[FateOfNations]

Apple considered the App Store commission to be compensation for the value delivered by the entire iOS developer ecosystem, not just the mechanical/infrastructure parts of the app distribution process. It was a pretty good setup: aside from the $100/year membership fee, the charges scaled with revenue, which in most cases is a good approximation for the value provided (there were some edge cases where that falls apart, like digital content purchases). Unlike, say Microsoft, they didn't charge $250/seat/year for their full-fat IDE. The also haven't charged licencing fees for the SDK, like is common in the video game space.

[Andrew_nenakhov]

Device price is sufficient compensation for the value delivered by the entire iOS developer ecosystem.

If a user wants to specifically avoid this 'ecosystem' and have a direct relationship with the app developer, such user should be allowed to run the app without Apple's consent, permission or even knowing.

[bandergirl]

> Device price

I don’t see Samsung pricing their top-end devices at less than $999, and they pay Korean salaries, not Silicon Valley salaries.

[Andrew_nenakhov]

If Apple feels the price should be higher to justify the costs, they should raise the price.

If Apple is saying that they are selling a phone but do not give their customers full freedom to do whatever they want with the device, it is not sale, but lending, and Apple should come clean about it.

[arunkumar9t2]

Do you think Samsung does not have non Korean employees?

[bandergirl]

Come on that’s a lazy comeback. It’s obvious they have more Korean employees than Californian, I don’t need fact check. Having direct factory access (read: own) further reduces costs.