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It may be time for Apple to update the rules for its App Store. As we reported in this story today, app developers making apps that allow vibe coding—AI tools that let people without coding experience create apps easily—have run into delays getting their apps approved. Slowing down that process isn’t a good look for Apple, which has faced plenty of criticism in the past for exercising too much control over apps.
It may not be a coincidence that the delay in App Store approvals is occurring just as vibe coding apps emerge as a potential threat to Apple. After all, as we said in today’s story, if developers can enable vibe coding to create web apps that aren’t listed on the App Store, then Apple loses its ability to control apps. But Apple’s actions may not be as nefarious as they seem. According to Bitrig, one vibe coding app developer whose updates have been delayed, Apple’s rules are simply written for a different age and need revision.
“I think vibe coding is really compelling and people really want it, and so I hope Apple will notice this and the value it brings and is working on revised guidelines,” said Bitrig CEO Kyle Macomber. His startup’s new vibe coding app allows people to quickly spin up mobile apps using written prompts.
The app launched on the App Store in August. But by November, Apple began rejecting Bitrig’s app updates, claiming that the app violated one of its long-standing guidelines, 2.5.2. The guideline prohibits developers from updating app code in a way that fundamentally changes what the app does without going through the App Store review process.
Apple’s app review process has long infuriated developers with its mysterious inner workings. Lately, though, the issue is attracting more attention. On Tuesday, Elon Musk posted on his social media platform, X: “iOS App Review delays are getting ridiculous.”
Macomber, who worked for Apple for 14 years in its software engineering group, is more sympathetic. He says Apple has good reason to be cautious in protecting its users, given the high level of trust people have in the App Store. But he notes it is relying on guidelines originally conceived of many years ago.
For now, Bitrig has shifted resources away from its iPhone app toward its Mac app, which it can consistently keep updated. But the iPhone version in the App Store hasn’t seen any updates since November, which means it’s now running outdated AI models.
IPO Swarm
Swarmer isn’t a household name, but it’s a hit on Wall Street. The maker of software for military drones sold shares in its IPO on Monday night at $5. After two days of trading, the stock closed Wednesday at $55—quite the appreciation. Perhaps Swarmer’s bankers underpriced the offering?
The massive lift in the stock price is likely a result of two factors. Firstly, defense stocks are all the rage right now. The Spade Defense Index, a basket of stocks from the sector, is up 11% for the year so far, while the S&P 500 is down 3.2%.
Secondly, the Swarmer offering was tiny. The company sold just 3 million shares, increasing the outstanding share count to just 12.3 million shares. Intense demand for a tiny number of shares is guaranteed to send a stock’s price soaring. Perhaps Swarmer should raise more money in a secondary offering!—Martin Peers
In Other News
• OpenAI’s plan to release an AI agent product through Amazon Web Services last month raised concerns among senior Microsoft executives that the product would violate OpenAI’s contract to run models exclusively on Microsoft’s Azure cloud. Microsoft is now publicly intimating that a rift is brewing.
• The Chinese government plans to penalize people linked to Meta Platforms’ $2 billion acquisition of Manus, a Singapore-headquartered AI application startup originally founded in China, The New York Times reported.
• JPMorgan Chase and other banks have suspended a $5.3 billion debt deal for survey software company Qualtrics because debt investors were concerned about its exposure to the decline in software valuations, according to Bloomberg.
• Tencent President Martin Lau said the company wants to create an AI agent within its popular WeChat messaging app in China that can handle a wide range of practical daily tasks for users, confirming an earlier story by The Information.
Today on The Information’s TITV
Check out today’s episode of TITV in which we speak with crypto reporter Yueqi Yang about her market-moving Coinbase scoop.
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