It seems that iPhone users will finally be able to enjoy one of the biggest features of Android. According to Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly planning to let iOS users download apps from third-party app stores and people will also be able to sideload apps, which is huge. This is one of the biggest advantages that Android users have been enjoying for a long time now.
The European Union has passed a law that says the tech companies like Apple, who are being referred to as digital gatekeepers, need to ensure open markets. What this means is the tech giants need to give the decision-making power for app stores to users and that third-party services should be given the opportunity to participate in iOS.
In name of security, Apple has given iPhone users only one option to find and install apps. If the company complies with EU law, then iOS users will be able to download apps from their desired app stores. Though, people will then be responsible for the security of their phone and they will have to be careful about which app store they should trust and download apps from.
The move of offering only App Store as an option has also cost huge to app developers because of the 30 per cent cut that Apple takes on payments in the applications. Now, if the company allows third-party app stores on iPhones and iPads, then developers will get some sense of relief because they won’t have to pay much of a commission with other app stores. For example, Samsung’s Galaxy Store doesn’t reportedly charge anything for in-app purchases.
Apple will have time until March 2024 to comply with the order, according to the details revealed by the European Union. However, Apple is also said to set up some conditions and won’t completely give up on the security of users. The cited source says that the company could consider “mandating certain security requirements,” which basically means it plans to verify outside apps in some way, and it could also charge a fee for them. There is no official confirmation from Apple on this.
It will be interesting to see how Apple will try to make sure that the security of iOS users is not compromised because this is something that the company has been vouching for a long time. Another EU law is also said to be forcing Apple to launch iPhones with USB-C, which will be another big change.
