It’s official now:
2 Likes
If I understand correctly, that helps users realize that PWA functionality exists, so it’s probably not redundant.
4 Likes
Looks like in the EU iOS phones and Tablets no pwa.
2 Likes
On the other hand, Apple opened the option to install an alternative browser engine as part of your app… in theory: they have build a huge wall of bureaucracy around that option. Someone at Apple’s HQ must have thought: “Let’s give the EU a taste of their own medicine”
3 Likes
Apple can’t be trusted to work with open standards. It’s very sad.
(Former loyal Apple user now typing on a Pixel.)
4 Likes
Indeed. I moved from Lg g8thinq to a Google Pixel 8
Eventually want to checkout I think it is called GrapheneOS; only for pixels. Degoogles the phone. It has Google play in a sandbox
2 Likes
Yes that’s very interesting!
2 Likes
Here is a link
End off topic.
2 Likes
This really is shameful (if true), a quote from your link:
Lies
Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, which challenged Apple’s platform-based self-preferencing in court with only limited success, condemned the iGiant’s decision.
“More bad faith compliance and lies from Apple, this time falsely claiming that Safari is the only trustworthy web browser – in order to kill web apps, which they touted in Epic v Apple as a viable substitute to native apps,” he posted. “Shame on this once great and now greatly diminished company.”
Maximiliano Firtman, a web developer who works on PWAs, added, “The technical reasons behind the decision published in the document are childish and it contains many lies.”
2 Likes
Reminds me of when Microsoft put things in Win95 to make 3rdparty browsers like Netscape perform poorly and also messed up java support.
I recall MS lost that battle and many sites put java code pointing ppl to download Netscape and would close IE.
3 Likes
Do you think that non EU (i.e. UK, US, and the rest of the world) will retain PWA functionality under iOS?
This is a little unclear from my reading of it.
2 Likes
We can’t record phonecalls because it is unlegal at somewhere USA. So? We will see. But Apple has tendency to make features world wide if it is easier for them and easier means cheaper.
Yeah, I know — an useless comment because I’m just guessing without any deeper knowledge.
2 Likes
Is anything in the DMA which forbids functionalities like PWA or parts of it?
I am pretty creative but having problems understanding why having an icon on the home screen and no browser UI in the PWA could interfere with any new rules or laws. Also having a seperate storage area for the PWA does not sound too bad. 
I just read a German article about it. They write that it is unsure if this was an intended effect or if it is just a bug because of all the needed changes because of DMA.
2 Likes
No. As I understand it, the DMA implies that if they accept PWA’s, they have to allow service workers from other browser engines than webkit. Apples is unwilling or unable to comply with that before March 7, 2024 when the DMA becomes in effect.
Another in-depth article:
5 Likes
2 Likes
Thank you for sharing the article.
Another well-intended-but-convoluted-and-technically-ill-informed EU rule with unintended but very predictable consequences. I know this will be an unpopular opinion for sure, but I think it is a pretty obvious and reasonable stance from Apple.
Yes, you are right.
And breaking things was Apple’s choise. Not EU’s. Important thing to remember.
2 Likes
Predictable, maybe, but how is it reasonable?
It is even in contradiction with how they manage macOS (point made in article)
Apple is using market power to destroy web standards so they retain their market power to charge people what they want on their app store.
That is not reasonable. It is certainly in bad faith.
In any case I suspect it will further encourage people to move over to Android, though I admit most users will not understand the implications until someone more knowledgeable spends the time to explain it to them.
However, I believe, three things are happening in the phone world which makes Apple’s position increasingly untenable:
- we are in peak smartphone era now (save for the possbility of increasing on device AI capability)
- very reasonably priced Android phones pretty much run as fast as you could ever want them to now.
- Apple’s devices are looking very bad value for money
Apart from snob value, who wants to be carrying around a $1000 device, especially on holiday, that can be dropped, lost or stolen?
4 Likes
Well-intended and essential to get us back from monopolism to fair competition.
The first DMA draft is from 2020. Apple wasted over 3 years on just sending some lobbyists to Brussels instead of letting their developers work on DMA Compliance while maintaining their high security standards. Apples current actions are the result of pure panic. They never expected the EU would carry through with DMA.
This is not an EU-only battle. Similar ideas are developing at the US FTC.
4 Likes