By Flint Jurgens

SpaceX’s Starlink faces growing competition from China’s SpaceSail and Jeff Bezos’s Project Kuiper in the race to dominate the satellite internet market. China is investing heavily in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, aiming to provide reliable internet services globally. Western analysts express concerns that Beijing might use these satellites to expand internet censorship in the Global South.

This has intensified scrutiny over China’s growing space capabilities and their potential geopolitical implications. Recent data shows that China’s annual launches of LEO satellites have significantly increased, now rivaling those by Russia, the USA, and Europe. This surge highlights China’s determination to secure a dominant position in the satellite internet market.

Starlink, a fully owned division of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is struggling to maintain its lead as SpaceSail and Project Kuiper emerge as strong challengers. Despite Starlink’s success in Brazil, the government is wary of Musk’s growing influence in the region. As a result, SpaceSail signed an agreement to enter Brazil in November and is in talks with over 30 countries for expansion. Starlink’s challenges in satellite internet

SpaceSail benefits from strong government funding, a local supply chain, and Chinese-made technology. It aims to expand internet access in underserved regions like Iran, South America, and Africa, where Starlink has yet to make significant inroads.

Meanwhile, Starlink is set to expand its coverage across most of Southeast Asia by 2025. The region presents strong growth potential for satellite internet services due to varying levels of internet access and infrastructure. Starlink is currently available in Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia, and is preparing to enter India pending final approvals.

Elon Musk’s ventures often influence each other. Tesla, Musk’s only publicly traded company, has seen its stock affected by events involving SpaceX and other Musk-led projects. TSLA stock has dropped 16% this year due to various factors, and Wall Street analysts remain neutral on the stock.

As major players like Starlink, SpaceSail, and Project Kuiper vie for dominance, the global landscape for satellite internet services continues to evolve rapidly. The intense competition is driving innovation and expansion in the industry.

By April Lanux

Aptoide, an alternative app store, has fully launched its service on iOS devices in the European Union. The marketplace previously entered an open beta phase on Apple devices in June 2024 and is now fully available to all iPhone users in EU countries. As part of its launch, Aptoide has introduced a new App Versions feature, enabling users to install and play older versions of iOS games.

This capability was previously only available on Android. The feature is particularly beneficial for users with older iPhones that are incompatible with the latest software updates or for those who prefer older game versions. The beta launch last June garnered significant interest, with a waitlist of 20,000 users eager to try the service.

Aptoide offers an alternative in-app payment system for iOS and has developed a software development kit in collaboration with Apple to facilitate in-app purchases.

Aptoide’s EU iOS service launch

“This full launch marks a major milestone in game distribution for iOS and Aptoide’s commitment to an open and unrestricted distribution ecosystem,” said Aptoide CEO Paulo Trezentos.

“Apple users now have access to newfound freedoms, but there’s a huge amount of work still to be done to continue opening up iOS globally and reduce friction for users and game developers.”

Following its successful beta, Aptoide has brought popular games like Fortnite and Fall Guys to iOS users in the EU, alongside their availability on Android globally. The marketplace currently offers games like PUBG Mobile, Free Fire, Gardenscapes, Mobile Legends, Top Eleven, and Matchington Mansion. It also includes popular apps such as Facebook, Snapchat, Netflix, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

This launch takes place despite Apple’s business terms, which impose a €0.50 ‘core technology fee’ for each download through non-App Store marketplaces. Developers also incur fees for each download after one million installs on an annual basis. Both Aptoide and other independent app stores have gained the ability to launch on iOS following new regulations requiring Apple to allow third-party app stores on its platform.

Residents of the EU can now access Aptoide on their iPhones and iPads, expanding their options for app downloads and game discovery.