SkyDrive 3.0 Appears in App Store Following Apple-Microsoft Conflict Over Subscription Options

As noted by The Verge, Microsoft today launched version 3.0 of its SkyDrive iOS application for accessing and managing files stored in the company's cloud service.

New in version 3.0

- Updated to support iPhone 5 and iPad Mini
- Download full resolution photos to your iPhone or iPad
- Improved support for opening SkyDrive files in other iOS apps
- Improved support for uploading files to SkyDrive from other iOS apps
- Updated app icons and visuals
- Other bug fixes

Back in December, it was reported that Apple and Microsoft were at odds over SkyDrive, with Apple refusing to allow any updates to the app after Microsoft launched paid storage tiers for the service. Apple's rules require that developers offering any sort of paid content or service through their apps use the company's In App Subscription mechanism, which nets Apple 30% of revenues. Developers are also prohibited from including external sign-up links in apps to direct users to external addresses where they can purchase such plans without going through Apple.

skydrive_3_0
It is not entirely clear how Apple and Microsoft have settled their dispute over SkyDrive, but version 3.0 does not provide any external links to allow users to sign up for the SkyDrive service, simply presenting users with a sign-in page for existing accounts. Users who do not have accounts are required to manually navigate to Microsoft's SkyDrive website in order to sign up for an account with 7 GB of free storage and access options for additional paid storage.

Microsoft declined to comment to The Verge about the dispute with Apple, noting only that Apple approved the app earlier this week and that each app store has its own set of rules to satisfy.

Update: Microsoft has issued a revised statement to The Verge indicating that it has indeed resolved the issue by directing all paid storage upgrades through the SkyDrive website.

Microsoft says it "worked with Apple to create a solution that benefited our mutual customers." The company's new SkyDrive app for iOS "is slightly different than other SkyDrive apps in that people interested in buying additional storage will do so via the web versus in the app," says a Microsoft spokesperson. "Earlier this week, Apple approved the SkyDrive app for release and we’re excited to allow people everywhere to start using it."

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
iphone 16 apple intelligence

Apple Drops Plans for iPhone Hardware Subscription Service

Wednesday December 18, 2024 11:39 am PST by
Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
blackmagic vision pro

Blackmagic Debuts $30K 3D Camera for Capturing Video for Vision Pro

Monday December 16, 2024 4:17 pm PST by
Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro. The URSA Cine Immersive camera was first introduced in June, but it has not been available for purchase until...
mac pro creativity

Apple Launched the Controversial 'Trashcan' Mac Pro 11 Years Ago Today

Thursday December 19, 2024 7:00 pm PST by
Apple launched the controversial "trashcan" Mac Pro eleven years ago today, introducing one of its most criticized designs that persisted through a period of widespread discontentment with the Mac lineup. The redesign took the Mac Pro in an entirely new direction, spearheaded by a polished aluminum cylindrical design that became unofficially dubbed the "trashcan" in the Mac community. All of ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 2 Redux

Top 5 Apple Products to Look Forward to in 2025

Friday December 20, 2024 2:22 pm PST by
It's looking like 2025 is going to be an important year for Apple, with the company planning to revamp the iPhone, push further into smart home products, and improve Apple Intelligence. There are tons of new products rumored for 2025, including new iPhones, M4 Macs, a smart home command center, and much more. We've highlighted the top five Apple products that will have the biggest impact in...
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

New Apple TV Rumored to Launch Next Year With These Features

Tuesday December 17, 2024 9:02 am PST by
The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year. Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Rumored to Stick With 'Triangular' Camera Design

Wednesday December 18, 2024 2:36 am PST by
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the...
elevation lab airtag battery

Your AirTag's Battery Will Last for Up to 10 Years With Elevation Lab's New TimeCapsule Enclosure

Wednesday December 18, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag. Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...

Top Rated Comments

dolph0291 Avatar
153 months ago
Article update


It appears that for Apple some Developers do not have to follow the Apple 30% cut.

Seems like a bit of a desperation act on Apple's side for caving on this one.

What do you mean? Purchasing is done outside of the app. That is the same policy as everyone else.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jamieserg Avatar
153 months ago
Is this as good as Dropbox? I have intense doubts because it's Microsoft, but a friend told me that it's an exception.

I use Skydrive exclusively now as it gives me the fastest uploads and the website UI is really nice.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
charlituna Avatar
153 months ago
See, Apple knows how to play nice. *AHEM* Google Search *AHEM.

The real irony is that the rules aren't that complicated. Hulu has had their app link free for ages. You just get a sign in screen.

Microsoft has access to the same list of rules and yet tried to ignore them, thinking because they are Microsoft they would get away with it. They were wrong and had to change their app to fit the rules.

And I say good. Apple set the rules and I'm pleased that they are applying them equally for everyone and not giving the big boys a different set of rules
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
brand Avatar
153 months ago
What's skydrive?

A word that can be typed in the Google search box.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zorinlynx Avatar
153 months ago
Great that they fixed it but forcing devs to just make people buy stuff through their site instead of the actual app kinds gets away from the whole "it just works" aspect of ios to me.

Then Apple shouldn't be charging 30% on every transaction.

Many services have margins far below 30%, which means they couldn't use Apple in-app purchases if they wanted to. Amazon is an example when selling books.

Apple should really drop that number down to a more reasonable level. A typical payment processor takes less than 10%, often FAR less. 30% is outrageous, and the reason very few apps actually use in-app purchases for anything other than widgets in video games (which are 100% profit before Apple's take)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KanosWRX Avatar
153 months ago
Glad MS didn't cave to paying Apple insane amounts of money for their stupid 30% rule, its just insane that Apple can get away with it. 30% for doing nothing. I could see maybe 5-10% for transaction fees and hosting.. but no more for sure!!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)