XPost: misc.phone.mobile.iphone
Code in iOS 17.2 beta reveals that Apple will allow iPhone to sideload apps
https://www.phonearena.com/news/code-ios-beta-iphone-sideloading_id152495
"The EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) says that mobile device users should be able to install apps from third-party stores. Earlier this year,
Bloomberg's man on the Apple beat Mark Gurman said that Apple would allow sideloading but only in the 27 countries that are members of the EU."
"Another reason why Apple doesn't want to allow sideloading on the iPhone
is to prevent developers from listing their iOS apps on a third-party app
store as a way to get around paying Apple as much as 30% of their in-app revenue. Since the App Store is the only official iOS app storefront, there
is no way to escape the so-called Apple Tax unless a developer stops
accepting in-app purchases."
"The iOS 17.2 beta contains internal code that would give third-party apps permission to have other apps installed. With this capability, developers
would be able to create their own third-party iOS app storefront. The code
also has a region lock which would allow Apple to restrict sideloading to specific countries. This makes sense if Apple is forced to allow
sideloading by the DMA.
Apple has until this coming March to get in line with the DMA but you can
be sure that Tim Cook and his team will be trying anything to prevent sideloading from being forced onto Apple even if it is just in 27 EU
countries. And the month before, in February, the DMA could change its mind
and call iMessage a "gatekeeper" which would force Apple to add support for Rich Communication Services (RCS) to its messaging app. That too would be limited to the 27 EU member countries."
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