[Onavo]

For these sort of large, well connected, or state owned companies in Asia (banks, big local unicorns etc.), Apple has a lot of carve-outs and exceptions (see do-everything apps that contain mini app stores). They have to play nice else they find themselves "under investigation" or worse lose access to the entire market. There's no rule of law for them to litigate over breach of contract.

[jjani]

> Apple has a lot of carve-outs and exceptions (see do-everything apps that contain mini app stores)

Which ones are you thinking of? Does Grab operate this way?

The China case is well-known, but that's really its own beast. KakaoTalk (Korea), while more of an 'everything' app than those in the West, is still a far cry from containing a mini app store. A user can't choose to add any new functionality by installing something - it's all included right from the get-go. My (limited) experience with Line (Japan, Taiwan, Thailand) is similar. So I'm curious if there's any non-Chinese apps you can name.

FWIW I'm not arguing against your fundamental premise, would just like to know which do-everything apps you mean.

[alephnerd]

Grab isn't a good example of an "everything app". Zalo is probably the closest to WeChat and Line.

[jjani]

Thanks. I think Zalo's only big in Vietnam, so we're at one example outside of China, where the rules have never been the same anyway. GGP's premise doesn't seem to hold up, though I can see the idea of banks getting exceptions being potentially more accurate.

Though if it's similar to Line I wouldn't even count Zalo either, as said, from what I've seen with Line it doesn't have an app-store-in-app, all functionalities are predetermined and preinstalled. It just does a lot of things, but that in itself doesn't go against any App Store rules.

[agos]

there might be no rule of law but it's important to point out these exceptions because it weakens Apple's position when they harass other developers with the excuse of maintaining whatever it is that the walled garden provides