Usual suspects complain about App Store price hikes outside US

The Coalition for App Fairness and Epic Games' Tim Sweeney equate Apple's recent international App Store price hikes to small business landlords demanding raised product prices.

Apple increased App Store prices for many non-US customers without giving a direct reason. The increase affects any market that uses the euro as well as Chile, Egypt, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Poland, South Korea, Sweden, and Vietnam.

The price hike equates to about a 20% increase in prices. So, a 0.99 euro app now costs 1.19 euros.

While Apple didn't provide exact reasoning, looking at the global economy gives more than enough reason. The euro is weaker versus the dollar than it has ever been. Additionally, international markets are suffering from the same global economic problems as the United States.

As expected, Apple's most vocal opponents publicly commented on their displeasure in App Store price increases. Quotes obtained by Protocol state that Apple's control of the App Store gives them unchecked power.

"These increases were made without the input or consent of app developers, which highlights the extent of Apple's market power," wrote Rick VanMeter, executive director for the Coalition for App Fairness. "In no other industry can a business single-handedly increase the prices of another business's products."

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney added his own comments to the mix. He compared Apple to a commercial landlord telling tenants they had to increase their prices without giving them any say in the matter or anywhere else to go.

"Developers don't want to raise their app prices in the EU and UK," Sweeney said in a follow up tweet. "Consumers don't want app price increases in the EU and UK. Central banks fighting inflation don't want app price inflation."

The argument, raised on a regular basis, is that Apple shouldn't control the App Store nor should it prevent third-parties from running their own stores on iOS. Many of these issues were discussed at length during the Epic Games versus Apple trial.

22 Comments

mike1 3431 comments · 10 Years

About 2 years ago

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney added his own comments to the mix. He compared Apple to a landlord adjusting rent without giving tenants any say in the matter or anywhere else to go.

"Developers don't want to raise their app prices in the EU and UK," Sweeney said in a follow up tweet. "Consumers don't want app price increases in the EU and UK. Central banks fighting inflation don't want app price inflation."

What a moron.
Does your landlord ask for your input before raising your rent?!

DAalseth 3026 comments · 6 Years

JP234 said:

My opinion has always been, if you don't like it, or don't like the price, DON'T BUY IT.

There is no good reason for Apple to cede control of its proprietary App Store to other entities. The closed universe of Apple apps is the only protection you have from malware, trojan horses, tracking hacks, and just plain badly written and buggy code, so common among the wild west of Android software.

Exactly. I happen to think Mercedes are not worth what they cost. Do I whine to a Judge/Congressman/MP about it? No, I bought a Toyota. I happen to think Rolex are overpriced. Did I whine and shed crocodile tears in the press? No I bought something else.

I like how so many businessmen are all for the Free Market, until the Free Market decides their product isn’t what the Free Market wants. Then they want regulation to protect them from the Free Market.

CheeseFreeze 1333 comments · 7 Years

mike1 said:

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney added his own comments to the mix. He compared Apple to a landlord adjusting rent without giving tenants any say in the matter or anywhere else to go.

"Developers don't want to raise their app prices in the EU and UK," Sweeney said in a follow up tweet. "Consumers don't want app price increases in the EU and UK. Central banks fighting inflation don't want app price inflation."

What a moron.
Does your landlord ask for your input before raising your rent?!

Problem is, there are only two landlords to pick from!

ps: that “moron” is a billionaire with an amazing set of companies under his belt. Cut the juvenile behavior please.

danox 3389 comments · 11 Years

CheeseFreeze said:

mike1 said:

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney added his own comments to the mix. He compared Apple to a landlord adjusting rent without giving tenants any say in the matter or anywhere else to go.

"Developers don't want to raise their app prices in the EU and UK," Sweeney said in a follow up tweet. "Consumers don't want app price increases in the EU and UK. Central banks fighting inflation don't want app price inflation."

What a moron.
Does your landlord ask for your input before raising your rent?!

Problem is, there are only two landlords to pick from!

ps: that “moron” is a billionaire with an amazing set of companies under his belt. Cut the juvenile behavior please.

He’s a spoiled rich Moron……

CheeseFreeze said:

mike1 said:

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney added his own comments to the mix. He compared Apple to a landlord adjusting rent without giving tenants any say in the matter or anywhere else to go.

"Developers don't want to raise their app prices in the EU and UK," Sweeney said in a follow up tweet. "Consumers don't want app price increases in the EU and UK. Central banks fighting inflation don't want app price inflation."

What a moron.
Does your landlord ask for your input before raising your rent?!

Problem is, there are only two landlords to pick from!

ps: that “moron” is a billionaire with an amazing set of companies under his belt. Cut the juvenile behavior please.

Yes, there should be more OSs to choose from, more competition, but that isn’t Apple’s fault.

As far as Sweeney being a billionaire, that really means little any more. Lots of talentless people are billionaire <ahem> Zuckerberg<ahem> . The size of a bank account does not equal the quality of a person. That is measured by one’s behaviour, and the Epic CEO is perhaps not a moron, but clearly is a whiney crybaby, with a gross misunderstanding of how the free market works. There’s an old saying, “Live by the sword, die by the sword”. He had no trouble when Epic was stomping all over developers to build his empire. Now that he’s running up against a company doing something he doesn’t like, he wants to play the victim.

Pure trash.