That didn’t take long. Hours after a California-based District Court ruled that Apple must open external payments in apps in the U.S., and Apple changed its policies, the first such app has received approval. With the latest app update, Spotify has become the first app to allow external payment options directly from its iOS and iPadOS apps.
The move is being celebrated by the world’s top music streaming service. In a statement to 9to5Mac, Spotify spokesperson Jeanne Mora said:
“In a victory for consumers, artists, creators, and authors, Apple has approved Spotify’s U.S. app update. After nearly a decade, this will finally allow us to freely show clear pricing information and links to purchase, fostering transparency and choice for U.S. consumers. We can now give consumers lower prices, more control, and easier access to the Spotify experience. There is more work to do, but today represents a significant milestone for developers and entrepreneurs everywhere who want to build and compete on a more level playing field. It’s the opening act of a new era, and we could not be more ready for the show.”
On Wednesday, a District Court said Apple failed to comply with the 2021 judgment in the landmark Apple vs. Epic Games antitrust case. As a result, the company adjusted its app review guidelines so apps listed on the iOS and macOS App Stores will no longer be “prohibited from including buttons, external links, or other calls to action” for payments outside the app. While these changes were already implemented in 2024, Apple had required developers to apply for a special “entitlement” for them to allow payments through external sources.
Before these changes, Apple collected 27% of any external payment made by an app developer, assuming the payment was initiated from the app itself. It will now collect nothing.
As 9to5Mac explained, the following changes are being made to the Spotify app in the U.S.:
No doubt, Spotify won’t be the first app to go the external payment route. Keep in mind, these changes only affect apps being sold in the U.S.
At the time of this writing, the pricing changes in the Spotify app are just rolling out, so they might not have shown up on your iPhone or iPad, but they will soon.
Are you tired of paying for streaming services you never watch just to get a phone plan feature you actually want? T-Mobile has good news for you! The carrier is rolling out new plans, called T-Mix, in early November to replace its old Experience lineup with a build-your-own perks system called Picks.
The benefits you choose vary from streaming and gaming to food delivery, AI, satellite service, and phone discounts. But if you are satisfied with your existing plan, you can keep it.
Merely days after the iPhone Duo hit the shelves, images of broken screens on the phone started popping up across social media. Until now, it’s been unclear what’s causing the line of defective pixels that appears vertically along the crease, as well as horizontally, on the phone’s inner display.
Apple has finally acknowledged the issue, which has shown up on iPhone Duo units owned by customers as well as demo units in stores. In a statement shared with Bloomberg, Apple says that not all iPhone Duo units are affected and that those that are tend to show the display fault early on. The company added that users who experience problems with their iPhone Duo display should contact AppleCare for a replacement.
Not long ago, Apple treated independent repair like an act of outright hostility. The Cupertino giant locked down parts with serial-number pairing, while repair tools remained firmly out of reach of anyone outside its authorized repair network. More importantly, the company waged a legal and lobbying battle against right-to-repair legislation.
I've covered enough of these fights over the years to know what a shift looks like. That's why what happened in October 2026 genuinely caught me off guard. The day the iPhone Duo went on sale, what may be the most mechanically complex iPhone to date, Apple pulled off a surprising about-face. It published teardown-style repair manuals for a handful of major components.