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Your iPhone copy of Fortnite is about to become out of date [Updated]
Since Apple pulled Fortnite down from the iOS App Store earlier this month, some eBay users have apparently paid thousands of dollars for iPhones that had a playable, pre-installed copy of the game. Starting tomorrow, though, those devices will be no longer be able to play the latest version of the game.
[Update, 8/26 at 3:10p ET: iOS players who have previously downloaded the game will actually be able to continue playing the current Version 13.40 "Chapter 2 -Season 3" update on iOS, as well as subsequent versions on other platforms. Progression in the Season 3 Battle Pass will no longer be possible on any platform, however, and iOS players won't be able to crossplay with players on later versions on other platforms. Ars regrets the error.]
[...] Android users will still be able to install and play the latest update by downloading it directly from Epic or from The Samsung Galaxy Store on compatible devices.
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Thursday August 27 2020, @02:24PM (3 children)
What the heck are you talking about? I don't even see the parallel you're trying to draw. Compaq was a "hero" because they reverse-engineered the IBM PC and made a compatible clone, and started a revolution in personal computing by opening the door to countless companies making PC clones, which could all run the same MS-DOS software.
No one needs to clone Android phones. Anyone can make an Android phone who wants to, and lots of different companies do. There's almost too much choice in Android phones in fact; there's a ridiculous number of models out there, all running the same OS (or at least some version of it; older devices generally don't get upgraded to the newest version of the OS). The specs are completely open; if your company has the resources, you can design and build an Android phone too.
Or maybe you're thinking someone should make an Android-compatible OS, which somehow also runs Android apps? Sorta like DR-DOS? Well I think that's been tried too: didn't Blackberry do this around 5 years ago, making their OS able to run Android apps? It hasn't helped them much, judging by the success of their company and the size of their marketshare.
Honestly, I just don't see the problem here. On Android, you can sideload apps pretty easily it seems. This "Fortnite" game looks like you can load it just by scanning a QR code on their website! Or, according to the summary, you can get it from the Samsung app store (if you have a Samsung device, presumably). There's a bunch of other app stores out there for Androids; you're not restricted to Google's. My phone is a Verizon model and has the Verizon store on it (which I never use), for instance. So I just don't see the problem if developers can go to different app stores, or even get customers to install directly from their website. Of course, this is only for Android users; Apple users don't have this freedom, but again I don't see the problem: iPhone users obviously don't want freedom, or they wouldn't have bought into an ecosystem where both 1) the devices are more expensive, and 2) there's no freedom. If these people are so stupid that they insist on having an Apple device just because of the brand prestige, then why shouldn't they be ripped off and abused?
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Thursday August 27 2020, @02:27PM
As an aside: I doubt this, but I kinda wonder if Apple is paying Google to not be as bad as them, just so Apple can continue to abuse their idiot customers for profit.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Friday August 28 2020, @01:12AM
Jolla has been dicking around with Sailfish making it able to run Android apps as well as Linux, for years now. I haven't checked on them lately, but I do know they still owe me the 2nd half of my tablet money they never delivered.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 29 2020, @07:04PM
Speaking of your Compaq/IBM revolution. Do we have a viable alternative to qualcomm mainboards for smartphones?