> Of course, Apple's lackluster support or PWAs doesn't help.
Holding the web back is entirely intentional and makes strategic sense from Apple's point of view. They're well aware that a majority of apps would work perfectly fine as web apps -- but that also removes Apple from the equation. Only allowing Safari on iOS and intentionally gimping it solves the problem.
I mean, I can't even blame them. Can't lose out on that sweet 30% cut, y'know?
I'm only disappointed that legislation took this long to catch up to their shenanigans, and only in the EU.
Well, I wish Apple advocates would stop strawmanning and posting incorrect generalizing accusations.
I care deeply about privacy. That means I trust the browser sandbox a lot more than native apps. There's obviously a reason sites like Twitter and Reddit try to force their native apps on you as soon as you visit their web page on a phone -- it'll allow them to spy more on you.
> That means I trust the browser sandbox a lot more than native apps
You shouldn't.
The most privacy invading behaviour by far is the cross-site tracking that happens on the web. Where large data companies as well as Facebook/Google are building behavioural profiles with thousands of features and data is being packaged and sold to entities you have no knowledge of.
And all of which is being facilitated by browser fingerprinting courtesy of Google recklessly adopting APIs with little care about privacy.
A native app won't prevent Google or Facebook (or Apple) from tracking you. In my experience, native apps typically always require login, and then fingerprinting is unnecessary.
Avoiding their services, and using an open source and privacy respecting browser with uBlock Origin installed will protect you however.
The latter can be done on all OSes I've used -- except iOS.
Honestly if their new revenue share scheme stands up to the court I could see them taking 27% from PWAs as a possible future. It would be the only thing that spurs them to make it more robust.
I don’t agree with it at all to be perfectly clear. I’m only postulating that realistically the only way Apple takes PWAs to first class status is if they get a cut. Its rather unfortunate
I'm not as hopeful that globally Apple will face regulatory scrutiny as much as it has in the EU, and even then, the EU only goes so far as well. They have as of yet had nothing to say about Apple's solution to their regulations around this
However, if the EU is silent because it considers Apple's reaction acceptable, the new laws are meaningless, unnecessary, a total waste of time, and an embarrassment to the EU.
So my hope is that they realize this and the silence is due to the EU preparing to put Apple in its place.
Holding the web back is entirely intentional and makes strategic sense from Apple's point of view. They're well aware that a majority of apps would work perfectly fine as web apps -- but that also removes Apple from the equation. Only allowing Safari on iOS and intentionally gimping it solves the problem.
I mean, I can't even blame them. Can't lose out on that sweet 30% cut, y'know?
I'm only disappointed that legislation took this long to catch up to their shenanigans, and only in the EU.