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Amazon Sidesteps App Store Business Model, Plays Back MP3s From Safari

Posted by timothy on from the cutting-out-the-apple-man dept.

Press2ToContinue writes "Amazon has found a simple way around Apple's tight-fisted App Store rules: give users a web app to buy MP3s that runs in Safari. This way, they have no need to pay 30% per tune to Apple. Freedom of choice of vendor in Apple-only territory? Is this a big breach of Apple's walled garden? I wonder if Apple with have a response to this."

6 of 114 comments (clear)

  1. The iPhone was designed for web apps. by stevenh2 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    When the iPhone came out, there was no third-party native apps. People were expected to build web apps.

    1. Re:The iPhone was designed for web apps. by BasilBrush · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Indeed. The question of whether this is a breach of the walled garden is stupid.

      One might also note that people have been playing music from YouTube from the start. For free.

  2. Comes down to Contract by irtza · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I am sure amazon does not have the same contract as the small time developer and it will come down to licensing terms. They had to pull the link from within their old app before http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/amazon-others-cave-to-apple-on-in-app-purchases-today-html5-tomorrow/53116 so it was just a matter of time that they made it easy to purchase the apps on a phone conveniently. I don't see how this should even fall under terms of their license but I wouldn't be surprised if there weren't some broad reaching terms in the contract that apple will try to use as leverage.

    --
    When all else fails, try.
  3. There will be no response by Archibald+Buttle · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Apple will have no response to this, and nor should they.

    This is exactly the path that Apple have been telling companies they should follow if they wish to sell media outside of the iOS app store.

    Amazon are simply following Apple's own guidance.

    1. Re:There will be no response by MightyYar · · Score: 5, Informative

      I don't think they have to stream the MP3s - they could be using Safari's persistent storage.

      In any case, on my Android phone I use Subsonic and get decent battery life. Subsonic streams music from your home server, but in practice it spends a few seconds downloading each song and the data connection sleeps for most of the time you are listening. I also use Pandora and find it to be acceptable.

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
  4. Nonsense... by Kergan · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Apple has been clear from the start on this: "Don't like the App store's policies? Make an html5 app!" In fact, it was the only way to build apps for the original iPhone -- with Apple's blessing, at that. (And it still is how unwelcome vendors, e.g. porn operators, build iOS apps.)