Drawing on his own experiences developing for the Iconfactory and from discussions with “hundreds” of other iPhone developers, Craig Hockenberry has posted a comprehensive list of the challenges and problems facing the App Store as it heads into its second year—including 3-week wait times for app update approvals—as well as an equally comprehensive list of possible solutions. Among his suggestions are the verification of developers instead of individual applications, the ability to offer paid upgrades and time-limited trials of applications, more clear, concise rules for application behavior and content, and a second, more expensive tier for larger developers with premium service. Hockenberry goes on to acknowledge that it has been a great last year for both Apple and third-party iPhone developers, but expresses fear that developers may begin to feel disenchanted with the iPhone maker should it continue refusing to engage developers and ignore their needs, and notes Apple’s refusal to answer App Store questions at WWDC enhanced that fear.
Charles Starrett
Charles Starrett was a senior editor at iLounge. He's been covering the iPod, iPhone, and iPad since their inception. He has written numerous articles and reviews, and his work has been featured in multiple publications.