Apple Loosens Grip on App Store: Kindle App Gets a “Get Book” Button After Court Ruling
The iPhone app landscape is shifting, and users are already seeing the benefits. Thanks to a recent court ruling stemming from the Epic Games v. Apple case, Apple is now allowing apps to offer promotions and collect payments directly from users, bypassing the company's commission. The first major sign of this change? Amazon's Kindle app now features a prominent "Get Book" button, making ebook purchases on iOS devices significantly easier.
This might sound like a small change, but it's a significant victory for both users and developers. Here’s why: For over a decade, Apple required apps to use its payment system, taking a commission of up to 30% on every sale. This policy forced companies like Amazon to implement cumbersome workarounds. For instance, Kindle users previously had to leave the app, navigate to Amazon's website in a browser, log in, and then sync their purchases back to the app. It was a hassle.
Now, thanks to Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers' ruling, Apple can no longer prevent developers from directing users to alternative payment options or collect commissions from purchases made outside the App Store. This means a smoother, more convenient purchasing experience for users, potentially leading to lower prices as apps bypass Apple's fees. The Morgan Stanley estimates that Apple makes $11 billion a year from app sales in the United States, and $2 billion of that is now at risk.
The new "Get Book" button in the Kindle app is a welcome change. As Timothy Beck Werth showcased a screenshot of the Kindle iOS app displaying a “Get book” button right next to titles. Clicking the button directs users to a mobile web browser, where they can complete their purchase directly on the Amazon website.
"We regularly make improvements to our apps to help ensure we are providing customers the most convenient experience possible," Amazon spokesperson Tim Gillman told The Verge “By selecting ‘Get Book’ within the Kindle for iOS app, customers can now complete their purchase through their mobile web browser.”
Other apps are also taking advantage of the new ruling. Spotify, for example, is now offering free trials to users directly through its app. Patreon is allowing users to pay creators more money. These changes are just the beginning of what could be a significant transformation of the iPhone's shopping experience.
Although Apple is appealing the ruling, it is complying with it in the meantime. However, there’s still the chance Apple could win its appeal, forcing Amazon to undo these updates and improvements and once again make buying ebooks on iPhones overcomplicated and inconvenient.
