In your defense, the first paragraph of the article was confusing
Despite initial opposition from Apple and Google, the Epic Games Store plans to broaden its digital marketplace to iOS and Android platforms later this year. The company has started discussions about the upcoming launch of it’s new third-party store for mobile devices, although the platform will only be available in the EU thanks to the DMA, until Apple enables third party app stores in other areas.
It says Google opposed it, but the third party store thing is specific to Apple
That’s because there’s more to the DMA than the 3rd party app stores. It also means that Google/Apple are not allowed to charge their 30% if an app developer uses their own payment platform.
Today a company like Spotify has to pay 30% of its subscription models to Google/Apple, it it’s bought through the app - same with Epic if the launched an app store for its games.
This is very predatory and monopolistic behavior, and that’s why it’s not illegal to do in the EU anymore. And Google opposed this because it was their biggest cash cow on Android.
Please provide a source on third party stores having been required to give Google a cut. Since threads like this suggest that it was not the case with Amazon providing apks that weren’t published through the Google Play store that had no purchasing restrictions like the Kindle Google play version.
Yes, since Android 12 app updates doesn’t require user confirmation for updates through the store which installed an app originally. This came at a similar time as the Epic lawsuits, so it might be a concession to prevent losing a lawsuit about their anti-competetive behaviour.
Google did pay manufacturers to not include third-party app stores [1], but I they can’t force other stores to pay them any fees. It’s bonkers to me that Apple wants to charge other app stores for providing apps to their consumers, who paid Apple to own their device.
Yeah paying to not have third party stores come pre-installed is the only thing I can recall for Google, which I never did have an issue with due to the worst thing about Android phones being the uninstallable bloatware installed on a system level that only lets you disable it and comes back after updates. If I want a third party store I prefer that I be the one to install it than the manufacturer forcing it on me, which has been the pro for Apple phones. But, then inability to side load like Android was a huge con.
Pixels and Oneplus hit the nice middle of ground being pretty clean and not having bunch of random third party stores like Samsung, but not being locked down like Apple.
Google already allows third party stores
You’re right, I was confusing this with another issue. I humbly accept my downvotes.
In your defense, the first paragraph of the article was confusing
It says Google opposed it, but the third party store thing is specific to Apple
That’s because there’s more to the DMA than the 3rd party app stores. It also means that Google/Apple are not allowed to charge their 30% if an app developer uses their own payment platform.
Today a company like Spotify has to pay 30% of its subscription models to Google/Apple, it it’s bought through the app - same with Epic if the launched an app store for its games.
This is very predatory and monopolistic behavior, and that’s why it’s not illegal to do in the EU anymore. And Google opposed this because it was their biggest cash cow on Android.
Please provide a source on third party stores having been required to give Google a cut. Since threads like this suggest that it was not the case with Amazon providing apks that weren’t published through the Google Play store that had no purchasing restrictions like the Kindle Google play version.
https://www.reddit.com/r/kindle/comments/v3skd9/how_to_buy_books_from_kindle_on_android/
Only complaints I could recall over the years was that updates weren’t an convient with it requiring manual approval for apps for third party stores.
Yes, since Android 12 app updates doesn’t require user confirmation for updates through the store which installed an app originally. This came at a similar time as the Epic lawsuits, so it might be a concession to prevent losing a lawsuit about their anti-competetive behaviour.
Google did pay manufacturers to not include third-party app stores [1], but I they can’t force other stores to pay them any fees. It’s bonkers to me that Apple wants to charge other app stores for providing apps to their consumers, who paid Apple to own their device.
[1] https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/19/22632806/google-epic-premier-device-program-lg-motorola-hmd
Yeah paying to not have third party stores come pre-installed is the only thing I can recall for Google, which I never did have an issue with due to the worst thing about Android phones being the uninstallable bloatware installed on a system level that only lets you disable it and comes back after updates. If I want a third party store I prefer that I be the one to install it than the manufacturer forcing it on me, which has been the pro for Apple phones. But, then inability to side load like Android was a huge con.
Pixels and Oneplus hit the nice middle of ground being pretty clean and not having bunch of random third party stores like Samsung, but not being locked down like Apple.