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Tag: apple

  • Apple removes 8,000 Vietnamese apps for fraud

    Apple removes 8,000 Vietnamese apps for fraud

    Vietnam is among the countries with the most apps removed from the App Store in 2022 for fraud or poor user experience.

    In its App Store 2022 Transparency Report, Apple said it has around 1.78 million applications and removed 186,195 last year.

    The largest number, 38,883, was in the Games category.

    Vietnamese apps accounted for 8,462. Most of them — 4,657 — were removed for violating design standards. Fraud caused the removal of 3,626 apps, the second highest of any country’s.

    According to Apple’s guidelines, design violations include applications that are outdated or have worse user experience than it expects, like redirecting to a website before running the app.

    Fraud included applications that create fraudulent reviews of competitors, unfair competition or false content to lure users.

    There were also other reasons for removal such as violating developers’ code of conduct, copying other apps’ designs, spam apps, violating intellectual property rights, fake news, etc.

    The report also showed that Vietnam was among the top 10 countries to appeal removals, with 11 out of 416 proving successful.

    China had the most apps removed with 41,000, followed by the U.S. with 32,000, and India with 10,000.

    China had the most apps removed for fraud and violating developers’ code of conduct, while the U.S. led in design violations and spams.

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  • Smartphone exports to Vietnam plunge in deepest fall in Southeast Asia

    Smartphone exports to Vietnam plunge in deepest fall in Southeast Asia

    Shipments of smartphones to Vietnam plunged 30% year-on-year in the first quarter, the deepest decline among the five major Southeast Asian markets, according to a new report.

    Malaysia came second from bottom in terms of negative growth, down 29% year-on-year. Thailand saw shipments drop 1%, according to market research company Counterpoint.

    The five main Southeast Asian markets, including Indonesia and the Philippines, saw an overall drop in shipments of 13%.

    Counterpoint analyst Glen Cardoza said that consumer sentiment has not fully recovered in Vietnam.

    He added that inflation in Southeast Asia has affected buyer sentiment, leading to a decrease in demand for new phones.

    A report by another market research company showed that 2.5 million smartphones were sold in Vietnam in the first two months, down 30% year-on-year.

    “This year, people started to tighten their spending right from January,” said a representative of a smartphone retail chain.

    Cardoza said that another reason for the first quarter decline was that Vietnam had received many shipments in the last quarter of last year.

    Counterpoint data also shows that economic challenges have not affected the high-end segment.

    Samsung posted the biggest sales in Vietnam in the first quarter and claimed 21% of the market, followed by Oppo at 20%, Vivo with 14%, Xiaomi 14%, Realme 12% and Apple 7%.

    However, all brands saw a decline compared to the same period last year, except for Apple which posted growth of 18%.

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  • Poor demand drags MacBook prices down

    Poor demand drags MacBook prices down

    Apple’s MacBook Pro laptops have seen their prices tumble by tens of millions of dong (VND1 million = $42.6) in the two months amid underwhelming demand.

    Quy Thien, a video editor, said when the MacBook Pro 16-inch was released in Vietnam at the end of March, he ordered a high-end model with an M2 Max chip, 96 GB RAM, and 4 TB storage for VND149 million (US$6,400).

    But Apple dealers told him the model was not available, but would arrive in two months. When his device arrived, he checked the prices and found it had fallen to VND133 million.

    “In two months, I lost VND16 million when I hadn’t even received my device,” he said.

    A retailer explained that the MacBook Pro is a niche product due to its high price. Dealers do not stock some high-end models, and users have to order and wait for six to 12 weeks. Thus, early buyers got a bad break since prices started to fall as they waited, he said. Even the standard version has become cheaper.

    At the time of launch the 14-inch version with 16 GB RAM, 512 GB storage and an M2 Pro chip cost VND52.9 million, and the 16-inch version cost VND65.9 million. If they had M2 Max chips, the prices were VND81.9 million and VND92.9 million.

    In the next two months retailers slashed the prices of the 14-inch model by VND5 million if it had an M2 Pro chip and VND8 million if it had an M2 Max chip.

    VND million (VND1 million = $42.63)MacBook pricesMarchMayMacBook Pro 14 inch M2 ProMacBook Pro 14 inch M2 MaxMacBook Pro 16 inch M2 ProMacBook Pro 16 inch M2 Max0255075100

    However, it has not worked and sales have not picked up, and the MacBook Pro only accounts for 2-3% of total laptop sales.

