Apple is under massive pressure: A US court ruling in favor of Epic Games and billion-dollar EU fines as a result of Spotify's years of lobbying threaten the company's profit engine – the App Store. With operating margins of over 75 percent, it has been far more lucrative than the hardware business so far, but the foundation of these profits is crumbling.

In particular, the 30 percent commission that Apple long charged on app sales is increasingly being undermined. Since April, Epic has been allowed to direct users to cheaper purchases outside the App Store. For Spotify, the dispute escalated as early as 2015 when Apple entered direct competition with Apple Music, forcing Spotify to charge higher prices due to the App Store fee.

Under the pressure of Daniel Ek and lawyer Horacio Gutierrez, Spotify presented extensive data in Brussels, proving how Apple's rules prevented millions of upgrades. EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager used the case as evidence of abuse of power. In 2024, a record fine of two billion euros followed, accompanied by the Digital Markets Act, forcing Apple to open its platform to alternative payment methods.

The consequences are serious. Recently, App Store revenues accounted for eight percent of Apple's total revenue, but played a disproportionate role in profitability. With declining iPhone sales and a cautious stance in the AI sector, there is growing concern that Apple cannot defend its business model.

Tim Cook not only has to sell new devices at the iPhone presentation next week - he has to prove to investors that Apple can maintain its ecosystem in the age of regulators and artificial intelligence.