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- The new app store AltStore may arrive on iPhones in the EU after regional regulation changes by 2024.
- The Apple App Store rival aims to give developers more control over app distribution and payments.
- AltStore offers a glimpse of how iPhone apps could change in the US if Apple loses the Justice Department lawsuit.
The arrival of a new app store on iPhones in the EU is a glimpse of what changes US iPhone users can expect if the Justice Department wins its antitrust case against Apple.
AltStore is a third-party app store that aims to be Apple’s default alternative. The rival comes after the EU introduced a digital markets law this year aimed at promoting fair competition in digital markets. The law forced Apple to open its App Store in January and allow iPhone owners in the region to use an alternative store. .
However, users who want to use AltStore should not expect major changes.
AltStore developer Riley Testut told TechCrunch of his product that “virtually everything works the same as the App Store today.”
However, one difference is that AltStore is designed to create a marketplace where developers can control the deployment of their apps. Apple says that while Apple requires approval before listing apps on its store, AltStore allows developers to upload and immediately distribute mobile software without review.
It also appears to reduce developer costs. Apple’s in-app subscriptions typically come with a 15% to 30% commission on sales, which is paid to the tech giant. However, AltStore says this will not be a burden. Instead, a developer can include a custom Patreon integration and sell the app directly to her iPhone users. By doing so, developers can monetize their products without ads, paid downloads, or in-app purchases. The same Patreon integration can also be used to distribute “paid” apps, Testut told TechCrunch.
Testut told TechCrunch that Apple still needs to approve AltStore before it becomes widely available in the EU. Once that happens, iPhone users in the region will be able to download apps such as Nintendo game emulator Delta and GameCube and Wii emulator Dolphin, according to the AltStore website.
The emergence of AltStore after the launch of the DMA hints at what changes the US iPhone could undergo if Apple loses its battle with the Department of Justice. U.S. regulators are accusing the tech giant of using anticompetitive practices to dominate the smartphone market.
AltStore developer Testut previously told Business Insider about the lawsuit, “I think there’s a good chance we’ll see entirely new iOS apps, especially from independent developers, that can’t exist today because of Apple’s rules.” Ta. The Justice Department accused Apple of not allowing cross-platform apps and locking users into its ecosystem.
Industry leaders say that if Apple loses to the Justice Department, it will offer lower prices, cheaper streaming subscription services, more tap-to-pay options, more smartwatch options, and an improved texting experience on Android and iPhone. It is said that there is a possibility of improvement.
Not everyone believes these iPhone changes are good for consumers. Apple denies the allegations in the lawsuit, but says it makes the user experience less secure.
“This lawsuit threatens our existence and the principles that differentiate Apple products in a fiercely competitive market,” Apple told BI in March. “If successful, it would impede our ability to develop the kind of technology that people have come to expect from Apple at the intersection of hardware, software, and services.”
AltStore and Apple did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s requests for comment before publication. Testutto declined to comment.
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