    Hoang Ha Mobile said the high prices are the biggest dampener of demand.

    Other Apple laptops have also become cheaper.

    The MacBook Air M1, which used to be the best-selling laptop in Vietnam, currently costs VND17.9 million, VND11 million down since its launch in January 2021.

    The MacBook Air M2’s prices have fluctuated. At the end of April its price briefly went down from VND28 million to VND25.9 million before climbing back up at the beginning of May.

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  • MacBook Air M2 laptop price falls then rises

    MacBook Air M2 laptop price falls then rises

    The retail price of the MacBook Air M2 laptop dropped by VND2.1-3 million (US$89-127) to VND25 million in April and has risen back to VND28 million in May.

    The manager of an Apple distributor in Vietnam said retailers might have hiked the price because currently Air M2 inventories in the country are very low.

    “If the demand … surges retailers … will have to wait for eight to 10 weeks for the product to be shipped to Vietnam.”

    Large retailers such as The Gioi Di Dong, FPT Shop, and CellPhoneS had sold the Air M2 with the minimum configuration, the best-selling version, for VND28 million in early April, VND25.9 million in mid-April, and VND25 million in late April.

    The laptop first sold for VND32.9 million when launched in Vietnam in July last year, but its price declined sharply partly due to competition among retailers to get a larger share of the pie, according to a manager of a The Gioi Di Dong store.

    “Prices of technological products always tend to decrease gradually after launch. However, the continuous up and down with a large amplitude of several million dong in a short period of time shows the instability of the market,” said Nguyen Van Cong, a veteran trader of Apple products.

    According to the manager of The Gioi Di Dong, the big discount of MacBook Air M2 is part of its price competition campaign.

    In early April, during a shareholder meeting, Nguyen Duc Tai, Chairman of The Gioi Di Dong (Mobile World), said: “The price at The Gioi Di Dong was sometimes million dong higher than that at other retailers. However, this phenomenon will stop. We will not let the price difference become an advantage for competitors.”

    Refusing to give the reason for their price fluctuations, managers of CellPhoneS and FPT Shop said MacBook prices have been “actively updated by the stores based on business strategies and the general situation in the market.”

    In fact, the top three Apple device retailers in Vietnam, The Gioi Di Dong, FPT Shop and CellPhoneS, have changed the laptop’s prices frequently in recent days and the prices are almost the same.

    At some Apple stores, it is one of the two best-selling laptops along with the MacBook Air with the M1 chip.

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  • Apple co-founder Wozniak fears that AI will be used to scam the public

    Apple co-founder Wozniak fears that AI will be used to scam the public

    Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, affectionately known as “The Woz,” says that artificial intelligence could make it harder to spot scams. Wozniak says that content created by AI should clearly be labeled as such and that regulation is needed or else bad actors will take control of the technology. Wozniak talked to the BBC about this issue two months after he and other tech leaders, including Elon Musk, signed an open letter asking for a slowdown in developing powerful AI models.
    Speaking to BBC Technology Editor Zoe Kleinman, Wozniak said, “AI is so intelligent it’s open to the bad players, the ones that want to trick you about who they are.” While The Woz thinks that the lack of emotion will prevent AI from replacing humans in the workforce, he fears that it will make bad actors seem more convincing when they are trying to scam the public. That’s because conversational AI chatbots like ChatGPT can create text that sounds convincing to the layman.
    As a result, Wozniak says that those who publish text written by AI are responsible for labeling it as AI-generated. “A human really has to take responsibility for what is generated by AI,” Wozniak says. He wants regulation to hold big tech firms accountable. The Woz didn’t mention any particular firm but said these are the tech companies that “feel they can kind of get away with anything.”
    Not that Wozniak was specifically talking about the company he helped create, but Apple CEO Tim Cook said to investors during a conference call last week that when it comes to AI, Apple would be “”deliberate and thoughtful. Cook added, “We view AI as huge, and we’ll continue weaving it in our products on a very thoughtful basis.”
    The Woz was not optimistic that regulators will be able to oversee the use of artificial intelligence. “I think the forces that drive for money usually win out, which is sort of sad,” he said. While he doesn’t believe that the development of AI can be stopped, he thinks that people can be educated to help them find situations where their personal data is at risk due to fraud.
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  • Apple will reportedly allow Apple Watch to pair with multiple devices

