Spotify has quickly updated its iPhone app to reflect a court ruling that ended Apple’s iron-like grip on pricing for purchases made via App Store apps in the US.
After Apple was forbidden from preventing Spotify and other developers from linking out to external sites offering different pricing to the in-app alternative, Spotify was among the first to act.
The long-time objector to Apple’s policy of taking a cut from in-app purchases while preventing developers offering direct access to their own payment methods, or linking out to their own website to offer customers a better deal.
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Now, following a landmark ruling in the long-running Apple vs Epic Games case, Apple has been banned from taking a commission on purchases made outside the App Store on the best iPhone models.
“After nearly a decade, this will finally allow us to freely show clear pricing information and links to purchase, fostering transparency and choice for U.S. consumers. We can now give consumers lower prices, more control, and easier access to the Spotify experience,” Spotify says in a statement (via The Verge).
Yesterday, after submitting the application, the company wrote: “Yesterday, a U.S. federal judge ordered Apple to loosen its iron grip on its App Store rules. This consequential action will deliver significant benefits for American consumers. We just submitted a Spotify app update to Apple with certain features for our American users, including pricing info and links – stay tuned.”
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Right now the ruling only counts in the US, so Brits shouldn’t expect to see this change. In the EU, Apple has already been forced to go a step farther by enabling users to offer alternate payment methods within the app, while alternate app stores have also set up shop.
This happening in the US though is significant. Should the ruling stand, Apple may be forced to open up in other parts of the world.
