Apple has decided to reject iPhone and iPad apps that would allow customers to to purchase goods outside of its App Store.
Apple told Sony (among other developers) that it rejected its iPhone app that would let customers buy and read electronic books from the Sony Reader Store. Instead, customers would have to go through Apple itself, according to the New York Times.
The move is a new one for Apple, and could mean a change in how Apple does business. Other companies like Amazon.com, which makes the Kindle and a Kindle app for iPhone could also be affected. Neither Amazon nor Apple were available for comment.
“This sudden shift perhaps tells you something about Apple’s understanding of the value of its platform,” James L. McQuivey, a consumer electronics analyst told the Times. “Apple started making money with devices. Maybe the new thing that everyone recognizes is the unit of economic value is the platform, not the device.”
