Apple's week May 9: time to fix things

There's really not much specific to dive into this week with Apple. The new Pride band is awesome, Apple TV+ continues to churn out new shows like "Foundation," and I'm pretty excited about an iPhone controller I reviewed. Outside of that, there's one topic I want to focus on this week.

Apple's need to control everything is killing its brand.

Apple versus everyone

There's been a bit of an issue in recent years, perhaps even the recent decade, with Apple. Fans all over have struggled to come to terms with the idea that Apple is a for-profit business that will do anything it takes to make more money and please stockholders.

There are some fans that will ignore all the bad and praise Apple no matter what goes on, while there are others that carry a critical eye, no matter what good happens. Very few land in the middle.

I'm aware that I am a fanboy by all means, but I'm also not ignorant to the goings-on that are rotten at Apple. It's not ideal that this company that I love because it aligns with my ideas is playing silly games and trying to avoid legally binding court orders. Outside of this particular issue, Apple's business continues without issue.

Apple TV+ continues to churn out top-quality content, iPhones, iPads, and Macs continue to iterate and innovate on a regular basis, and Apple Vision Pro is proof Apple is thinking of the future of computing. However, there's this ugly underbelly surrounding monetization and developer relations that cannot be ignored.

I am not a developer, but I listen to what developers say about this situation. The most extreme and vocal of course is Epic Games, but more reasonable voices exist all over. The podcasts I frequent in the Apple sphere are all very critical of the goings-on, like ATP, Upgrade, and even the technically non-tech Do By Friday.

It's taken some time, but I realize the plight here. Apple is simply asking too much and treating developers like they are some kind of godsend and savior, that the developers owe them everything. To an extent, this is true, because the developers wouldn't have a platform without Apple, but that's irrelevant to a point. The relatively minor amount of money Apple draws from App Store commissions isn't worth all of this negative attention and litigation.

The reality is, Apple should get some money from developers on its platform, but what it asks for today is too much.

It all needs to be rethought, and I'm not the one to figure it out here. There has to be a solution that gets Apple something for hosting the lucrative platform. However, the model that exists today somehow asks too much of both small and big developers alike.

It just isn't sustainable.

I do not believe developers like Spotify and Epic should be able to have apps that make money without ever giving Apple a dollar. But I also don't think that Apple should get 30% of everything, including external purchases.

There just has to be a better way. And Apple is the only one capable of figuring this out.

However, instead, Apple is fighting tooth and nail to cling to the few dollars it earns from the commissions it gets today. That strategy is failing.

Apple has appealed the ruling from the judge in the Epic case. Who knows what will come of that, but unless Apple starts doing something that resembles good-natured competition that's good for developers and consumers alike, it will lose everything.