Amazon has finally simplified the process of buying books through the iOS version of the Kindle app. The iPhone and iPad apps now include a “Buy a Book” button with each title in the list. Clicking on this button opens the corresponding Amazon page with the option to purchase the book in 1 click. After completing the purchase, the user returns to the Kindle app to read.
This is not as convenient as a simple in-app purchase, but it is much better than the old method. This would have required Kindle users to buy books themselves through a web browser. The Kindle app didn’t have a portal or anything like that. Essentially, you just had to write down the title of the book and go to the Amazon web version to find it and make a purchase.
This move, of course, was made possible by a recent court ruling that prohibited Apple from charging for digital goods purchased outside the official App Store. This forced the company to update the App Store to allow external payment methods. This way, companies like Amazon can now experiment with new purchasing methods without overpaying 27 percent to Apple.
It is worth noting that the “Buy a book” button on the Kindle still depends on the web version of Amazon. There is currently no way to buy an e-book from the Amazon app itself. Nevertheless, this is a definite step in the right direction.
Amazon is not the only company making adjustments based on the recent court ruling. Spotify now allows users to subscribe to iOS devices via an external link, thus avoiding App Store fees. Epic Games is not only bringing Fortnite back to the iOS platform, but has also announced the creation of separate online stores to support in-app purchases.
Apple is not happy about this mad rush to avoid lucrative fees in the App Store. It recently filed an appeal against the aforementioned court decision, but the grounds for this appeal are unknown. It will be an uphill battle for the iPhone maker, as the judge who issued the ruling called the App Store’s practices “anticompetitive” and a “gross miscalculation.”
