Apple wants to profit from the AI app boom, but it is not saying how. On the company’s earnings call on Monday, November 2, chief financial officer Kevan Parekh said AI is a compelling reason for customers to upgrade, and that there are opportunities across third-party apps and partnerships, according to TechCrunch and Mezha. Parekh did not elaborate on what those opportunities might be.
The investor theory. Reuters reported that investors wonder whether Apple could earn money by distributing third-party AI agents through the App Store and taking a cut of the revenue they generate, according to TechCrunch. That is speculation and not an Apple plan, and Apple has not announced an AI agent marketplace. One analysis in other coverage says AI agents may even bypass the app-store model altogether.
How the App Store did. Parekh said App Store performance in the September quarter was similar to the prior year, with a record number of paid subscriptions and double-digit growth for third-party apps, according to TechCrunch. Parekh expects headwinds in mobile gaming to continue into the summer quarter.
The guidance. Apple guided to services growth of 8% to 9% in the December quarter, and Parekh said that includes headwinds from third-party licensing. TechCrunch notes that third-party estimates from August, cited by MacRumors, suggested an 18% drop in US App Store commission revenue, with declines also seen in Brazil and Japan. Those are outside estimates and not Apple figures.
The legal pressure. Epic Games’ lawsuit forced Apple to let apps send users to outside payment systems, which reduces the fees Apple can collect. One report cites estimates that Apple was on pace to collect more than $1 billion in App Store fees from generative AI apps in 2026, but that figure could not be confirmed in other sources and is not used here.
What Apple did not say. TechCrunch says there was no concrete AI-agent App Store plan, no AI revenue figure and no response from Apple when asked for comment. The remarks are a hint about direction, not a strategy.
Why it matters. Apple’s services business depends on fees from apps, and AI assistants could either add to that business or sidestep it. If agents handle tasks through chat, there may be fewer app downloads and less room for commission. For developers and users in the US and UK, any change in how Apple charges AI apps could change prices, so it is worth watching.
What to watch. Look for an App Store policy on AI agents, details of any partnerships, and Apple’s next services revenue report.
Sources: TechCrunch and Mezha, citing Reuters and MacRumors. Details are as reported by those outlets and Apple’s earnings call.
iPhone Duo (file image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
