I've kept quiet for some time now, waiting and seeing what happens in the iPhone app market, making up my mind on how to get into the game. From the beginning I thought the environment that Apple created was not particularly developer friendly. Now even seasoned iPhone developers note that the real problem is not wether the API is beautiful and wether you can make searchlight app over the weekend but wether it sustains development of more complex ideas. Craig Hockenberry, developer of Twitterific, wrote an open letter to Steve Jobs on the matter which outlines these problems beautifully. Personally, I believe that this is a direct result of the single distribution channel model.
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The open letter is a start but Twitterific are lucky to even get their apps to be featured.
I've asked Apple time and time again again what their policy is re the What's New section and What's Hot and no one can tell me how they work.
For example most of the What's New section contains apps that (as of today) are over a month old. Hardly new.
Whats Hot - how are these calculated? Is it what's selling the most or what's making the most revenue.
Personally I get the feeling that Apple are just choosing what they like - how come every Google app appears in What's New and none of mine?
Also Apple need to provide a mechanism to answer reviews. Especially important when you get someone who reviews what's missing from app as to the app itself. I mean I got a review the other day that was pretty much equivalent to someone saying my app 'doesn't allow them to brush their teeth'. Obviously I'm being extreme but this is the sort of thing where as developers it would be nice to be able to write...'wow never thought about using my app as a toothbrush...good idea, I'll add it in'
This would also allow people to see how proactive and SERIOUS the developer is.
Lastly the App Store really needs a better submission system. If a serious bug pops up, then it is imperative that we can release a bug fixed version within days, not the week it take Apple to review my update.
The App Store is great but need some enhancements to help developers who seriously really want to develop for the iphone
Personally I get the feeling that Apple are just choosing what they like.
That is exactly what is happening. It is their store, so they can do what they want. And they execute that power. Nobody knows what criteria determine if an app (or even just an update) is accepted or not. Nobody knows why certain apps get promoted over others.
This makes it extremely difficult to properly market an iPhone app. Too many things beyond the developer's control.
Promotional Codes are another bug bare - I'm a UK developer and have a Uk specific app. Unfortunately I can't offer any UK sites/magazines a Promotional Codes in exchange for a review because of course the codes can only be redeemed in the US store.
Talk about frustrating!
Pedantry...
"wether" is a castrated ram.
"whether" is a conjunction for expressing doubt or choice.
:)
The single-channel model is the best thing about the iPhone.
In the first three weeks of our app being on the iPhone, it sold more copies than in two years on PC, Mac, Windows Mobile and PalmOS combined. With no effort on our part, thanks to the DRM model used by the App Store.
Joe, I never said that the single-channel model doesn't work for some. You, for example, had a product that you were marketing for 2 years on other platforms. For you, going to the iPhone was not a big risk, because if it hadn't worked out you'd still have had your other platforms. I'd say, you have several distribution channels for your product. You even have several platforms to market to. Maybe you even had the products already recoup a lot of the development investment on the other platforms and you could take that with you to the iPhone at no cost.
This is why games are so attractive to market for the iPhone. The biggest investment in games is into the content of the game. The engine itself is mostly rather small and easily ported at minimal investment. It is also rather unlikely that you run into the Apple firewall with a game.