Snap is 'Happy' to Pay Apple's 30% Commission Rate, Says Evan Spiegel
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel today told CNBC that his company is "happy" to pay Apple's 30 percent cut of in-app purchases because of the benefits that Apple provides with its software and hardware.
We really feel like Snapchat wouldn't exist without the iPhone and without the amazing platform that Apple has created. In that sense, I'm not sure we have a choice about paying the 30% fee, and of course, we're happy to do it in exchange for all the amazing technology that they provide to us in terms of the software but also in terms of their hardware advancements.
Spiegel went on to say that Snapchat is "aligned" with Apple on the App Tracking Transparency changes implemented to protect privacy. "The early investments we made starting almost 10 years ago to protect user privacy on our platform are really paying off," said Spiegel.
Snap is working to help its advertising clients migrate to Apple's SKAdNetwork, which Apple has provided as an alternative to the Advertising Identifier. "So far, that transition has gone smoothly for our business," Spiegel said.
Spiegel's comments come on the last day of the ongoing Epic Games v. Apple trial, a legal battle that is taking place because Epic Games has rebelled against Apple's App Store fees and policies.
Epic Games attempted to skirt Apple's App Store rules with a direct payment option in the popular Fortnite game, leading Apple to pull the app and creating an antitrust dispute that will be decided in court. Epic Games does not want to pay Apple's 30 percent fee, and is lobbying for alternative payment options and alternative ways to install apps on iOS devices.
Popular Stories
2026 could be a bumper year for Apple's Mac lineup, with the company expected to announce as many as four separate MacBook launches. Rumors suggest Apple will court both ends of the consumer spectrum, with more affordable options for students and feature-rich premium lines for users that seek the highest specifications from a laptop.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
...
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
One thing worth...
In a statement shared with CNBC today, Apple confirmed that Google Gemini will power the next-generation version of Siri that is slated to launch later this year.
"After careful evaluation, we determined that Google's technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models and we're excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for our users," the statement...
Apple today seeded the second beta of iOS 26.3, nearly a month after the first beta. So far, the update includes a couple of new features for iPhones.
iOS 15.3 through iOS 18.3 were all released in late January over the years, so it is thereby likely that iOS 26.3 will be released towards the end of this month as well. The update is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer.
Below,...
Apple today introduced a new Apple Creator Studio bundle that offers access to six creative apps, as well as exclusive AI features and content, as part of a single subscription. In the U.S., pricing is set at $12.99 per month or $129 per year.
Here are the six apps included with an Apple Creator Studio subscription:Final Cut Pro on the Mac and iPad
Logic Pro on the Mac and iPad
Pixelmator...
Elon Musk today expressed concern about Apple and Google partnering on a more personalized version of Siri powered by Google's generative AI platform Gemini.
"This seems like an unreasonable concentration of power for Google, given that [they] also have Android and Chrome," wrote Musk, in a post on X.
Musk serves as CEO of xAI, the company behind Gemini competitor Grok.
It is unlikely...
Apple and Google today announced that Google Gemini will help power not only a more personalized version of Siri, but a range of future Apple Intelligence features.
"Apple and Google have entered into a multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google's Gemini models and cloud technology," the companies said, in a statement. "These...
iOS 26.3 will likely be released to the public later this month, but it appears that Apple is preparing to push out another software update in the interim.
Apple's software engineers have started testing iOS 26.2.1, according to the MacRumors visitor logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The update will likely be released at some point this week or next week.
...
