The issue is whether making your own hardware also allows you to set policies on the software that can be run on it. One viewpoint is that these are separate industries and a dominance in one (smartphones) should not allow you to dominate the other (software distribution). There can be a legitimate discussion about what the boundaries are (operating system vs browser apps in case of Microsoft)
Because iOS represents about +60% of the revenue in the global mobile market, probably even more in some countries where it has a bigger market share.
It's naive to think a business with a product/service can just decide to not have a presence on iOS.
It's not even completely about the iOS revenue either, but the simple expectation from users that a service has to be on as many platforms as possible. For example, I wouldn't be a Spotify user if I couldn't use it on all my devices.
Apple does not have the largest market share by OS, Android does. Other app stores and sideloading are already very widely available.
I've heard this argument from iOS users who have never really used Android for a significant amount of time.
I have been using both Android and iOS devices for almost a decade now and there's not much of a difference.
In fact I'd say the experience is better on Android. For instance, if you uninstall a paid app you just recently bought you get an automatic instant refund. Good luck getting a refund on iOS.
I can't tell for sure, but all top commenters itt just feel like being those guys I wholeheartedly hate on the playstore. Some of them even admit that apple does a best thing for a user, but must be regulated down to not being able to do that. To hell with them, I don't want their crapware anyway.
¹ not even a year tbh, but not in just three-day test mode as well. I'm definitely beyond the "setup and try playing with it" stage right now.
At any rate, just because a platform is popular and will make you more money doesn't mean you have a legal right to force that platform owner to do business with you.
(Unless it is ruled as an "essential facility", which is what Epic claims, but I think is a huge stretch and not likely to be accepted by the court.)
Personally, alternative marketing channels have yet to work for me.
If they want access to the market then it's a "Want to be" not a "have to be" because of the opportunities apparent.
I guess I was a bit misleading in my original comment. 98% of my users come from iOS and Android organic search results. I haven't been able to find any profitable non-store marketing channels.
It's not Apple or Google. It's users who are paying.
I don't care what device, it's features, security, app review, privacy, it just has to be a device.
My users also want my product in their device. They will download it from the App Store or from my website (sideloading).
Apple has no business getting 30% from a business that happens despite itself. Apple is just rent seeking and monopolizing access to people.
If Apple didn't gut their browser, it'd be fine.
My users want push notifications. My users want to persist data from my product in their device. They want to use their device's features with my product.
And they want native performance.
This may be one possible reason: https://i.imgur.com/kPXs9NO.png
Here's another interpretation: iOS devices are more expensive hence people that use them can spend more money on apps.