ProBeat: Google should have picked Microsoft’s app store principles over Apple’s

Microsoft this week outlined a list of 10 principles for the Microsoft Store on Windows in a not-so subtle jab at Apple and Google. The overall message: Microsoft supports Epic Games in its war with Apple and Google over the 30% cut the companies take of every purchase on the iOS App Store and the Google Play store, respectively.

Last week, Google doubled down on its stance by saying that a) Android supports different app stores (unlike iOS) and that b) Google would enforce its 30% cut on digital items (like Apple does). Since there’s no way Apple is going allow third-party app stores on iOS, Google decided to present Android as the lesser of two evils to ensure it could keep printing cash. That gamble could very well pay off, but Google should have taken the “don’t be evil” route and adopted Microsoft’s stance first.