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Apple declined to implement 16 Web APIs in Safari due to privacy concerns

(www.zdnet.com)
428 points coronadisaster | 4 comments | 29 Jun 20 10:16 UTC | HN request time: 0.399s | source
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thayne ◴[29 Jun 20 18:40 UTC] No.23680835[source]▶
There may be some legitimate fingerprinting concenrs. But given the list of API's it's hard not to see this as Apple crippling PWAs to prevent them from replacing native iOS apps (and hurting Apple's revenue from the Apple tax).

And maybe I'm missing something, but wouldn't the fingerprinting concern be mitigated by the fact the app has to ask for permission before using the API? If an app that doesn't have to do with MIDI asks for permission to use my MIDI device, I'm going to be instantly suspicious.

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scarface74 ◴[30 Jun 20 01:58 UTC] No.23685716[source]▶
Every time I see this argument I have the same question. How many successful web apps are there for Android? Apps that make the most money on the App Store are free to play games with in app purchases of loot boxe, coins, etc. how many of those are feasible on the web?

On the other hand, which apps that make money via in app purchases would be viable and successful as web apps?

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millstone ◴[30 Jun 20 03:07 UTC] No.23686076[source]▶
I think most would be as successful IF they had an equally frictionless payment system. Big hits like Candy Crush could easily be built as a web app. These are not pushing the boundaries of software, they're just exploiting our psychology.
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scarface74 ◴[30 Jun 20 03:54 UTC] No.23686380[source]▶
If PWA support is so good on Android, there should be a lot of successful profitable PWA’s on Android. Chrome supports the Web Payments API that should make payments seamless in the browser.
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1. harpratap ◴[30 Jun 20 05:30 UTC] No.23686875[source]▶
I have removed all my e-commerce apps and use on web versions of those on my phones (Flipkart agrees - https://www.pwastats.com/2017/08/flipkart/ ). I saw my parents doing the same when they uninstalled a bunch of apps like FB & Pinterest and started using the web versions instead to save space and don't seem to have any negative experience.
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2. scarface74 ◴[30 Jun 20 10:22 UTC] No.23688607[source]▶
Which still doesn’t support the argument that Apple wants to cripple PWAs because it makes money on the App Store. Those apps would have been free on the App Store and since they are selling physical goods, Apple wouldn’t have made any money on in app purchases.
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3. harpratap ◴[30 Jun 20 12:56 UTC] No.23689522[source]▶
I mean it gives credit to the theory that webapps (PWAs in particular) are gaining tractions and big companies are paying attention to it because people are actually using it, which means Apple is afraid it might loose it's stranglehold on the app economy.
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4. scarface74 ◴[30 Jun 20 21:22 UTC] No.23694946{3}[source]▶
The types of apps that are theoretically “moving to the web” aren’t making Apple any money anyway. There is no evidence that there is a trend for the types of apps that actually benefit from in app purchases are moving to the web.

All of the APIs that Apple isn’t supporting wouldn’t help a single major revenue producing app move to the browser.