Behind the shutdown of WeChat tipping function on iOS: The rise of WeChat and Apple's hidden worries

There is no need to debate whether Apple is a software company or a hardware company, but Apple has built a closed ecosystem through a combination of software and hardware. In this closed kingdom, there is naturally a set of operating rules. Although some systems are unreasonable, the essence of business is to pursue profit maximization, and it is reasonable as long as it is beneficial to oneself.

Since the Apple App Store was launched in 2008, there are currently more than 2 million App Store applications, with cumulative downloads exceeding 140 billion times. Since the App Store's review mechanism is very strict, any application that does not comply with the rules will be rejected. Some developers have questioned that the App Store’s review standards are inconsistent and that apps are being removed from the shelves at will.

On April 19, WeChat announced that due to the impact of Apple’s new regulations, WeChat public account operators can place payment QR codes in articles or collect user rewards through personal transfers. . However, this function of using QR codes to reward WeChat content entrepreneurs was blocked by the Apple system in the early morning of the next day.

In the early morning of April 20, the WeChat team issued another notice saying, “Urgent closure of personal transfers for articles on the iOS version of WeChat public platform that went online on the afternoon of the 19th. ” Apple also immediately responded to WeChat’s closure of the appreciation function: “WeChat can choose to provide ‘in-app purchases’ to allow users to appreciate their favorite public account operators, just as we provide this The choice is the same for all developers. WeChat only needs to use the in-app purchase system correctly for development.

Since the launch of the Apple App Store in 2008, there have been more than 2 million App Store applications with cumulative downloads. More than 140 billion times. Because the App Store’s review mechanism is very strict, any application that does not comply with the rules will be rejected. Some developers have questioned that the App Store’s review standards are different and the application may be removed at will.

In the past, Apple has almost never responded directly to application developers, but this time it responded quickly to the suspension of the praise function. This also shows the influence of WeChat and Apple. Pay attention to this matter. It was only 7 hours between WeChat closing the appreciation function and Apple closing WeChat QR code payment. Apple, the most profitable giant in the world, and the most profitable Internet company in China finally had a conflict. . Looking at the growing little brother, Apple is obviously a little restless.

In fact, when Apple updated the 3.1.1 clause on June 13, 2016, it had already strictly required that apps should not contain instructions for customers. The focus of the dispute between the two parties is that Apple believes that rewards on the WeChat platform are a type of virtual payment. , and virtual payments must first be made through Apple's in-app purchase, that is, first recharge to the Apple account before making the purchase. However, WeChat believes that appreciation is a transfer and not a purchase of services. According to Apple's rules, Apple's Get 30% of the sales revenue of all applications released by third-party developers, and the developers get the remaining 70%. In other words, if a WeChat user rewards the author with 10 yuan, 3 yuan will go into Apple's pocket.

In fact, as a voluntary behavior of readers, WeChat tipping is a kind of encouragement and affirmation given by readers to the author. It is an interactive behavior between the author and the reader. Whether to praise or not depends entirely on the mood of the reader. No service fees have been charged to content entrepreneurs, and appraisers have not received actual products, nor have they enjoyed any virtual services. There is no commercial interest exchange relationship.

Apple blocks WeChat appreciation. In fact, channels do not have much impact on ordinary WeChat users. Appreciation is something that is not intended to be reciprocated. The most affected people should be the content entrepreneurs in the WeChat ecosystem. The consequences of this will be. Content entrepreneurs will be resistant to Apple

We all know that WeChat occupies a huge traffic entrance to China’s mobile Internet, and Tencent occupies a large say in news information, just as WeChat executives do. "In order to use WeChat more freely, I plan to buy a new Android phone" posted on its public account said: "Although it is unlikely, I hope that Apple's stock price and sales in China will tell it that this kind of forcing The platform policy that creates functional differentiation between App applications and the Android platform is not worth the gain. ”

And Apple is about to launch iPhone 8 during the autumn festival this year. If Tencent suppresses traffic entrance and media public opinion, it will obviously have a certain negative impact on the sales of Apple mobile phones. This will have a negative impact on Apple, which is weak in domestic growth. For me, it is the last thing I want to see.

Nowadays, domestic Apps basically use WeChat or Alipay to pay, but the number of users is far less than that of WeChat. According to Apple's policy, the appreciation function is a virtual payment transaction. Should a 30% service fee be charged for sending red envelopes? Sending red envelopes is also a voluntary behavior of the user and does not enjoy any services from Apple. It can be seen from this incident that on the one hand, Apple wants to take advantage of WeChat. More importantly, as the number of WeChat users continues to grow, the WeChat ecosystem has seriously threatened Apple’s It has its own closed ecosystem.

WeChat not only occupies an important traffic entrance in China, but also equals Alipay in payment scenarios. According to a mobile payment report recently released by the "BetterThanCashAlliance", an organization under the United Nations, Alipay ranked first in China last year. It achieved a payment volume of US$1.7 trillion, and WeChat Pay, Alipay’s largest rival, also reached a total payment volume of US$1.2 trillion last year. On the other hand, Apple Pay has almost reached the point where no one cares about it in China. It has basically no presence in the Chinese market, and Apple’s total mobile payment volume is less than a fraction of the two giants.

Due to the convenience of Alipay and WeChat payment, card payment including Apple’s has suffered a collective fiasco in China. With the launch of the WeChat applet, Apple has truly felt threatened. As a light application, the WeChat applet is designed to allow users to use applications more conveniently and quickly, and to help users improve efficiency. But this is undoubtedly a free app store opened in Apple's belly. Although small programs are not yet a thing, this "fetus" will grow up sooner or later.

As we all know, since the iPhone was equipped with the App Store, Apple has been making profits from the App Store through application sales sharing. AppStore has long been Apple's most important revenue model in the iOS mobile Internet ecosystem. According to the latest third-party statistical report, the total revenue of Apple's software store in the Chinese market last year was between US$5 billion and US$6 billion. Its revenue in the Chinese market has exceeded the two major markets of the United States and Japan. It is estimated that by 2020, the App Store will bring $16 billion to Apple.

If Apple allows WeChat mini programs to grow like this, it will eventually poke a big hole in Apple’s closed ecosystem, and Apple’s software store’s annual cash cow of billions of dollars in the Chinese market will be lost because of mini programs. Slowly drained away.

In a nutshell, the battle between Apple and WeChat is ultimately a war over traffic entrances. Apple does not want its traffic to be hijacked by WeChat without any reason, thus losing its position in China. market position. As the overlord of China’s mobile Internet era, WeChat hopes to penetrate into various fields from social networking, finance, payment and other scenarios. The rise of mini programs will severely damage the Apple App Store in the Chinese market.

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