Apple previously attempted to weaken the interconnectivity between different device ecosystems through the legal logic of "multiple App Stores," thereby reducing the scope of some platform services subject to the Digital Marketplace Act (DMA). However, the court rejected this approach, indicating that regulators are more focused on actual control than on the way companies break down their technical architecture.
The long-term impact of this ruling is that Apple's highly profitable service ecosystem may face further pressure to open up. This includes third-party payments, external purchasing channels, and developer revenue sharing models, all of which may face greater restrictions. For Apple, the real challenge is not hardware sales, but rather its continuously growing, high-margin service business.
From a market perspective, investors are not concerned with a single fine, but rather with the marginal changes in its business model. With the iPhone reaching maturity, service revenue has become a crucial support for Apple's valuation. If global regulations continue to weaken the platform's revenue-sharing capabilities, the market may reassess the model by which tech giants rely on ecosystem barriers to obtain excess profits. The future competition among tech companies will not only be a competition of technology and capital, but also a game between business models and the regulatory environment.
