Apple is now facing an antitrust investigation in Germany

Germany’s competition watchdog, the Bundeskartellamt, has announced the launch of its own antitrust investigation into Apple’s practices.

Apple will now face yet another probe into its oft-criticised “walled garden” and whether it abuses its market position with unfair policies.

"An ecosystem which extends across various markets may be an indication that a company holds such a position,” the Bundeskartellamt said. “It is often very difficult for other...

21 June 2021 | App Stores

App Annie reveals the most popular SDKs following iOS 14.5’s release

Mobile data and analytics experts App Annie have shared the most popular SDKs following the release of iOS 14.5.

iOS 14.5 delivered significant new protections for user privacy which have drastically limited access to user-level data. A report from Flurry Analytics earlier this month discovered that 96 percent of iOS 14.5 users in the US are blocking ad tracking.

As to be expected, App Annie found that Apple’s own SDKs lead by unique iOS installs globally—taking the...

27 May 2021 | Developer

Perforce acquires AI-based mobile testing experts 21 Labs

Enterprise development solutions provider Perforce has acquired the AI-based mobile testing experts at 21 Labs.

The acquisition will bolster Perforce’s existing portfolio of solutions for the enterprise development lifecycle with powerful testing capabilities.

21 Labs’ self-learning, AI-based mobile automation testing tool helps businesses to deploy quality iOS and Android apps faster.

Shani Shoham, CEO and Founder of 21 Labs, said:

“Together,...

17 May 2021 | Android

Class-action lawsuit could force Apple to compensate users for app prices

A class-action lawsuit filed in the UK wants to force Apple to compensate users for potentially inflated app prices.

Until recently, Apple took a 30 percent commission on all app sales. Most app developers feel the cut is unjustifiable and critics believe that it’s an abuse of Apple’s market dominance.

Apple claims the legal action is “meritless”.

Similar criticisms have been made about other app stores but Apple’s grip over its operating system means...

11 May 2021 | App Stores

Incognia launches free Developer Edition to counter mobile app fraud

Incognia has launched a free ‘Developer Edition’ of its mobile fraud prevention solution to help protect users of fintech and m-commerce apps.

Spurred by the pandemic, mobile transactions increased by 250 percent in 2020. According to Adjust’s Mobile Finance Report 2020, investment apps saw a particularly impressive session growth of 88 percent between January and June 2020.

The rapid increase in mobile transactions has attracted fraudsters looking to line their...

4 May 2021 | Hacking & Security

App Annie: Mobile app demand surging, gaming revenue set to surpass $120B

Research from App Annie reveals the extent of a surge in demand for mobile apps, driven predominately by gaming.

Mobile game revenue is expected to increase 20 percent this year to surpass $120 billion.

A year into a pandemic, it’s of little surprise to hear that consumption of any form of entertainment has increased—but such a year-on-year increase continues to be staggering given the existing size of the industry.

For comparison, global mobile game...

13 January 2021 | App Stores

Developers aren’t happy with Apple’s surprise release of iOS 14

Turns out developers want more of a heads up before a major OS update is pushed to over one and a half billion users.

Apple’s event yesterday was focused on launching shiny new watches and tablets. The only major announcement for developers was the bombshell that iOS 14 is launching today:

https://twitter.com/JPEGuin/status/1305934894036647941

Ok, so granted there’ve been eight public betas of iOS 14. Most developers probably knew a final release was imminent....

16 September 2020 | Developer

Huawei’s Google license expiry means it’s time to support HMS

Huawei’s license with Google has expired, which means it’s time to support HMS (Huawei Mobile Services) or risk losing users.

The US Chamber of Commerce added Huawei to its now-infamous Entity List in May, meaning no American firm can partner with the company without explicit government permission. A temporary exemption was made for existing relations to ensure US consumers and businesses have a smoother transition away from the firm.

Huawei’s existing devices,...

17 August 2020 | Android

Huawei’s replacement for Google Mobile Services is coming along nicely

huawei android google alternative hms 5 huawei mobile services

Building a replacement to Google Mobile Services (GMS) is a gargantuan task, but Huawei is doing a rather good job.

US sanctions, as they stand, means that Huawei will no longer have access to American hardware and software going forward.

The hardware side presents challenges, but Huawei already makes important components like chipsets in-house (and they're impressive, too.)

Losing access to Google's services and having to build an ecosystem which competes with...

29 July 2020 | API