    Apple will reportedly allow Apple Watch to pair with multiple devices

    When you buy a new Apple Watch, it must be paired with an iPhone. While one iPhone can be paired with multiple Apple timepieces, one Apple Watch cannot be paired with multiple Apple devices. But a Twitter tipster who made a great call last year says that the rumor mill is actively cranking out fresh speculation for mass consumption. This rumor says that Apple is developing software updates allowing an Apple Watch to pair with multiple Apple devices, including an iPhone, an iPad, and a Mac.
    Currently, an Apple Watch cannot pair with an iPad, but with the timepiece paired with an iPhone, a user can use his Apple Watch to help him view Apple Fitness+ workouts on an iPad that uses the same Apple ID. And those with an Apple Watch can unlock their Mac computers, view passwords, authenticate apps, and verify the user’s identity to complete an online Apple Pay transaction.
    “Apple Watch will sync across multiple iOS/iPadOS/Mac devices, and will no longer be tied to one single iPhone.” The tipster says that while he doesn’t know how Apple will implement this, he does know that in a future update, Apple will allow the Apple Watch to sync with more than one Apple device. Also unknown is which Apple Watch models will have this new feature and when it will be introduced.
    For example, the tipster says he is unsure whether Apple will include this new capability with watchOS 10, iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS 14, all due out later this year, or if it will be delayed until then the 2024 updates.  The tipster, @analyst941, made a great call on the Dynamic Island before the feature was announced last year giving him some legitimacy.

    Recently, @analyst941 posted not to give up on seeing solid-state buttons replace the mechanical buttons on the two upcoming premium iPhone 15 models, contradicting more well-known analysts such as Haitong Tech’s Jeff Pu, and TFI International’s Ming-Chi Kuo. Pu and Kuo both say that Apple will stick with the physical buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra. But @analyst941 wrote that the two models “will still have capacitive touch buttons, {and that] contrary to rumors, the development team is working too closely with new hardware to turn back now.”

    The tipster also recently tweeted a list of new features he expects to see on iOS 17. Apple will discuss iOS 17 on June 5th, when the keynote will be held for the WWDC 2023 Developer’s Conference. The new iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad operating systems will be released in September.

     

  • Taiwan’s Apple supplier Quanta plans Vietnam factory

    Taiwan’s Apple supplier Quanta plans Vietnam factory

    Apple supplier Quanta Computer plans to set up a factory in northern Vietnam, the Vietnamese government said.

    The company, a MacBook contract manufacturer, on Friday signed an agreement with the authorities of Nam Dinh Province, 90 km (56 miles) south of Hanoi, to construct the facility at an industrial park there, the government said in a statement late on Friday.

    The facility, which would be Quanta’s 9th factory globally, would initially cover an area of 22.5 hectares, the statement said, without giving its capacity nor a time frame for the construction.

    Local media said on Saturday Quanta would invest $120 million in the factory.

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  • Apple Card Savings Account is here: Impressive 4.15% Interest Rate

    Apple Card Savings Account is here: Impressive 4.15% Interest Rate

    Starting today, you can open an Apple Card Savings account with an annual percentage yield (APY) of 4.15%.

    We have been hearing rumors about this Apple Card Savings account recently, but now it’s finally official in a blog post on the Apple Newsroom.

    The main benefit of this account is the high APY. At 4.15%, Apple says this rate is 10 times the national average. The account operates in partnership with Golden Sachs.

    It’s also good to know that the Apple Card Savings account comes with no fess, minimum deposits, or minimum balance requirements.

    Apple Card holders can get between 2% and 3% cash back on purchases made via Apple Pay, and 1% cash back on transactions made with the physical card. So these Daily Cash balances will immediately go into the Savings account, so you can start earning interest.
    Users also gets a neat dashboard right in the Wallet app, where they can track account balance and interest earned over time.
    “Savings helps our users get even more value out of their favorite Apple Card benefit — Daily Cash — while providing them an easy way to save money daily. Our goal is to build tools that help users lead healthier financial lives, and building Savings into Apple Card in Wallet enables them to spend, send, and save Daily Cash directly and seamlessly — all from one place,” said Jennifer Bailey, VP of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet.
    Here is how you open a savings account in the Apple Wallet app:
    • Tap on the Apple Card
    • Tap on the circle with three dots at the top of the screen
    • Tap Daily Cash
    • Select Set Up Savings.
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  • iOS 17 could end software support for the iPhone X and other Apple devices

    iOS 17 could end software support for the iPhone X and other Apple devices

    Apple’s iPhones have a general reputation for being considerably more future-proof than the average smartphone, to the extent such a concept is possible in the mobile tech world. This sentiment is partly based on the fact that the Cupertino company commits to ensuring the long-term software support of all of its devices.

