Sami Fathi, writing for MacRumors:

In a new filing (via ZDnet) responding to concerns from the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission that it exploits “alleged market power in its role as a distributor of apps,” Apple highlights multiple avenues that developers can take to reach customers.

Specifically, Apple points out that the “whole web” exists as an alternative means of distribution, arguing that the web has become a platform unto itself. Apple supports this claim by noting that iOS devices have “unrestricted and uncontrolled” access to the web, allowing users to download web apps.

I’m an advocate for the open web and think there should be a lot more development of web apps built for mobile devices. And I would love to see their usage grow. But we all know — including the folks at Apple — that this is pretty lame. Web apps are not even close to being in the same league as native apps.

There should be a way to distribute apps outside of the App Store. The absence of this capability is holding the platform back.

➝ Source: macrumors.com