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The free Delta game emulator for iPhones is live on Apple’s App Store (www.theverge.com)

submitted 7 months ago by brie@beehaw.org to c/technology@beehaw.org

30 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Caveat: It isn't available in the app store in the EU, and is instead only available via the developer's marketplace, AltStore¹. As far as I can tell, this genuinely isn't because of greed, but because of a little detail in Apple's EU rules (possibly wrong):

[...] Developers can choose to remain on the App Store’s current business terms or adopt the new business terms for iOS apps in the EU.

Developers operating under the new business terms for EU apps will have the option to distribute their iOS apps in the EU via the App Store, Web Distribution, and/or alternative app marketplaces. [...] Developers who achieve exceptional scale on iOS, with apps that have over one million first annual installs in the past 12 months in the EU, will pay a Core Technology Fee. ²

The problem being, if you're under the old terms, there is no "Core Technology Fee." However, in order to distribute on another marketplace, you must opt into the new terms, meaning you now have to pay the fee even on apps that are distributed on Apple's app store. Thus, if you distribute on the iOS app store in the EU for free, and lets say it gets 2 million installs, you get 1 million installs free... and you now owe Apple half a million dollars.

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[–] DdCno1@beehaw.org 13 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, about that:

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/01/apples-hypocritical-defense-data-privacy/581680/

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/sep/23/apple-user-data-law-enforcement-falling-short

https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/05/apple_apps_privacy_study/

The correct choice would have been a custom ROM for an Android smartphone, without any Google apps and services.

[–] DeltaTangoLima@reddrefuge.com 9 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (2 children)

I need to use my phone for work, which means I can’t use custom ROMs due to our BYOD policies.

For me, iOS is still by far the better option, especially as I use privacy-respecting apps and services (Firefox, self-hosted Immich, etc).

[–] onlinepersona@programming.dev 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Do you share your phone for work and private life?

Anti Commercial-AI license

[–] DeltaTangoLima@reddrefuge.com 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Yep - not sure what point you're making, though?

A commercial use is one primarily intended for commercial advantage or monetary compensation

My phone isn't used "primarily for commercial advantage or monetary compensation". It's my own phone that my company reimburses me some of the monthly cost of running, for being able to use it to contact me.

[–] onlinepersona@programming.dev 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Work life separation is what I'm getting at. A work phone = used during working hours --> you can do whatever you like with your private phone. You can use a privacy respecting phone OS if you wanted to.

Also, places of employment probably have the right to control work phones. One of my jobs meant endpoint security was necessary to monitor and control the phones. A friend working for the government and another working for a bank actually had fellow employees get into trouble for the stuff they had installed on their work phones. Others actually lost data because their phones were remotely wiped prior to being fired.

I have friends with work phones and they use whatever was given to them for work, but as soon as work is over, the phone is off. The private phones they have do run privacy respecting ROMs like LineageOS, eOS, and GrapheneOS.

Anti Commercial-AI license

[–] DeltaTangoLima@reddrefuge.com 4 points 7 months ago

Yep. I get all that, but that’s not an option with my employer.

I’m comfortable with the separation I have, and iOS is key to part of that satisfaction.

[–] DdCno1@beehaw.org 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

How did you solve the issue of adblocking?

[–] DeltaTangoLima@reddrefuge.com 2 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

I have an always-on Wireguard VPN, and use my Piholes at home. So far, so good!