Apple may be mulling sideloading on iPhones and iPads

????‍???? Good morning, dear Daily Authority readers. I can’t believe we’re already nearing Christmas. It’s heavily snowing in many parts of the world, and if you’re in one of those places, maybe you should do your Christmas shopping online this year. Meanwhile, I gave myself the LG G2 OLED TV for Christmas because my old Android TV went bust. Now, let’s get on with all the tech news you missed.

It may be the end of an era and the beginning of a new one for Apple users. According to a report, Apple may finally let other apps and software into its walled garden! Yes, that means iPhone users may soon be able to download apps from third-party sources other than Apple’s App store. If this happens, it will change the Android vs Apple landscape forever!

• According to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, engineers at Apple are working on opening up key elements of the company’s platforms.
• Gurman is a trusted Apple analyst with insider information that rarely turns out to be wrong.
• As per his report, Apple might finally let customers download third-party apps and software to their iPhones and iPads without the company’s App Store.
• This would sidestep Apple’s restrictions that have been in place since the very beginning.
• It would also mean that the company won’t be able to charge its 30% App Store commission on sideloaded apps.
• The move is a response to the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which is set to go into effect next year.

Why is sideloading on Apple a big deal?

• The ability to sideload apps is one of the key differentiators between Android and iOS.
• Android has long allowed sideloaded apps, i.e., apps that don’t come directly from the Google Play Store.
• You can download third-party applications on any Android device, including Android TVs, phones, tablets, and more.
• No Apple devices have ever allowed sideloading. At least, not without taking unwelcome steps like jailbreaking.
• If Apple starts allowing sideloading, its devices will finally become real alternatives to Android devices.
• It would also level the playing field for third-party developers and improve customers’ digital experience.
• Unfortunately, it seems Apple is only working on this for the EU region for now.
• Since countries like the US don’t have any Digital Markets Act, Apple is not obligated to offer sideloading there.
• So the EU region might soon become the best place to own an iPhone.

It’s always fascinating to see the world from up above, and today we have just the video for you. The uncrewed Artemis I mission tested NASA’s new Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft on their first orbital mission. We now get to see a wonderful cinematic video of the 25-day mission captured in just 60 seconds (h/t DigitalTrends). During the trip, the spacecraft traveled within just 80 miles of the lunar surface and also journeyed further from Earth than any human-rated spacecraft!