Tim Cook signs off as CEO · Web checkout links allowed in US apps

John Ternus is taking over as Apple CEO just as the company prepares to unveil a foldable iPhone Ultra. This issue covers new rules for web checkout links in US apps and how Adobe Acrobat increased conversion by 30% using localized Custom Product Pages.

Platform

• Tim Cook signs off as CEO after 15 years AppleInsider
  Cook's final memo to staff marks the official transition to John Ternus as the company prepares for next week's hardware event.
• Phil Schiller steps back from App Store and events leadership AppleInsider
  The Apple Fellow is reducing his workload, ending a decades-long run overseeing the developer ecosystem and product launches.
• Apple to unveil foldable iPhone Ultra next week 9to5Mac
  The new flagship model will headline the September event, though final shipping dates for the foldable hardware remain unconfirmed.
• New adb emu commands allow CLI control of foldable postures Android Developers Blog
  Developers can now programmatically trigger fold, unfold, and tabletop states to automate testing of adaptive layouts.
• Apple files "shocking" forensic evidence in OpenAI lawsuit 9to5Mac
  A forensic sweep of a former engineer's MacBook allegedly revealed data exfiltration, escalating the legal battle over AI trade secrets.

Monetization

• Apple confirms web checkout links are allowed in US apps Superwall Blog
  A meeting with Apple leadership clarified that while App2Web is permitted, "free trial toggles" remain banned and repeated post-cancel nagging is restricted.

▶ YouTube SubHub by Adapty Is your paywall leaking revenue? | Andy Carvell, Phiture

Key takeaway: Phiture's Andy Carvell argues that "Product-Led Growth is expired" and signal must be federated across all growth surfaces to convert.

• 30% increase in conversion was achieved for Adobe Acrobat by creating a Custom Product Page focused on "editing" for the Japanese market.

• 40% higher push notification open rates for HBO Max resulted from connecting the product’s ML recommendation engine to the CRM via API.

• 80% completion rates on 20-30 step onboarding flows are possible if the questions lead to a tailored experience.

• 7.1% uplift in conversion for Audacy came from matching App Store screenshots to "drive time" listening patterns found in data.

Why it matters: As ad network targeting becomes a "black box," first-party data from onboarding is the only remaining lever for personalization.

Watch on YouTube →

Worth it? Yes, the case studies on "federating signal" are immediately actionable for any growth team.

themobiletakeaway.com

▶ YouTube App Masters This Dev Made $5K MRR Look Easy (Copy This ASO-First Strategy)

Key takeaway: Indie dev Mo Selim reached $5k MRR by targeting high-popularity keywords in international markets where US competition is absent.

• 98.8% of ad revenue comes from outside the US, where average CPI is $0.37 compared to much higher domestic bids.

• 21 of the 22 best-scoring keywords for the Japanese learning category sit outside the United States.

• 353% ROAS was maintained by using worldwide low-bid "discovery" campaigns to find winning storefronts before doubling down.

• 10% of revenue comes from Android with zero ad spend simply by pushing a Flutter build to the Play Store.

Why it matters: It proves that "low popularity" in the US is not a disqualifier if the algorithm suggests the term in other regions.

Watch on YouTube →

Worth it? Yes, the specific keyword data for the Japanese/Kanji niche is a great example of ASO arbitrage.

themobiletakeaway.com
• One subscription group can lead to a "debt trap" of old prices Superwall Blog
  Storing years of test SKUs in one group allows users to see a wall of confusing plans or downgrade to legacy, cheaper pricing.
• 3rd party Android stores can now be installed from Google Play RevenueCat Blog
  Under the Epic ruling, US developers must opt-out in the Play Console if they do not want their listings shared with alternative storefronts like Aptoide.

Business

▶ YouTube Founders Podcast How Henry Singleton Worked

Key takeaway: Henry Singleton achieved a 20.4% annual compound return over 30 years by focusing on capital allocation over operations.

• 90% of Teledyne's outstanding shares were repurchased between 1972 and 1984 through eight separate tender offers.

• 40,000 employees were managed by a corporate headquarters of fewer than 50 people due to extreme decentralization.

• 130 companies were acquired in the 1960s using high-priced stock as currency before Singleton abruptly pivoted to buybacks.

• 70% of the insurance equity portfolio was concentrated in just five companies, including a 25% stake in Litton Industries.

Why it matters: Singleton’s focus on cash flow over reported earnings provides a blueprint for running a lean, high-margin software business.

Watch on YouTube →

Worth it? Yes, it’s a masterclass in independent thinking and the power of share buybacks.

themobiletakeaway.com
• Jay’s tactic of booking and then canceling hostels to spam city-wide group chats is a reminder of the "do things that don't scale" era of growth. By exploiting Hostelworld’s free cancellation policy, he accessed a captive audience of travelers for zero cost, netting hundreds of users weekly.
  
  While effective for an early-stage app, this is the kind of friction-heavy hack that modern platforms have largely patched. Jay notes he was banned ten times during the run, highlighting the high-risk, high-reward nature of platform-specific exploits. jay

  jay ✓ @jayvraavi

  𝕏

  when you book a hostel on hostelworld, it puts you in a chat with everyone else in that city but you could cancel for free so every week id book a hostel in damn near every city in the world and plug my app offering free premium got me a couple hundred new users every week, and back then that was a lot!

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