New App Store for iPhone Users Allows Sideloaded Apps, But Comes at a Cost
Apple has been forced to open up iOS apps to sideloading, at least for the time being, in parts of Europe, and now we’re seeing some action from companies. Sideloading is a whole new game for iPhone users in the EU region, where new rules have forced Apple to open iOS with the latest 17.4 beta version.
The Setapp store is the first third-party app store in the region for iPhone users to choose their best apps and install them on the device. An interesting aspect of the Setapp store is that it wants to charge those who want to access the app store and download its apps.
Currently, this app store is available on macOS for a monthly fee of $9.99 (roughly Rs. 830), which gives them access to third-party apps from over 240 companies. The iOS version of the app store will be available in beta next month, with a full release expected later.
iPhone users also get the app store through a subscription model, but the twist is that the money you pay gives you access to all apps in the app store. Apple is not at all happy with opening up iOS to third-party app stores, but the new Digital Markets Act (DMA) rules have left no choice.
In fact, the same regulator forced the company to introduce a USB C port on iPhones, which clearly hasn’t been done yet. Apple believes that allowing third-party apps on iOS makes the ecosystem less secure and vulnerable to malicious attacks, which is never ideal for any platform.
Apple says it’s cracking down on the installation of these third-party apps, but there’s little the company can do to control their activity and access. The Setapp store feels like a new twist to the app store ecosystem that people will definitely be following in the coming months.
