cycling directions; Public transportation schedule in Apple Maps have released for my city(one of the largest In Poland) just year ago; 3d maps — hah, forget. For air quality I have to use 3rd party app too. Apple Cash? Send money through iMessages? Apple Card? And this list of lack of features that available in USA but not in Poland/Europe are kinda endless.

      • NOT_RICK@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        10 months ago

        Yeah that is bs. I can understand that these features probably take a lot of work to build out and to ensure the proper legalities are sorted but Apple is a trillion dollar company so it really shouldn’t take them years

    • MikeT@lemm.ee
      3·
      10 months ago

      Hopefully, that will not be the case as there is a anti-trust lawsuit possibly coming from DoJ and congress may pass a similar law like DMA. However, the chances are low anything will happen due the upcoming US elections. 😔

  • Nogami@lemmy.world
    7·
    10 months ago

    So this will just mean you can load through stores other than Apple, but Apple will still only sign verified apps? Ok then.

    • TenderfootGungi@lemmy.world
      32·
      10 months ago

      This will only push Apples stock down. Every big company with market power will move their app off the App Store to stop paying apple a cut and not have to follow their rules (like easy subscription cancelations).

      • accideath@lemmy.world
        6·
        10 months ago

        Nah, no chance. Android allows side loading and the vast majority of apps are on the Play Store still because the vast majority of users don’t even know what sideloading is…

      • replicat@lemmy.world
        41·
        10 months ago

        Just like they do on android?

        It’s a ton of work to distribute apps on your own and less technical users will always prefer the app store.

        Only the really big guys and the really small guys will offer side loading and they won’t pull the apps from the app store in the process.

        That being said, it might initially drop apple stock because a lot of people will think the same way you are here.

        • abhibeckert@lemmy.world
          1·
          10 months ago

          Just like they do on android?

          No. The EU has published a detailed list of soft barriers to side loading that Google must remove.

          It’s going to get a lot easier to side load apps on Android soon. And there will probably be a bunch of third party stores (I’d expect Steam to be available on Android this year for example - and probably also pre-installed on some phones).

          It’s a ton of work to distribute apps on your own

          Sure. But developers don’t need to do it on their own. They will be able to outsource the work to someone like Steam who is very very good at running an app store (I’d argue they’re better at it than Google or Apple).

      • Quokka@quokk.auEnglish
        1·
        10 months ago

        No.

        We’ve seen with Android and with Steam, it pays more to pay the cut of sales to be on the big store where the people who will buy your product are.

      • Zoolander@lemmy.worldEnglish
        13·
        10 months ago

        Yup. And, for the vast majority of users, the experience is going to become shittier and shittier.