> And just like Best Buy wouldn't tolerate you bypassing their cut
The difference is that Best Buy doesn't decide which appliances I can plug into my home outlet. I can buy a toaster from Walmart if I don't like Best Buy's setup, but I can't buy products from another store and put them on my iPhone.
That's not to say Apple is wrong, just that Best Buy isn't a good comparison to use. Apple is a distribution channel and a platform. Some better analogies would be Nintendo's requirement that any software running on the Switch go through their specific approval process, or maybe a printer requiring you to only buy official ink cartridges.
Also Best Buy sells "As seen on TV" products, which clearly indicate they can be purchased elsewhere. Apple wants their cut, and they're not taking no for an answer.
seems to me that once apps get big enough they're able to sidestep the apple tax completely. I wonder why they don't try some kind of graduated model that starts at 30% and drops to 10% once there are enough subscriptions.
I feel there is a number that Netflix and others would be happy to pay to help onboard customers.
I'm inclined to agree with you. Apple's terms aren't exactly new. While I don't like Apple's App Store model, Hey had to know what it was getting into. This is an uphill fight that even Amazon ultimately ended up capitulating to.
E-commerce apps have always been allowed, but the video app did not allow purchasing on iOS at all (if I recall they even blocked it in mobile Safari) until very recently. But my point was this isn't exactly a new policy for Apple, and if you're building an app in 2020, it's just how the model works. Hail laissez-faire capitalism.
App Store is a distribution channel. And just like Best Buy wouldn't tolerate you bypassing their cut neither does Apple.