
Small group of iOS devs form “Developers Union” to request App Store changes - thread_id
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/05/ios-devs-form-a-non-union-union-ask-apple-to-allow-free-trials-on-app-store/
======
sctb
Previous discussion:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17103450](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17103450).

------
rajbot
> The starting revenue share is 70-30 in Apple's favor, presently. Google
> offers a similar rate, but Microsoft recently announced a cut to its share
> of revenue to developers' favor

Apple’s cut is 30%, but this sentence makes it sound like Apple takes 70%

~~~
zwily
Yeah - I wonder what “in Apple’s favor” is supposed to mean in that
sentence...

~~~
jkaplowitz
Probably just "we view this as too much", confusingly and imprecisely phrased.

------
SlowRobotAhead
By “changes” they want a free trail option and more money.

On the trials... I don’t feel strongly. Maybe I’d like App trials, but maybe
I’m glad they don’t exist because it leads to a level of gimpware that I don’t
want on my phone. I’m glad to see trial tactics gone - although I do dislike
ad based apps so maybe it’s the better of the two?

I don’t an opinion on money. My apps directly tie into hardware we sell. The
apps are free, we don’t want to do microtransactions or pay apps. We’re a
Device Company. The 70/30 split does seem high I suppose.

All in all... good luck I guess, but Apple is not a company I would try union
tactics on. What is the practical outcome here - these developers are really
going to not publish for iOS? I think we all know that’s not the case.

~~~
criddell
> I’m glad they don’t exist because it leads to a level of gimpware that I
> don’t want on my phone

I'm guessing you would always be able to just buy without going through the
trial period.

~~~
SlowRobotAhead
Yea definitely. It’s just that if you tell people they have some option like
Trials, some devs will take it with respect to the customer and many more will
take it with no respect and you’ll get fantastically bad gimped UX. It’s the
same as ads and “free to play”.

------
joelmbell
Worthwhile to read Brent Simmons blog post on this, he is one of the
influential members of this group and has a really great perspective.

[http://inessential.com/2018/05/18/the_developers_union](http://inessential.com/2018/05/18/the_developers_union)

