Filed under: Enterprise, Other Events, Developer, iPhone
Apple to charge $99 for Developer Programme & software certificate
Ready to crack on and unleash some applications for the iPhone later this year? Be sure to set aside $99 to get your application onto the store however, as Ars Technica reports "Developers have to register with [Apple]. For that $99, we give them an electronic certificate that tells us who they are .... if they write a bad app, we can both track them down and we can turn off the app's distribution".In addition to the $99 licensing charge to distribute the application (whether it's a free or commercial app) companies seeking a proprietary solution will need to cough up another $200 ($299 total) for the 'Enterprise Programme'.
Another item worthy of note those still using PowerPC machines: if you want to develop for iPhone, you'll not only need Leopard, but an Intel-based Mac to run the SDK. Disagreements about architectures aside, what does your $99 get you?
- Complete set of resources in the iPhone Dev Center
- Testing of your code on iPhone and iPod touch
- Code-level technical support from Apple engineers
- the ability to reach every user via the Application Store
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Andrew Sims said 2:47PM on 3-06-2008
Does anyone think this means those who pay the $99 are also going to get the already-built apps today? Such as AIM, Super Monkey Ball, etc.
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fishbert said 2:47PM on 3-06-2008
As I read the announcement, the $99 is for a developer program registration.
The way this story reads, it sounds like the $99 is a listing fee charged every time you want to put something up on the store.
Two very different things.
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Hoyt L Kesterson II said 2:56PM on 3-06-2008
Exactly, it costs $99 to get an application on the store. It doesn't cost any more to add more. At least that's how both Endgadget and Ars posted the news
jus10 said 2:54PM on 3-06-2008
Yes, if you sell something on the store, you get 70% of the profits and Apple takes a 30% overhead rate. Those are separate from the $99 certificate charge.
However, based on what I've read, no one will need the cert until a little before June anyway. The cert signs Apps but you can't run them on your iPod Touch until the 2.0 update is out. I presume you can run code on the SDK iphone emulator without the cert?
fishbert said 3:27PM on 3-06-2008
Looks like they've fixed the story now.
(so no replies calling me an idiot, ok? =)
Alex said 2:51PM on 3-06-2008
"the ability to reach every user via the Application Store"
hmmm doesn't installer already do that for every jailbroken phone...the ones that have apps NOW not in June
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Austin said 2:55PM on 3-06-2008
im dissapointed
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Ryan said 2:58PM on 3-06-2008
http://developer.apple.com/iphone/ is totally borked.
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Alex said 3:05PM on 3-06-2008
hahah I love it. I went to check out the site and starting laughing in my chair. Tells you how many developers/future apps there will be. I bet Jobs is hearing the caaaching of a cash register right now
michael Dougan said 2:59PM on 3-06-2008
If "The paid-for Developer Programme is currently US-only" then it's not a "Developer Programme". It's a "Developer Program".
In U.S. English, there's no such thing as a "Programme", that would be Canada, or the U.K.
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Nik Fletcher said 3:02PM on 3-06-2008
Michael,
You are correct. But as the resident Brit, regardless of the location of any such 'program' it is, at least to the the author, 'programme' ;)
-N
Alexander Weiss said 3:03PM on 3-06-2008
Well, there is this 100 million for developers...
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fishbert said 3:30PM on 3-06-2008
... if you sell your soul to a venture capitalist.
Niels K. said 3:16PM on 3-06-2008
Well, the SDK except the simulation and the listing is free if I see it right -- why do I expect that I will have the AppStore and Installer on my Summberboard in June…
The open source-community will still take the jailbroken-way because an open source developer won't be willing to pay $100 for being able to list. And I can't see a community which pays once for an "open source account" and does then code reviews to be not liable for harmful apps…
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Derek said 3:33PM on 3-06-2008
So, 100 bucks plus a third take of the revenue. I can't wait to see how developers are going to respond to this amazing deal.
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Will said 3:35PM on 3-06-2008
Even better, a flat marketplace. All of your apps advertised side by side with competitors.
Warren said 4:11PM on 3-06-2008
"The paid-for Developer Programme is currently US-only"
What does this mean, exactly (developer.apple.com is dead, so I can't check there). Does that mean that I (in the UK) won't be able to download the SDK at all? Or does it just mean that I can't give Apple the $99, and therefore I won't be able to distribute anything I write on iTunes?
Thanks!
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Shannin said 5:15PM on 3-06-2008
i believe the $99 is a yearly "subscription" fee.
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Shannin said 5:17PM on 3-06-2008
im sure you can download the SDK, you just cant yet submit apps to Apple for certification.
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paul said 5:35PM on 3-06-2008
Cripes. Developing apps for other phones is free. Apple keeps getting greedier every year.
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