If you thought the iPhone with USB-C was going to be unheard of when the European Union legislated against Apple’s decisions, you better sit down before reading on. Mark Gurman just claimed a bombshell on Bloomberg, stating that Apple is preparing to allow alternative app stores on iOS. The final decision would not be made, but at least they are already thinking about it.
Yes, that means what you probably imagine: the ability to install apps on iOS from a store other than the App Store. It would be the biggest change to the iPhone operating system since the official store arrived in 2009, without a doubt.
iOS 18 may be unrecognizable
For now the change is designed for the European Union, since this is where the administration is preparing to force Apple to do just that in the medium term. Although the source claims that from Cupertino it is already taken into account that other countries such as the United States itself follow the old continent, which makes this measure affect users around the world.
The presence of other stores on iOS would create a competitive environment with the App Store and its controversial commission of 30% of your payments (or 15% from the second year). These commissions might have to drop in front of stores that offer more affordable options to developers. Additionally, Apple should open up parts of the system to developers that until now have always been reserved for the company itself.
It remains to be seen how a security protocol is implemented to keep these iOS apps reliable: Gurman comments that Apple is considering vetting developers, similar to what happens in macOS. should also open components like the NFC of the iPhone, to offer alternatives to Apple Pay comply with new European laws. Or iMessage, to provide interoperability between messaging services.
If the deadlines do not change, all of these changes could become apparent in 2024. That year we should see the release of iOS 18, so this system could be radically different from the concept of iOS that we all have in mind. We will remain alert to any other clues that may leak.