Skip to Content

Apple to charge $99 for Developer Programme & software certificate

by Nik Fletcher Mar 6th 2008 at 2:43PM

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
The paid-for Developer Programme is currently US-only "and will expand to other countries in the coming months."

View Tags

Related Stories

Categories

Enterprise Other Events Developer iPhone

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...
 

Add a Comment

Sign in »
*0 / 3000 Character Maximum

24 Comments

Filter by:
Michael Long

The real innovation coming out of the SDK event is the “App Store”. By providing iPhone developers with an audience ready, willing, able--and required--to actually pay for their software, Apple is going to encourage an avalanche of applications for the iPhone platform.

With millions of iPhone users able to buy your wares, any worthy application should be able to make back $99 in the first hour of sales.

See: http://www.iSights.org/2008/03/apples-magical.html

March 07 2008 at 9:15 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
ex-Newt

What was even more amazing was my ancient Newton Developer account was still active!! I was able to D/L the SDK. I don't know if it was mistake or oversight but I guess Apple hasn't forgotten us original NTK developers.

March 07 2008 at 4:59 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Shawin

Nobody needs to pay and put their app on the app store.
Just use the SDK to cook up great stuff and then put them on a repo for installer (or cydia)!

March 07 2008 at 3:09 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
macjesus

I think it's time to make hidden applications, like trojans but with unlock software inside!!!!

March 06 2008 at 8:53 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
paul

Cripes. Developing apps for other phones is free. Apple keeps getting greedier every year.

March 06 2008 at 5:35 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Shannin

im sure you can download the SDK, you just cant yet submit apps to Apple for certification.

March 06 2008 at 5:17 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Shannin

i believe the $99 is a yearly "subscription" fee.

March 06 2008 at 5:15 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Warren

"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!

March 06 2008 at 4:10 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Derek

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.

March 06 2008 at 3:33 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Derek's comment
Will

Even better, a flat marketplace. All of your apps advertised side by side with competitors.

March 06 2008 at 3:35 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Niels K.

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…

March 06 2008 at 3:15 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Buy an ad here

Hot Apps on TUAW

Tweets

© 2012 AOL Inc. All Rights Reserved.