{"id":32692,"date":"2021-06-03T16:36:34","date_gmt":"2021-06-03T20:36:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/?p=32692"},"modified":"2021-06-03T16:36:34","modified_gmt":"2021-06-03T20:36:34","slug":"web-apps-in-epic-v-apple","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/2021\/06\/03\/web-apps-in-epic-v-apple\/","title":{"rendered":"Web Apps in Epic v. Apple"},"content":{"rendered":"

Adi Robertson<\/a>:<\/p>\n

For Apple it’s a win if Nvidia is providing an amazing service through the Safari browser outside the App Store, obviously. “Has Apple done anything to stop Nvidia from offering GeForce Now on Safari?” lawyer asks. Patel says no.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

Nilay Patel<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Apple is basically making the argument that web apps are a good competitor to native apps, which, well… they are not. Famously they are a “shit sandwich,” according to @gruber<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

Dieter Bohn and Tom Warren<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

Though the term itself hasn’t really come up explicitly, what’s being discussed are Progressive Web Apps, or PWAs. If you’re unfamiliar, think of them as slightly more advanced web apps that you can “install” directly from your web browser onto your home screen. Google has been pushing the idea (though support for PWAs on its own platforms is a little mixed), and some companies like Microsoft and Twitter have wholeheartedly embraced PWAs.<\/p>\n

Not Apple, though. There are a variety of reasons for that — ranging from genuine concern about giving web pages too much access to device hardware to the simple fact that even Apple can’t do everything. There’s also the suspicion that Apple is deliberately dragging its feet on support for features that make PWAs better as a way to drive developers to its App Store instead.<\/p>\n

[…]<\/p>\n

All of this is compounded by yet another Apple policy: no third-party browser engines. You can install apps like Chrome, Firefox, Brave, DuckDuckGo, and others on the iPhone — but fundamentally they’re all just skins on top of Apple’s WebKit engine. That means that Apple’s decisions on what web features to support on Safari are final. If Apple were to find a way to be comfortable letting competing web browsers run their own browser engines, a lot of this tension would dissipate.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

Alex Russell<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

Apple’s iOS browser (Safari) and engine (WebKit) are uniquely under-powered. Consistent delays in the delivery of important features ensure the web can never be a credible alternative to its proprietary tools and App Store.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Previously:<\/p>\n