Russia

Russia may cap App Store fees at 20 percent

The Russian Parliament will soon vote on a bill that would cap the commission companies like Apple and Google charge on the sale of apps in digital stores to twenty percent. Last month, Russia’s anti-monopoly body alleged Apple abused its dominant position via the App Store.

Spotify could finally turn a profit in 2017, expand to China, Russia & South Korea

Apple Music rival Spotify could finally turn a profit in 2107, one of its board members told the media Thursday. Asked if the Swedish music service could become profitable soon, Par-Jorgen Parson, one of Spotify's first investors, told Reuters that it was “absolutely” the case.

Spotify currently operates in 60 markets and has more than 40 million paid subscribers. Apple Music is available in 115 markets and has 17 million paying customers and over 30 million songs in its catalog.

Apple Pay launches in Russia

Apple's mobile payments service has officially launched in Russia, marking the tenth country where Apple Pay is now available. According to Reuters this morning, the service is available with support from MasterCard and Moscow-based Sberbank at launch. Users can add their credit or debit card to Apple Pay via the Wallet app on their iPhone or set up Apple Pay directly in the Sberbank Online mobile app.