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
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
3-06-2008 @ 2:47PM
Andrew Sims said...
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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3-06-2008 @ 2:47PM
fishbert said...
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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3-06-2008 @ 2:56PM
Hoyt L Kesterson II said...
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
3-06-2008 @ 2:54PM
jus10 said...
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?
3-06-2008 @ 3:27PM
fishbert said...
Looks like they've fixed the story now.
(so no replies calling me an idiot, ok? =)
3-06-2008 @ 2:51PM
Alex said...
"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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3-06-2008 @ 2:55PM
Austin said...
im dissapointed
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3-06-2008 @ 2:58PM
Ryan said...
http://developer.apple.com/iphone/ is totally borked.
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3-06-2008 @ 3:05PM
Alex said...
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
3-06-2008 @ 2:59PM
michael Dougan said...
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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3-06-2008 @ 3:02PM
Nik Fletcher said...
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
3-06-2008 @ 3:03PM
Alexander Weiss said...
Well, there is this 100 million for developers...
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3-06-2008 @ 3:30PM
fishbert said...
... if you sell your soul to a venture capitalist.
3-06-2008 @ 3:16PM
Niels K. said...
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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3-06-2008 @ 3:33PM
Derek said...
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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3-06-2008 @ 3:35PM
Will said...
Even better, a flat marketplace. All of your apps advertised side by side with competitors.
3-06-2008 @ 4:11PM
Warren said...
"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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3-06-2008 @ 5:15PM
Shannin said...
i believe the $99 is a yearly "subscription" fee.
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3-06-2008 @ 5:17PM
Shannin said...
im sure you can download the SDK, you just cant yet submit apps to Apple for certification.
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3-06-2008 @ 5:35PM
paul said...
Cripes. Developing apps for other phones is free. Apple keeps getting greedier every year.
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