    But all good things must come to an end… even software support for smartphones as iconic as the iPhone X. According to a new leak, iOS 17 will be dropping the support for a number of iPhones, including the iPhone X, and the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. All three of the aforementioned devices were launched in late 2017.

    Similarly, several iPads are also on the chopping block with iPadOS 17 – namely, the original 12.9” iPad Pro (1st generation), the 9.7” iPad Pro (1st generation) and the fifth-generation vanilla iPad. All devices listed by MacRumors were released between 2015 and 2017.

    For reference, iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 are expected to debut at WWDC 2023, alongside the Apple AR/VR headset. The conference will take place between June 5 to June 9. Beyond the recent leak, we know relatively little about the new iterations of Apple’s operating systems.

    Most reports indicate that iOS 17 will be a somewhat incremental update, focusing more on Apple’s commitment to complying with European legislation. The Cupertino company will likely roll out support for third-party App Stores for the first time.

    On the other hand, we know absolutely nothing about iPadOS 17. In all likelihood, Apple will continue implementing sophisticated multitasking features to facilitate a better 2-in-1 fantasy on its high-end ‘Pro’ iPads.

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  • Apple expected to deliver big update for Apple Watch with watchOS 10

    Apple expected to deliver big update for Apple Watch with watchOS 10

    On June 5th Apple will kick off its annual WWDC Developers Conference at Apple Park. And besides unveiling the “Reality Pro” mixed reality headset, the company will also preview iOS 17 and other operating systems, including watchOS 10. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, writing in the latest edition of his weekly Power On newsletter, the update will deliver some big UI changes to Apple’s timepiece.
    The hardware itself isn’t supposed to see any big changes in light of last year’s introduction of the Apple Watch Ultra. The next big hardware update, according to Gurman, will take place next year and he expects the Apple Watch Series 10 models to feature larger displays. In February, we passed along some rumors about the 2024 Apple Watch models.
    The 2024 Apple Watch timepieces should follow the same 10th-year celebratory naming strategy as the iPhone did in 2017 when Apple called the device the iPhone X. Expected to be officially known as the Apple Watch X, the 2024 models are rumored to be equipped with a 1.89-inch and a 2.04-inch screen. The current Series 8 units carry a 1.7-inch display (41mm) and a 1.9-inch screen (45mm). Next year, we should also see the second-gen Apple Watch Ultra sporting a larger 2.1-inch micro-LED screen. The first-gen Apple Watch Ultra carries a 1.92-inch OLED display.
    Gurman writes that watchOS 10 “should be a fairly extensive upgrade – with notable changes to the user interface – unlike iOS 17.” While we should get an idea of what changes Apple has in store for the watchOS interface this year during WWDC, the actual release of watchOS 10 won’t take place until September and, as usual, will be coordinated with the release of the latest Apple Watch models.
    The Apple Watch has turned out to be an incredible success story for Apple which initially didn’t know how to market the device. At first, Apple looked to distribute the watch via fine jewelry stores and even had a fashion model pose with the device on the cover of Vogue China. But soon the Apple Watch became known as a device that people could wear to monitor certain health metrics and has even been known to save several lives. Today, the Apple Watch is the most popular wrist-worn timepiece in the world.

     

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  • Your wishlist features may finally make it to iOS 17

    Your wishlist features may finally make it to iOS 17

    The latest iPhone operating system, iOS 16, introduced many new features and visual changes such as a customizable Lock Screen, live activities, skipping CAPTCHAs, and the capability to unsend and edit iMessages. It was quite a buggy release though and Apple had to release several fixes to address issues with it. This, along with Apple’s focus on its rumored mixed-reality headset’s xrOS operating system, was expected to negatively impact iOS 17 but it now looks like the next iOS version will be more than a stability update.

