How This Will Change the Mobile App Market. Tech Giants Adjust Their Strategies Under Regulatory Pressure and Market Competition

Technology giant Apple has made significant changes to its App Store policy, lifting restrictions on NFTs and cryptocurrency payments in iOS for developers in the United States. This decision came after losing a court case against Epic Games, where the court prohibited the company from restricting users’ access to third-party payment sites. Meanwhile, another technology leader, Google, has expanded the functionality of its AI service Gemini, adding image editing tools. These divergent updates demonstrate how major technology companies are adapting their strategies under regulatory pressure and in the face of increasing competition in the cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence sectors.

Crypto Freedom in the App Store: Implications for Developers and Users

According to updated App Store rules, developers in the US now have the right to direct users to external payment methods, including for purchasing non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Previously, Apple strictly controlled all financial transactions within the iOS ecosystem, charging a commission of up to 30% on each purchase and effectively blocking many cryptocurrency applications.

“This will allow more mobile crypto applications to enter the market, as many of them were previously blocked by Apple,” commented Farcaster software engineer Wojciech Kulikowski.

A key factor driving these changes was the court decision in the Epic Games lawsuit, which found that Apple “consciously” violated a previous court injunction issued in 2021. The court prohibited the company from charging commission on purchases made outside iOS applications or restricting users’ transitions to third-party sites for making payments.

This decision has far-reaching implications for the entire mobile application ecosystem. According to experts, it could lead to a significant expansion of cryptocurrency services on Apple devices and create new business models that were previously impossible due to high commissions.

“We expect a wave of new NFT marketplaces, cryptocurrency wallets with expanded functionality, and decentralized financial applications (DeFi) in the App Store in the coming months,” notes Maria Petrova, a cryptocurrency market analyst. “Projects aimed at mainstream users, which previously could not overcome the barrier of Apple’s high commissions, will especially benefit.”

Legal Battle and Its Consequences for the Digital Economy

The conflict between Apple and Epic Games began in 2020 when the developer of the popular game Fortnite attempted to implement an alternative payment system, bypassing the App Store commission. In response, Apple removed Fortnite from the app store, leading to legal proceedings.

The current court decision represents a serious blow to Apple’s so-called “walled garden” — a controlled ecosystem where the company strictly regulates all aspects of the user experience, including financial transactions. This model has provided the company with a stable revenue stream from commissions for many years and maintained its reputation as a creator of a secure ecosystem.

“The court’s decision effectively undermines one of Apple’s key revenue sources and could lead to a revision of the App Store business model as a whole,” says Alexander Vasiliev, a digital economy expert. “In the long term, this could reduce the profitability of the company’s service division, which has become an increasingly important source of revenue in recent years.”

The lifting of restrictions on NFTs and crypto payments is particularly significant in the context of growing interest in Web3 technologies and decentralized applications. Until now, iOS users have been largely cut off from this market due to Apple’s restrictive policies.

Gemini Expands Capabilities: Google Strengthens Its Position in AI

While Apple adapts to new regulatory realities, Google continues to enhance the functionality of its flagship AI service Gemini, seeking to strengthen its position in the highly competitive field of artificial intelligence.

According to the company’s announcement, Gemini users can now edit both AI-generated and their own uploaded images directly in the application: changing the background, adding or replacing objects, experimenting with style.

Google’s statement indicates that the update provides intuitive, multi-step editing capabilities integrated with text prompts. For example, users can create a bedtime story with corresponding illustrations generated by Gemini.

The company pays special attention to security issues and misinformation prevention: all created or modified images contain an invisible digital watermark SynthID, and Google is also testing a visible watermark.

“Google is clearly striving to catch up with and surpass competitors in the field of generative AI, primarily OpenAI’s DALL-E and Microsoft’s Designer,” comments Irina Sorokina, an AI technology researcher. “Integrating image editing capabilities directly into Gemini is a logical step in conditions where users increasingly expect comprehensive solutions within a single platform.”

Transformation of the Technology Industry: New Trends and Challenges

The updates implemented by Apple and Google reflect broader trends in the technology industry, where companies are forced to adapt to a changing regulatory landscape and new user needs.

For Apple, lifting restrictions on crypto payments and NFTs could be the beginning of a deeper transformation of the App Store business model. On one hand, this could lead to a decrease in commission revenue, but on the other hand, it could open new opportunities for growth of the application ecosystem and attract users interested in cryptocurrencies and Web3.

For Google, expanding Gemini’s functionality is part of a strategy to strengthen its position in the AI sphere, where the company competes with OpenAI, Microsoft, Anthropic, and other technology giants. It is particularly important that Google is integrating advanced AI technologies into its mass products, making them accessible to a wide audience.

“We are observing a fundamental shift in how technology companies build their platforms,” notes Dmitry Kovalev, a technology analyst. “From closed, tightly controlled ecosystems, they are gradually moving toward more open models where users have more freedom in choosing services and payment methods. At the same time, we see a race to integrate advanced AI capabilities into all aspects of the user experience.”

These changes create new opportunities for application developers, especially in the cryptocurrency and Web3 fields, as well as for users who gain access to a wider range of services and functions. However, they also raise new questions about security, privacy, and regulation of technology platforms that companies, regulators, and users have yet to answer.