Apple CEO Tim Cook Announces Plans to Stop Selling Apple Products in Russia
On Tuesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced in an open letter to the company and stakeholders his plans to seize Apple sales in Russia – citing the events taking place in Ukraine to be “deeply concerning”.
Apple has already started pulling several apps from the App Store. In this growing list of apps, Russian state-owned news RT, and Sputnik apps were one of the first to go. Apple’s decision to pull these apps stemmed from an effort to mitigate rampant misinformation which has since risen to over 20,000% since the start of the conflict.
Apple has already limited some of its own features like Apple Pay and Maps in Russia to, “protect the citizens of Ukraine” by limiting cash transactions and location tracking.
Consequently, Apple’s rescindment from Russia has resulted in a huge spike in demand for Apple products in the country. Some Russian citizens are now paying as much as $1,500 for an iPhone 13. Russian citizens often regard Apple products as a safer and more secure alternative to other tech products. Reporters and journalists in Russia are also emphasizing the security setbacks in the absence of secure Apple products on the market. The question now remains – did Apple leave Russia for good?
Ahh, the smell of fresh, spring air and crisp W-2s is upon us. March is a harbinger of change, but it’s also the unofficial start of tax season in the US. Tax season can be an arduous and tedious process, but there are several ways Americans can file their taxes more simply and conveniently this year.
With more and more people returning to in-person work, school, or social gatherings, filing taxes is probably the last thing on their minds. Now, people are turning to a more convenient and portable way to file on the go – apps.
Tax filing apps are preparing their App Store Optimization strategy to capture a new wave of on-the-go tax filers through seasonality. With the help of ASO technology, descriptions, titles, and other metadata assets are being optimized to include keywords specific to tax season like “W2”, “tax experts”, and “free tax filing” to capture tax-ready users. Creative assets like screenshots and app icons are getting a tax season makeover to attract and convert users looking for tax filing on the go.
The future of the App Store is fast approaching. Apple’s rumored Augmented Reality (AR) glasses, Apple Glass, are expected to launch as soon as 2023. How should app developers prepare for the new operating system, rOS? While speculation around this new system clouds a lot of the facts, one thing remains true – app developers and mobile marketers must prepare for the App Store of tomorrow.
The introduction of AR technology could affect the competitive environment of the App Store, especially for categories like gaming and video streaming that already dabble in Virtual Reality (VR). As more information comes out about Apple’s rOS system, app developers and companies can start to gauge the impact that rOS may have on their App Store Optimization strategy.
Earlier last week, Donald Trump Media & Technology Group released a new social media app on Apple’s App Store, Truth Social – a new platform that offers users an, “open, free, and honest global conversation”. With a very similar UI as Twitter, Truth Social offers a chronological and linear feed of posts and updates from users. On Truth Social, users can engage with other Truth Social users through likes, shares, and comments.
Since its announcement, many users were keen on downloading the app after its official launch in late February. On its launch date, Truth Social landed a #1 spot on the App Store. But the climb was short-lived. Since Truth Social is in a “soft launch” stage, many users were left out of the limited user invitations, experienced app crashes, and had “lackluster” features. Will the Truth Social app thrive or dive in the App Store?
Want to learn more about App Store Optimization? Contact Gummicube and we’ll help get your strategy started.
Keyword targeting has arrived to Google's Custom Store Listings, opening up opportunities for more granular audience targeting and even more personalized experiences. Learn how you can use them to your advantage!
Have you received a WhatsApp message, LinkedIn message, or a message from another messaging app offering a remote work opportunity by an individual claiming to be affiliated with Gummicube?
From Apple’s Fitness+ update, Google providing insight into real users versus bots, and Play Store Changelogs potentially being phased out, this ASO Weekly analyzes the different developments you should be aware of as 2023 kicks off.