Apple has confirmed plans to drop apps and in-app purchases from its iTunes Affiliate Program by October 1.
The company feels that commissions are no longer necessary following the launch of its redesigned App Store, which has improved app discovery. However, everyone else believes it’s an ignorant and shortsighted move that won’t be good for anyone but Apple.
Apple’s weakest earnings report of 2018 is set to be revealed today but it might also contain a few clues about the 2018 iPhone launch this fall.
Tim Cook and Apple CFO Luca Maestri will talk to investors on an open call at 2 p.m. Pacific. Analysts don’t expect a huge boost in iPhone sales and revenue (in fact some are downright pessimistic). However, Apple could pull out a few surprises like it did the last two quarters.
Per usual, Cult of Mac will be here to live-blog all the action starting at 1:30 p.m. (That’s when the earnings report typically lands.) Come join the fun!
When Apple unveils its latest earnings report Tuesday, some analysts think the numbers may be even better than expected.
Q3 is usually Apple’s weakest quarter of the year as the iPhone sales cycle starts to come to an end. However, this week’s call may hold a number of surprises and hints about the 2018 iPhone lineup as Apple gives investors guidance on next quarter. As usual, Cult of Mac will liveblog the entire call with all the pithy analysis we can muster.
We’ll be watching for these key details in the report (and so should you).
The App Store is bigger than even Steve Jobs likely dared hope, but with around 2 million apps battling it out for your attention, there’s a discovery problem.
To help with this, Apple introduced a program called Search Ads a few years back to help highlight individual apps through advertisements. Apple is now rolling out its Search Ads service to new countries, bringing the total number of supported markets to 13.
Ten years ago, Apple co-founder and then-CEO Steve Jobs understood that smartphones were going to be a big deal. And he realized software would be an important part of that.
With 20/20 hindsight, it’s easy to dismiss that vision. But Jobs was talking in August 2008, a year after the release of the first iPhone, and only a month after the iOS App Store debuted. Most people had flip phones, and PCs dominated the computing landscape.
Apple has removed QDrops, a $0.99 paid app designed to promote a conspiracy theory about Hillary Clinton and a supposed child sex ring, from the App Store.
Despite its pro-free speech position, Apple was clear to distance itself from apps which break its user guidelines.
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was a visionary. That’s a phrase that gets tossed around a lot, but in Jobs’ case we have solid evidence.
Speaking at a conference in the early 1980s, a decade before the Internet became a household name, he described something we do everyday: buy software online.
We’re all accustomed to paying a simple, one-time fee for our iOS apps. But developers are increasingly turning to subscriptions. In fact, there were billions paid in app subscription fees in the past year.
Apple reported today that revenue from subscriptions is up 95 percent over last year.
GarageBand for iOS is one of the first Apple apps to add support for Schoolwork, giving teachers the ability to create GarageBand assignments and activities.
The version 2.3.4 update also allows you to view note labels on any Touch Instrument’s music keyboard.
Apple has confirmed that it plans to block iTunes and App Store payment information changes on old versions of iOS, OS X, and Apple TV Software.
As of June 30, those with really old devices could have trouble making purchases when their existing payment information expires. Apple says the change is to “ensure your financial data is protected when you make purchases.”
Amazon FreeTime Unlimited just made the jump to to the Apple App Store. This service for children ages three to twelve offers thousands of books, movies, and games for a flat monthly fee.
The service launched years ago on Amazon’s own tablets, but only became available for iPad and iPhone today.
Apple and now Google offer their very own News apps for iOS, but if you don’t like either, there’s now another option: Microsoft News.
Available today as a rebranded MSN app, the service provides users with curated news from more than 1,000 “premium publishers” and over 3,000 brands in major global markets.
Pokémon Quest, a new free-to-play game from The Pokémon Company, is now available to preorder on iOS.
The game will make its official debut on June 28, offering exactly the same experience that Nintendo Switch owners have been enjoying since late May.
Get ready to start filling up that Pokédex!
Apple CEO Tim Cook has been touring the Netherlands the last few days where he has been visiting with local developers and chatting it up with one of the best iPhone photographers in the game.
Annet de Graaf (Instagram: @snapthecity) sat down with Cook in Amsterdam to talk about the city along with historian Koen Kleijn. It’s unclear what Cook’s agenda is for the trip, but he’s been hitting Twitter hard the last few days saying he loves, “the rich history and creative energy of this city.”
Scheduling a meeting should be a simple task, but it never is. WhenWorks is a new app that takes away the pain by allowing clients and colleagues to book time with you only when you’re free.
All you have to do is decide when you want your meetings to take place.
Software developers filed a lawsuit years ago claiming Apple uses the App Store to enforce a monopoly on iOS software. Apple argues that developers don’t have the right to bring this lawsuit, only consumers do.
The legal maneuvering has dragged on, but U.S. Supreme Court just announced that it will take up the question during its next term, which starts in October.
Pokémon Go is finally giving players the ability to trade pocket monsters with their friends.
The feature will be added this summer, alongside the ability to create a friends list, developer Niantic confirmed today. Players have been waiting for trading to arrive for the past two years
Good luck finding your way with Apple Maps today.
The service is suffering a widespread outage that is preventing many users from using search or directions. The problem seems to be affecting iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac users around the world, but Apple says all services are operating normally.
UPDATE: As of Friday afternoon, whatever the earlier problem was, this service appears to be working normally again.
Ark: Survival Evolved is now available on Android and iOS.
The popular survival game from Studio Wildcard is completely free-to-play and in-app purchases aren’t necessary. The only thing you need to worry about is staying alive in a world dominated by dinosaurs.
Steam Link could finally be about to make its debut on iOS.
After Apple updated its App Store guidelines for remote desktop clients, Steam Link for iOS has been updated to prevent players from making purchases on iPhone and iPad. The change almost certainly means that the app is being readied for an imminent App Store release.
The 2018 World Cup will be loaded with one-name football stars: Ronaldo, Messi, Isco, Neymar and, new to the lineup, Siri.
Apple’s voice-directed digital assistant will keep tabs on the World Cup schedule, scores and stats across all devices thanks to updates to sports support for users in Brazil, Denmark, Finland, Malaysia, Turkey, Thailand, Israel, Saudi Arabia and host Russia. Sports support now comes to Siri users in 35 countries.
You can no longer use your iPhone for mining bitcoins — or not through Apple’s official channels, at least.
Revised wording in the App Store review guidelines notes that Apple is banning apps which “run unrelated background processes, such as cryptocurrency mining.” In a dedicated cryptocurrency section, the company goes on to break down in more detail what is — and, crucially, is not — permissible.
Apple’s updated App Store guidelines finally give developers the ability to offer free trials for all apps — not just those that require a subscription. It’s a great move for users and creators, and something we’ve been demanding for a long time, but it has its problems.
Daniel Jalkut, developer of the MarsEdit blogging app for Mac, lists eight reasons why Apple’s approach to app trials is flawed.
We’re still eagerly anticipating Nintendo’s first The Legend of Zelda game for mobile. iOS users in China may have briefly believed the wait was over this week when Breath of the Wild landed in the App Store — except it wasn’t actually Breath of the Wild.
It turns out Apple approved a shameless Zelda clone that, unsurprisingly, doesn’t deliver everything its description promises.
Apple has finally fixed one of the biggest complaints about its Mac and iOS App Stores: free trials. Developers can now offer free time-limited trials of their apps, with a one-time in-app purchase to unlock the full version. This little amendment to the App Store guidelines may prove to be huge, paving the way for developers to make much better, pro-level apps for iOS.