Recently, Apple asked developers to return M1 Developer Transition Kits (DTK) for $200 credit which could only be redeemed at the purchase of an M1 Mac and it was only valid till May 2021. To the company’s surprise, developers who had paid $500 for DTK for a 12 months period were very upset and took to developers’ online forums and sites to express their disagreement. Fortunately, the Cupertino tech giant not only heard but also took action to redress their grievances. Now the company has increased DTK return credit to $500.
Last year, when Apple announced the 2 year-long transition of Mac line-up from Intel Core processor to Apple Silicon, it allowed registered developers to get early access to Apple Silicon in Mac mini featuring A 12X chip for $500. Functional for 12 months, the DTK was designed to help developers to adapt their apps to the new processor. However, the Developer Transition Kits were sent out with the expectation that the hardware will be returned after the company starts to sell Apple Silicon Macs in stores.
Although Apple had not promised any credit at the time of sending DTK, the participants were unhappy about the $200 credit with a limited validity for many reasons. Most complained that get value for what they paid for, the $500 DTK which was supposed to work for 12 months, did not turn on after a few months. And like Apple gave out $999 credit for DTK at the time of Mac transition from PowerPC to Intel, some expected another generous reward.
There would be zero problems if Apple offered $0 for the DTK, assuming the devices actually worked as development devices for the duration of the 12-month program. Just a few disappointed developers, sure, but we would have got what we signed up to
— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) February 4, 2021
Apple revises M1 Developer Transition Kit return credit policy
Apple surprised the developer community by not only increasing the return Apple credit but also increasing the time limit till the end of the year to purchase an M1 Mac, upon returning the M1 Developer Transition Kit. And those developers who already own an Apple Silicon Mac will be able to use the given credit for any other Apple product.
We heard your feedback regarding the 200 USD appreciation credit mentioned in our last email. Our intention was to recognize the tremendous effort that you have put into creating amazing universal apps. By partnering with us early, you showed your commitment to our platform and a willingness to be trailblazers.
So instead of the 200 USD credit that expires in May, we are giving you a 500 USD Apple credit and extending the time you can use it to get a new M1 Mac through the end of the year. If you already purchased a new M1 Mac, the Apple credit gives you the flexibility to purchase any Apple product to help with your app development work.
We’ll share details soon about how to ship the Developer Transition Kit (DTK) back to Apple. Note that the DTK will no longer receive publicly available software updates after macOS Big Sur 11.2. We encourage you to return it as soon as possible so that your development work is not interrupted. And once you return the DTK, you’ll receive your Apple credit.
And judging by the responses on social media, the Cupertino tech giant has hit a home run with this decision. Developers are a huge part of the platform’s success and it is nice to see their feedback being acknowledged. Recently, Apple also reduced its App Store 30% commission rate to 15% for small developers in a new program. Interested developers can register for Apple’s developer program for $99 per year.
After reading developer feedback, Apple has reconsidered its return details for the Universal App Quick Start Program / Developer Transition Kit. A welcome change that I expect should make everybody happy 🙏 pic.twitter.com/75KmDdBFjE
— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) February 6, 2021
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