    In January, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said iOS 17, which is codenamed Dawn, would have fewer major changes than initially planned. In the latest edition of his Sunday newsletter, the esteemed journalist says that iOS 17 won’t just focus on ironing out bugs and improving performance. Apple has changed its strategy and iOS 17 is now expected to have several new features.

    The hope was to avoid the problems of iOS 16, an ambitious update that suffered from missed deadlines and a buggy start. But later in the development process, the strategy changed. The iOS 17 release is now expected to boast several “nice to have” features, even if it lacks a tentpole improvement like last year’s revamped lock screen.” Mark Gurman

    It’s still not going to be as big of an update as iOS 16 though but it could include many user-requested features. Gurman didn’t go into the specifics about the features. But, as always, we have rumors to fill in the gaps.

    First of all, it’s highly likely that iOS 17 will allow sideloading, meaning you wouldn’t be dependent on App Store for app downloads. Other than that, Apple may revamp iMessage with a new home, chat rooms, video clips, and AR chat features. A leaker with a questionable track record had also said that iOS 17 would largely focus on stability and efficiency and Apple could make changes to Mail, Fitness, Wallet, Home, and Find My apps. iOS 17 may also come with an app for Apple’s AR/VR headset.
    iOS 17 will likely be announced at the next Worldwide Developers Conference, which will apparently take place on June 5 and will be rolled out to eligible iPhones (iPhone XS and later models, presumably) sometime around mid-September.
  • Apple launches Apple Pay in South Korea

    Apple launches Apple Pay in South Korea

    After a years-long wait, Apple Pay today launched in South Korea, allowing those living in the country to use Apple’s payment system to make contactless payments using the iPhone or Apple Watch.

    Apple has been working to bring ‌Apple Pay‌ to South Korea since 2017, but Apple was unable to be registered as an electronic financial business operator because regulators were investigating whether ‌Apple Pay‌ violated local regulations and laws. Apple was finally approved by financial regulators back in February.

    NFC terminal adoption was also low in retail stores in South Korea around when ‌Apple Pay‌ first launched, which continues to be an issue. There are more NFC terminals than there were six years ago, but The Korea Times suggests ‌Apple Pay‌ will face “significant challenges” in Korea due to the limited number of NFC terminals.

    With ‌Apple Pay‌, credit and debit cards from supported banks in South Korea can be added to the ‌iPhone‌ and Apple Watch to make purchases at stores that have contactless payment options. ‌Apple Pay‌ cards can be used on ‌iPhone‌, iPad, and Mac to make ‌Apple Pay‌ purchases on the web.

    At the current time, ‌Apple Pay‌ is limited to Hyundai Card users, which could see South Koreans interested in using the service picking up a Hyundai Card. No other card companies are participating in ‌Apple Pay‌ as of yet.

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  • Tim Cook pushes to get this device shipped against the wishes of Apple engineers

    Tim Cook pushes to get this device shipped against the wishes of Apple engineers

    Apple CEO Tim Cook and COO Jeff Williams have been pushing to release the Reality Pro mixed-reality headset this year. However, Apple’s industrial design team feels the product is not ready for prime time. The team wanted to hold off on releasing the Reality Pro until Apple first released its AR spectacles dubbed Apple Glasses. That release has reportedly been pushed back to 2025 or 2026.

    Meanwhile, Apple’s operation team wanted the company to release a headset resembling ski goggles with limited capabilities. For example, this device would allow users to make FaceTime calls using virtual avatars, something discussed for the Reality Pro, watch 3D videos, and exercise with interactive workouts. Apple engineers who worked on the mixed reality headset said that they were under “huge pressure to ship” the Reality Pro.

    The mixed-reality headset has been under development by Apple for seven years and is supposedly the most complex product Apple has ever made. The product is expected to carry a price tag as high as $3,000 and could be outfitted with as many as 12 cameras and a 4K micro-LED display for each eye. Manipulating the Digital Crown, like the one on the Apple Watch, will take the user from VR (which creates immersive environments for the user) to AR.

    The Reality Pro is expected to be powered by a 5nm Apple M2 chipset containing close to 20 billion transistors. Apple will supposedly introduce the Reality Pro at this June’s WWDC developers conference with a release expected later this year. The tech giant is reportedly devising an expensive ad campaign for the headset. Apple is also said to be working on a less-expensive second-generation headset that could be called the Reality One. The price for this headset will be in the range of $799 to $1,599 and will not have all of the capabilities of the pricier Reality Pro.

