While alternative app stores operate independently and are required by EU law, Apple is still in a position to exert some control. This became apparent a few weeks ago, when iTorrent users suddenly ran into trouble when installing the app.

Thought this was an interesting story, since it's pretty analagous to the recent Android situation, with third party app stores being enabled to some extent, but the company retaining ultimate censorship power.

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[–] veniasilente@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 4 days ago (1 children)

If you already shelled out the shekels for an Apple device, you certainly don't care about paying superfluous money so this shouldn't be an issue.

[–] CaptainBasculin@lemmy.bascul.in 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

A relative from a different country gave me their old phone, a iPhone 11 Pro Max.

I can't use it as a phone to call, because it currently takes 3 times the phone's cost to register foreign originated phones to use permanently inside my country.

I don't have a mac, so I can't start coding native apps on it. At most I was able to test flutter web projects, which are basically websites. I have a goddamn phone and the most customizable thing I can make on it is testing my web app.

If I could try developing native apps on it for free, straight out of my machine I would. But it's honestly so expensive that it drives me away any time I get slighty interested on the idea, it's much easier on Android.

[–] veniasilente@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

, because it currently takes 3 times the phone’s cost to register foreign originated phones to use permanently inside my country.

That sounds like the stupidest tech thing I've heard this week. Where is this? In my country and at least in every nearby country that I'm aware of, there's a flat cost to registering a phone to operate and while it is a cost, it's not too much (nowhere near the full cost of a pjone in the market, defo) and the only really annoying part of the process is that it somehow takes four whole weeks.

[–] CaptainBasculin@lemmy.bascul.in 1 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

Turkey. The phone I mentioned is easily findable on the 2nd hand market for around 12-15k TL (non registered that is, registereds are around 20k TL), registering a new abroad phone currently costs 45k TL. It is a flat cost, but it still is three times the cost of the phone.

Retarded government economy management at its peak. Speaking of, did you know that on a brand new car purchase in Turkey, 3/4th of your purchase will be the sales tax? One car for you, three cars for the government.