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In Europe, a new law called the Digital Markets Act lets developers share iOS apps through other app stores, not just Apple’s. This means that for the first time, you can download a special adult app on your iPhone in the EU.

The app, named Hot Tub, is available on the AltStore PAL, which is like a different app store made by developer Riley Testut. Hot Tub provides a safe and private way to watch adult videos, with no ads or tracking. It’s described as “An elegant, native porn app. Thoughtfully designed, ethically made, and free to use.” Users can look for and watch videos from places like Pornhub and Xvideos right from the app.

Apple has strict rules against adult content in its App Store in many countries, including the U.S. and the EU. However, with the new EU law, apps like Hot Tub can exist outside of Apple’s control.

Apple still checks these apps from other stores for harmful software, but they don’t control what kind of content is allowed. This means other types of content like hate speech or adult materials can appear in these alternative app stores.

Phil Schiller from Apple mentioned in early 2024 that they usually try to keep certain content off the App Store or allow users to choose for themselves. But these controls don’t apply to apps in other marketplaces unless those marketplaces set their own rules.

AltStore was among the first new app stores to appear in the EU after Apple changed its rules to follow the EU’s new law. These alternative stores have to pay a small fee for each app download, but thanks to a special grant from Epic Games, AltStore doesn’t charge users to download it anymore.

Hot Tub might need to pay Apple a fee if it gets many downloads or makes a lot of money. It’s free to use, but there’s also a paid version. Apple’s rule from May 2024 says smaller apps don’t pay this fee for the first three years if they make less than 10 million euros annually.

Right now, Hot Tub is in testing mode and only available in the EU. People in the U.S. can’t download it because they can’t get apps from outside Apple’s App Store.

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Apple recently shared its financial results for the first quarter of 2025, discussing performance details with CEO Tim Cook and new CFO Kevan Parekh. Here’s a simple breakdown of the key points from the call:

iPhone Sales and Apple Intelligence

While Apple’s services revenue increased, and they saw growth in Mac and iPad sales, iPhone sales dipped slightly. This quarter, iPhones brought in $69.1 billion, less than last year’s $69.7 billion. The new Apple Intelligence feature, introduced in iOS 18, has not yet sparked a big update trend. However, Cook noted that iPhone 16 models are selling better in places where Apple Intelligence is available.

Cook believes that as more people upgrade to newer iPhones, which support Apple Intelligence, usage will grow. He also mentioned upcoming support for more languages in April, which should help. He finds the email summarization feature invaluable, receiving hundreds of emails daily.

Best Quarter Ever

Tim Cook announced that this was Apple’s best quarter yet, with a revenue of $124.3 billion, up by four percent from last year. Apple’s active device count hit a new high at over 2.35 billion worldwide. However, sales in China dropped to $18.5 billion from $20.8 billion last year.

Services Revenue

The services sector shone brightly, earning $26.3 billion, a 14 percent jump from the previous year’s $23 billion. They set new records in the Americas, Europe, and other parts of Asia-Pacific, with over a billion paid subscriptions now.

Mac and iPad Sales

Mac sales were up to $9 billion from $7.8 billion, thanks to the new M4 models. Both new users and upgraders contributed to this growth. iPads also did well, with a 15 percent sales increase, largely due to the iPad Air and the budget iPad models, with many sales going to first-time iPad buyers.

Other Notes

On the topic of DeepSeek and reducing computational costs, Cook sees efficiency-driving innovation positively. Regarding future iPhone designs, he hinted at more innovation to come. With potential tariffs on the horizon, Apple is keeping a close watch but had no further comments.

Looking Ahead

For the next quarter, Apple anticipates low to mid single-digit growth in revenue with a gross margin expected between 46.5 and 47.5 percent.

This earnings call highlights Apple’s ongoing strength in the tech market, even with some challenges like in China, affirming their position as a leader in technology and innovation.

Apple recently introduced a new tool that makes it easier for app developers to manage purchases within the App Store. This tool, called the “Enhanced Buying API,” helps developers offer more options for buying things inside apps.

What Can Developers Do With This Tool?

• Large Content Libraries: Apps that have lots of items for sale, like books or lessons, can update their content more easily. This means users can buy new items without any hassle.
• Creator Content: Apps where creators share their work can now let users buy subscriptions or one-time purchases directly linked to their favorite creators or collections.
• Custom Subscriptions: For apps that offer subscriptions, developers can now add extra features or content, like special channels or local sports updates, which users can choose to add for an extra fee.

These new features use Apple’s payment system, which handles everything from collecting payments to dealing with taxes, making it simpler for both developers and users.

Why Now?

Apple seems to be updating its app store rules, especially after some pushback from developers and regulators, particularly in Europe. This new API is particularly useful for apps that had unique ways of making money, like platforms where artists or writers get paid directly by fans. For example, in 2022, Apple asked Patreon, a site for creators to get paid by fans, to use Apple’s payment system for transactions within their app.

This move by Apple aims to make the App Store more adaptable to different kinds of apps while keeping the payment process smooth and secure.

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has kicked off a thorough investigation into how mobile app stores operate, focusing on iPhone and Android systems.

The study aims to look at whether Apple has too much control over the market and if they might be using this power in unfair ways. They’re checking how apps are sold to consumers and the rules developers have to follow to get their apps on the iPhone’s App Store.

This investigation sounds a lot like what’s happening in the European Union, where they have rules to keep big tech companies in check.

The CMA will look into how much competition exists between Apple and Google, including how hard it is for new companies to break into the market. They’ll check if Apple and Google are using their big influence over mobile operating systems to favor their own apps or limit choices in browsers. They’re also looking at the conditions app makers must agree to for their apps to appear in these stores.

The investigation is set to wrap up by October 22, 2025. After that, we’ll know more about what might happen next. Possible outcomes could include penalties or changes in how these companies do business.

In Europe, Apple was made to allow other app stores, let apps be downloaded from the internet, and give users more browser options. However, Apple also changed how they charge developers, which some big companies like Epic Games and Spotify say is still not fair. While the EU case continues, it’s likely Apple might use similar tactics when dealing with the CMA in the UK.

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