Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson (Preview) What’s Next for Apple and the App Store, The Risks of Continuing This Fight, More on Meta and Its AI Vision
21 snips
May 5, 2025 The podcast dives into the heated legal conflict between Apple and Epic Games, focusing on in-app purchase policies. It discusses the risks Apple faces as it navigates this ongoing battle and the potential need for regulatory changes. The conversation shifts to Meta's ambitious plans for AI business agents, raising questions about the future of Facebook. Lastly, an entertaining proposal for AI officiating in the NBA is humorously shot down, adding a light-hearted twist to the tech-heavy discussion.
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Apple's Property Rights vs. Linking
- Apple's argument tried to balance their property rights and developer freedoms regarding in-app purchases.
- The injunction allowed developers to link externally, revealing competitive rates outside the App Store.
Conversion Challenges With External Payments
- External website payment links may lower conversion rates by 15-30% due to friction.
- However, developers can improve this with tokenized links, improving user experience despite being outside the app.
Subscription Margins Exceed One-Time Purchases
- Subscriptions lose more margin overall to Apple due to ongoing fees compared to one-time purchases.
- Paying Apple a lower conversion rate on site can still save money long-term for subscription services.