AltStore PAL comes to iOS thanks to new rule changes
Alternate app stores may soon be par for the course on iOS
- The AltStore PAL is the latest if not one of the first alternative app stores to launch for iOS under new rules
- What can you get on this, and what does this store represent?
- Let's dig in and find out
With the changes to rules on alternative app stores for iOS, it seemed only a matter of time before we saw a glut of new ones arriving. The latest, if not one of the first of these is the AltStore PAL, coming from the makers of the Delta emulator, itself one of the debut apps for the store. And some of the developers seem to think this represents a huge challenge to Apple's market dominance.
On his blog, announcing the release of the AltStore PAL developer Riley Testut commented: "This is about all the indie developers who’ve ever received a phone call telling them their app is rejected, but not telling them how to fix it; all the high schoolers who couldn’t release their app because it “wasn’t good enough”; all the startups who missed their launch dates due to Apple requesting yet another resubmission; all the users who think tech is boring now (it is) and assumes that’s just how it has to be (it doesn’t)." Early days for the AltStore
The AltStore promises major changes, such as monetising via Patreon donations rather than traditional premium payments. The focus with AltStore is very clearly on indie apps, with those that emulate the original iOS interface (for people nostalgic for it) and of course, emulators like Delta. So the mass-market appeal is probably out the window. For now, at least.
After all, APKs remain extremely popular for indie apps on Android. So is the AltStore just the first step in bringing more of a 'DIY' feel to iOS? We'll have to wait and see.
As for emulators, there are still plenty of others to choose from. Check out our list of the top 10 best console emulators for iPhone and iPad to see what else is on offer. You can also check out the AltStore on its official GitHub page.
