Tesla owners with iPhonescan opt to subscribe to the automaker's Premium Connectivity package, which will cost $9.99 per month and unlock some additional features. However, Tesla is not using purchasing system for this subscription.
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The Tesla Premium Connectivity subscription allows for a range of features, including in-car navigation with traffic data, music and video , and more. These features are only available through the Tesla in-car display. This means Tesla would not have to pay the App Store fee if the package were unlocked exclusively for these features.
But there’s a relatively recent addition to Tesla’s Premium Connectivity package: “ Live Camera View .” This feature allows you to watch your car’s camera live when it’s parked and Sentry mode is enabled on your Tesla vehicle
According to a report by Gizmodo, this feature does not follow Apple's technical guidelines for how an app should offer the subscription option through its built-in in-app purchase billing system.
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The Tesla app on iPhone allows users to sign up for Premium Connectivity, but only if they use Tesla’s billing system. Under the “Certain Material Content” guideline, Tesla is free to provide its own billing system, as long as the billing option through the Apple Purchase is available. However, the Tesla app does not have this option.
This means Tesla bypasses Apple's App Store fees, which start at 15% for developers making under $1 million per year and increase to 30% for developers making over $1 million.
In the past, Elon Musk has been harshly critical of Apple's App Store guidelines, referring to the "secret" 30% charge on the App Store as an "internet tax." He has also expressed his support for Epic Games, which is currently in a long-running legal battle with Apple over App Store rules.
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However, keep in mind that all apps submitted to the App Store are reviewed. It seems that Tesla's move away from In-App Purchases hasn't caught Apple's attention yet, but that could certainly change now that the news has made headlines.
