- The new AltStore app store could come to iPhones in the EU after regional rule changes in 2024.
- Apple’s App Store rival aims to give developers more control over app distribution and payment.
- AltStore offers a look at how iPhone apps could change in the US if Apple loses the DOJ lawsuit.
A new app store coming to iPhones in the EU provides a glimpse of the changes that iPhone users in the US can expect if the Justice Department wins an antitrust case against Apple.
AltStore is a third-party app store that aims to be an alternative to Apple’s defaults. The rival comes after the EU passed the Digital Markets Act this year, which aims to promote fair competition in the digital market – and which forced Apple to open its App Store in January and allow iPhone owners in the region to use alternative stores.
But users who want to use AltStore should not expect big changes.
“Everything now works pretty much the same as the App Store,” Riley Testut, AltStore developer, told TechCrunch about his product.
One difference, however, is that AltStore is designed with the goal of creating a marketplace that gives developers control over the deployment of their applications. While Apple must approve apps before putting them on its own store, AltStore allows developers to upload their mobile software without a preview for immediate distribution, according to the company.
Plus, it seems to cost developers less money. Apple’s in-app subscriptions typically come with a 15% to 30% sales commission going to the tech giant. AltStore, however, says this is not necessary. Instead, developers can include custom Patreon integration to market their apps directly to iPhone users. This way developers can monetize their offers without ads, paid downloads and in-app purchases. It will also be able to use the same Patreon integration to distribute ‘paid’ apps, Testut told TechCrunch.
Apple still needs to approve AltStore before it becomes widely available in the EU, Testut told TechCrunch. And when that happens, iPhone users in the region will be able to download apps like Delta, Nintendo’s game emulator, and Dolphin, a GameCube and Wii emulator, among others, according to the AltStore website.
Delta, Nintendo’s emulator, will be available on the AltStore after launch. Riley Testut/AltStore
AltStore’s appearance after the launch of the DMA also hints at what potential changes to the US iPhone could look like if Apple loses its battle with the DOJ. US regulators are suing the tech giant, accusing it of using anti-competitive practices to dominate the smartphone market.
“I believe there’s a strong possibility that we’ll see brand new iOS apps that can’t exist today because of Apple’s rules, especially from independent developers,” Testut, the developer behind AltStore, previously told Business Insider about the lawsuit. The DOJ accused Apple of not allowing cross-platform apps, locking users into the company’s ecosystem.
Industry leaders say an Apple loss to the DOJ could result in lower prices, cheaper subscription streaming services, more tap payment options, smartwatch options and an improved messaging experience on Android and iPhone.
Not everyone believes these iPhone changes would be good for consumers. Apple, which denies the allegations in the lawsuit, says it would create a less secure user experience.
“This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets,” Apple told BI in March. “If successful, it would impede our ability to create the kind of technology people expect from Apple — where hardware, software and services intersect.”
AltStore and Apple did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment ahead of publication. Testut declined to comment.