Epic Findings Amongst Apple App Store Users (AAPL)
- A five-year legal battle between Apple and Epic Games (developer of Fortnite) reached a crescendo this week after a federal judge ruled that Apple had failed to comply with an injunction requiring it to allow external payment methods. “Apple’s continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated,” U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers stated. One day later, Apple lifted the ban on Fortnite marking its return to the App Store for the first time since 2020.
- Amid the renewed scrutiny, Occam uncovered clear generational trends in iPhone users’ willingness to buy directly from developers — assuming price parity with the App Store.
- 57% of Boomers say they’re unlikely to purchase outside of the App Store, showing a strong preference for familiarity and perceived security of the App Store. In contrast, Gen Z are 2.5x more likely — and Millennials 2x more likely — than Boomers to circumvent Apple’s payment rails. Both groups are also more active in overall app purchase behavior (data not shown).
- Occam will continue to monitor the situation and implications for Apple’s services revenue. Subscribe today to stay ahead of the curve.
