This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
Oh true competition. Nice.
It would be amazing knowing if as a tourist one can have access to a different browser in iPhone or sideload crazy apps that block ads without questioning.
If it’s anything like the EU setup, it’s based off of where your iCloud account is based out of. At least I think that was what it was last time I went looking.
Nope, Apple is way more anal than that.
You need to have an iCloud account registered in the EU/Japan, AND be physically located in EU/Japan.
Changing the iCloud account region requires you to contact Apple, surrendering all of your current account balance, and providing them with an EU/Japan billing method + address. Users have also reported mixed results with VPNs in getting around the physical location requirement.
About alternative app distribution - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/en-us/118110
Still, sounds like opening the floodgates.
From the support articles:
Alternative app distribution is available in the countries or regions of the European Union or Japan.
Apps installed through alternative app distribution undergo a Notarization process to ensure every app meets baseline platform integrity standards, but it is up to each alternative app distributor to review apps in accordance with their own processes and policies.
Your device eligibility for apps from alternative distribution is determined using on-device processing with only an indicator of eligibility sent to Apple. To preserve your privacy, Apple does not collect your deviceʼs location.
In the European Union [iPhone and iPad]
The country or region of your Apple Account must be set to one of the countries or regions of the European Union, and you must physically be located in the European Union.
In Japan [iPhone only]
The country or region of your Apple Account must be set to Japan, and you must physically be located in Japan.
If you leave your eligible country or region
If you leave your eligible country or region, you can continue to open and use apps that you previously installed through alternative app distribution. You can continue to update apps from alternative app distribution for up to 90 days after you leave, and you can continue using alternative app distribution to manage previously installed apps. However, you must be in your eligible country or region to install alternative app marketplaces and new apps through alternative app distribution.
Notarization for iOS and iPadOS apps is a baseline review that applies to all apps, regardless of their distribution channel, focused on platform policies for security and privacy and to maintain device integrity. Through a combination of automated checks and human review, Notarization helps ensure apps are free of known malware, viruses, or other security threats, function as promised, and don’t expose users to egregious fraud.
Hell, no. If there were "true competition," Apple would sell out and move to a new industry entirely.
This needs to be the standard. I don't understand how we ever allowed it in the first place, really.
because of the cut in digital sales theyd get. phone companies are the current front, but its going to get extremely messy when the front gets for example, put into the console gaming front. its all for money for software they did not develop and prevent that money from going to any other payment processor.
for example on the PS5 front, sony makes more than 50% of their revenue on live service games. none that they actually own themselves. Apple, and to a lesser extent, Google, apply that for ALL software, and gain additional money from developer subscriptions. It's the same fear Valve had back when Microsoft was pushing for the Microsoft Store to become the defacto storefront for personal computers. that push however failed miserably.
Phones were already restricted by what could be installed on them prior to smart devices entering the scene.
Given how powerful the hardware is, it should have eased up long ago. They've over played their hand and are still unable to acknowledge it.
Money.
I like money.
So now we know it is possible, it is time to replicate that success worldwide.
Cupertino has complied anyway, and said it introduced “Notarization for iOS apps, an authorization process for app marketplaces, and requirements that help protect children from inappropriate content and scams.”
Notarization requirements mean that they still maintain total control over the operating system and what software it can run. These kinds of onerous requirements keep the bar artificially high for competitors and are only possible because they are still enforcing their monopolistic control over the platform.
So no, they're not complying at all actually. They're just doing the same thing in a different way.
Exactly what Google was trying to enforce with their mandatory developer verification/app signing until they backed down. Hopefully that lasts for a while, but the future of open computing isn't bright...
The article doesn't go into detail about how the notarization works. I would hope that users can choose to only use notorized apps, or accept the risk.
European iOS still requires """notorization""" (app signing by Apple-verified developers), so I wouldn't hold my breath.
Now we just need these laws worldwide.
Watch Mark Carney pretend like “it’s too hard for these 2 small businesses trying to make ends meet”
I don't want a device that requires the manufacturer to allow me to use it.
Unfortunately that's every device
You're right but that doesn't mean I want that.
... and it destroyed their company right? Their entire business model broke down and it impacted the security of their customers who complained constantly about the decision. Right?
Right?
How can I simulate being in Japan?
Get yourself some universal health care, good roads, affordable small cars, and cheap, beautiful old houses in the countryside.
You forgot about the amazing public transport. Fast long distance trains, tiny local trains, towns with random monorails. It’s amazing.
Don't forget to include a healthy dose of xenophobia, so that you'll feel unwanted and ostracized anywhere you go. Add some fascism too, lots of people there love it.
If you're waiting for a xenophobia-free society with no right-wing nationalist presence before you're allowed to say something nice about a place, I'm afraid the only place we're allowed to praise is the moon.
I'm just putting some gray on your rose-tinted idealized Japan. No need to be so defensive about it. And it's hardly the only place that what I said applies, plenty of places in Europe are like that, or on the fast track to become like that.
Play a Pokémon game
Eeek.
Can I try something else?
Sorry that’s the only way. I don’t make the rules.
Digimon.
Technically only the first four generations are set in "Japan".
The ones after them are set in fantasy New York, France, Hawaii, Great Britain, and Spain.
Watch anime
other places: they can, but they won't
This might be wishful thinking but could this lead to Nintendo and other console manufacturers having to open up their ecosystem and allow third party stores?
The full text of this act (translated to English) is available here: https://www.jftc.go.jp/file/MSCA_Guidelines_tentative_translation.pdf
I haven't read through the full text, but it does seem to specifically apply to only smartphones. The Switch is a mobile device but I think it'd be a hard case to make it count as a phone and a general computing platform like iPhone/Android.
So what alternative apps stores are there? Is there any other app store for Android that lets developers charge users for the app? Samsung's Galaxy Store I guess? Anything for iPhone?
Where can I get a list of such app stores?
For Android, F-Droid provides only open source apps. It also has a section for downloading other stores.
I already knew F-droid. Also it's always been available on Android, albeit in a roundabout way.
What's there for iOS?
Japan
bah dum tiss
I've never found this to be an issue as a Pixel user who never buys IAPs in Japan (or much of the PlayStore, honestly). But it's cool that I can pick different payment options. Does this mean iPhone users can basically install whatever app they want or do apps still need to be approved by Apple or something?
They have to go through a notarization process. Idk the details.
same I only need two apps outside F-Droid (ProtonMail + Whatsapp) and even those two apps are available as apk in their official wbsites
Can I do this in the US if I use a proxy? My guess is no.
With a Japanese Apple ID and probally GPS spoofing too, sure.
And the the app can only be updated for 90 days if you "leave" the supported region.