  • Apple’s 5G modem will be built by TSMC using its 3nm process node

    Apple’s 5G modem will be built by TSMC using its 3nm process node

    Apple has scooped up all of TSMC’s 3nm production capacity for this year. This will be the first shipment of 3nm chips made by the world’s largest foundry. To explain in simple terms what this is all about, a lower process node means smaller transistors are used. This allows more transistors to fit inside a chip and this transistor count is important. The more transistors in a chip, the more powerful and energy efficient it is.

    For example, the A13 Bionic used in the iPhone 11 line back in 2019 was produced using the 7nm node and contained 8.5 billion transistors. The 5nm A14 Bionic used in the 2020 iPhone 12 series was equipped with 11.8 billion transistors. The following year, the A15 Bionic, made using the second-gen 5nm process node, was used on the iPhone 13 line and carried 15 billion transistors. And last year’s iPhone 14 Pro models feature the A16 Bionic. The latter was manufactured using a 4nm process node and the transistor count is close to 16 billion.

    Since Apple has wrapped up all of TSMC’s 3nm production for 2023, it makes sense to expect Apple’s in-house 5G modem to be produced using the 3nm node. According to the Commercial Times, supply chain sources state that risk production of the modem will start in the second half of this year. This is when the foundry builds chips while still working out any issues. Yields are low. That is followed by volume production. Wafer output is expected to increase slowly in the first half of next year.

    Based on this timeline, it appears that Apple will continue using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 5G mobile chips this year. The iPhone 14 line uses the Snapdragon X65 5G modem chip while the iPhone 15 series will most likely be equipped with the Snapdragon X70 5G modem chip. This would dovetail with reports from reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon, and reliable tipster Ross Young, all of whom expect Apple to debut its in-house 5G modem chip with the iPhone 16 series in 2024.
    Apple was hoping to use its in-house 5G modem chips with the iPhone 15 series but patent issues and other problems have forced Apple to delay the launch of the component. In the summer of 2019, Apple spent $1 billion to buy most of Intel’s smartphone modem business and has been developing the component ever since.
    While Apple executives reportedly had a high opinion of the quality of Qualcomm’s modem chips, it wasn’t happy with how Qualcomm sells these chips to smartphone manufacturers. First, Qualcomm demands that customers pay for a license (no license-no chips is Qualcomm’s mantra) and Qualcomm also charges for the chips themselves.
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  • Apple has paid $12.12 million to Russia for antitrust practices, another fine is pending

    Apple has paid $12.12 million to Russia for antitrust practices, another fine is pending

    Apple’s decision to stop product sales in Russia over the war in Ukraine has not saved the company expenses, stemming from the multiple antitrust investigations that are going on. One of them has reportedly concluded with a $12.12 million fine over the Cupertino Company breaking monopoly legislation.

    This particular case goes back to 2020, when the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) concluded that Apple is receiving an unfair advantage through its dedicated AppStore. The case has taken years to revolve, but the competition regulator finally concluded that Apple owes Russia a massive amount of money. Naturally, Apple “respectfully disagrees” and plans to appeal this decision, even though reports from Reuters point to the fine being already paid out.

    All of this was initiated through Kaspersky Labs — a company renowned for its antivirus software — when its Safe Kids app was rejected as per AppStore internal regulations. Anton Gorelkin — a committee member on information and communications — went on record stating that the fine isn’t meant to be damaging to Apple, but to be noticeable enough to send a message to Big Tech.

    But as we all know, sometimes, when it rains — it pours. Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) is gaining on Apple with another fine, this time for $17.4 million. This one is related to the AppStore’s way of processing payments and more specifically, the lack of options that developers have when it comes to choosing how they bill their customers.

    As per Reuters’ report, Russia sees Apple’s rules as abuse over its dominant position on the iOS market. Furthermore, the big, red, flashing light is related to Apple’s prohibition of developers to point users to payment solutions outside of the AppStore itself.

    This is yet another instance of Apple being pursued by legislators worldwide over the way it runs its AppStore. This isn’t something unique to Apple either, as Google was recently forced through law to open up Android to third-party stores in India. As more and more lawsuits are being won against Big Tech companies, one cant help but wonder what the future of mobile digital goods will look like.

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