Alternative browsers on iOS can never *really* be the default. And they can't use their own engines. And they can't use Service Workers, which means no Push Notifications or offline support. And no PWA installability. Etc. etc.
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Apple dramatically under-invests in WebKit, which means that the richest users have the jankiest web, and switching browsers doesn't help. Business decision makers don't think the web can deliver the experiences they want to give users because, on iOS (which they use), it can't.
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Replying to @slightlylate
I agree with all of this but have to say that Apple has made the web able to reach parity with native in terms of performance. In a way that has given the web a huge lifeline. We see this every day with just how capable iOS is for performant web apps compared to Android
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Replying to @maxlynch @slightlylate
If it wasn’t for that, Ionic wouldn’t work, and that would mean (millions?) of fewer web apps in the App Store. That would suck
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Replying to @maxlynch
Technically, Apple doesn't allow *any* web apps in their store. Actively hostile to the real web vs. their owned-and-operated closed stack.
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Replying to @slightlylate
Okay fine don’t disagree but the stack lives in a way it wouldn’t have. And those devs often target PWAs in addition to App Store. That’s a lot better than not having that stack /runtime there at all. An Ionic app *is* a web app. We’re fighting for the future (often on our own)
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Replying to @maxlynch
Apple has singlehandedly, through these policies, kept the web uncompetitive and has forced us to accept their proprietary gunk in trade. And we aren't even upset any more! It's *bad*.
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Replying to @slightlylate
Well we’re plenty upset over here, but feel we have no choice but to work within the system and keep browser apps competitive with native. That’s pretty much the extent of what we do all day. Without that I fear the web stack is worse off
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Replying to @maxlynch
I think most people who know what is being lost *are* upset, but aren't saying anything, but silence or one-sided bargaining isn't improving things. The status quo just burrows further in.
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Replying to @slightlylate
I agree, hate we have to fear poking the giant. But in a way we have built a bit of power the web ecosystem *can* use: non-trivial # of apps in App Store built on web tech (w Ionic) and far more ready to move to open web because of that (and keep Apple killing it off completely)
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It's worth seriously considering the extent this props up the inequitable deal that Apple makes everyone swallow. How much does our messaging make the issues plain?
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Replying to @slightlylate
Are you suggesting we just give up and no longer help web devs build web apps (and they are web apps) for the App Store? Who does that help? Should we just say go build your app with proprietary stacks or non-web platforms like RN or flutter?
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& Web Standards TL; Blink API OWNER
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