Now we know what the European market represents for the Apple App Store

Forced and forced to open up its mobile operating system, Apple nevertheless manages the effects of the new European directive.

On March 6, the Digital Markets Act will come into effect, a European regulation that calls for more competition. Apple must therefore start and in recent days has introduced a series of new measures that will come into effect with iOS 17.4.

Among the expected new features, the launch of iOS, its in-house operating system, among other app stores. But Apple imposes a number of conditions, mainly financial, that don’t necessarily seem to be unanimously agreed upon.

7% of global app store revenue

Even though Apple continues to assert that the directive it is obligated to comply with poses a security risk to iPhone and iPad users, the company does not seem concerned with the idea of ​​opening other app stores.

During a question-and-answer session with shareholders following the presentation of its financial results, Apple recalled that the European market represents a limited weight in its revenue. This February 1, Apple’s financial director, Luca Maestri, significantly returned to the last part of the turnover.

“To put this in context, these changes (the new DMA obligations, Editor’s note

) applies to the European market, which represents approximately 7% of our global App Store revenue,” he said. An App Store that brought in a total of $23.1 billion in 2023.

A phrase that may be intended to reassure shareholders is that the DMA, which may also require Apple to make iMessage compatible with Messenger, will take effect on March 6, 2024.

Also note that the terms – which must still be approved by Europe – will depend mainly on iPhone and iPad users to unlock iOS, with Apple boss Tim Cook explaining that there were “other billing possibilities”.

And for good reason: If a developer goes through a competing application store, he has to pay Apple 50 cents per download, if it exceeds one million downloads a year.

However, this rule may be challenged by Europe, which has announced through Thierry Breton, the commissioner in charge of the internal market, that it will investigate Apple’s latest proposals.

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