iPhone developer waiting list could be six months long
Silicon Alley Insider reported yesterday that the waiting list to be accepted into the iPhone developer program is six months long.
However, insiders say that the App Store approval process is "surprisingly" efficient, and that the beta period may be drawing to a close. Apple could throw the doors wide open when the beta period ends July 11, meaning no waiting list at all.
Apple has been allowing a small fraction of applicants into the program: At WWDC, The Steve himself said that 4,000 developers have been allowed into the program out of about 25,000 applications. As of the keynote, 250,000 had downloaded the SDK.
After being accepted to the program and submitting your app, there is another waiting period while Apple reviews it, and determines whether or not it's suitable for the App Store. How long that takes is up for speculation, but the time between June 26 and July 11 is about two business weeks.
So, how's mid-January 2009 looking for you? At least we'll have new Battlestar Galactica episodes by then.
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Silicon Alley Insider reported yesterday that the waiting list to be accepted into the iPhone developer program is six months long....
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What exactly is the criteria for Apple deciding whether or not an app is "suitable" for the store?
In other words, what if you're submitting an app that Apple is already developing? Or plans to develop? Would they allow you to beat them to the market?
Would they limit the amount of certain kinds of apps in the store? In other words, if you develop a really cool app that mixes GPS with instant messaging, could you be denied because Apple has already approved 50 similar apps?
Seems monopolistic. Yeah, you can design web applications for the iPhone. But you're at Apple's mercy to take full advantage of the power of the iPhone.
Maybe there is some documented criteria for the approval process and my posting is total nonsense. But, there has to be a more efficient way...
Steve Jobs, in the first press conference about the App Store, said what was *not* suitable: "Steve Jobs flashed up a slide with six categories of apps that won't be allowed: 'Porn, privacy, bandwidth hog, illegal, malicious,' and 'unforeseen.' Though Apple didn't go into details, that probably means 'bandwidth hogging' peer-to-peer applications are out along with anything Apple feels could potentially violate media copyrights."
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2274041,00.asp
Everything else is probably cool.
Where do they get their 6 month estimate? They site no references at all instead they say, "we hear that..."
Robert, it is very irresponsible of you to post something with no credibility. What are we here ZDNet or something?
If it's just that Apple does not want 25k, but only 4k developers for the first round, it would totally make sense to pick these at random, with NO preference of small vs. big, long-time-developers vs. newcomers, early and late subscribers etc. This way, they get a good statistical sample of everything - known brands, clever no-names, average stuff, and even a few bad guys to stress test their security measures. Of course such a strategy additionally offers the perfect disguise for a few not-so-random picks as well, if they really need that (I don't hope so).
June 30 2008 at 3:56 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI applied a few weeks ago (as an individual developer) and got an email a week or two later telling me I was accepted. Nothing special on my part. In fact I wasn't expecting a reply so quick. Seems almost random to me...
June 30 2008 at 3:29 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI ended up creating a different .mac ID so I could re-apply. I also used a different email address, physical address, etc. As I said (above), my second application was 'approved' within about 1 week.
It really does sound like many of the people who signed-up immediately after the program was announced (as I did) have had their applications 'lost' or 'back-burnered', where newer applications are making it. I'm guessing that not *all* new applications are making it, but you get another chance at the 'lottery' by re-applying.
(sorry if this ends up getting posted twice - I'm re-submitting because I never got the confirmation email)
- Paulb
Waiting list? It seems more like a random lottery at best. I signed up on day 2 (only because I couldn't even load the page on day 1) and I still haven't heard anything yet. Meanwhile my manager applied a couple of weeks ago and got in last week. (Both of us as individual developers.) I might mention that I've been a Select member for a couple of years, and he just has the free membership, so that doesn't seem to matter.
The impression I'm getting from multiple stories is that anyone who signs up now gets in, while those of us who applied early got blacklisted or lost. I've tried to reapply, but the site apparently remembers signups and won't let you try again!
I ended up creating a different .mac ID so I could re-apply. I also used a different email address, physical address, etc. As I said (above), my second application was 'approved' within about 1 week.
It really does sound like many of the people who signed-up immediately after the program was announced (as I did) have had their applications 'lost' or 'back-burnered', where newer applications are making it. I'm guessing that not *all* new applications are making it, but you get another chance at the 'lottery' by re-applying.
- Paulb
I ended up creating a different .mac ID so I could re-apply. I also used a different email address, physical address, etc. As I said (above), my second application was 'approved' within about 1 week.
It really does sound like many of the people who signed-up immediately after the program was announced (as I did) have had their applications 'lost' or 'back-burnered', where newer applications are making it. I'm guessing that not *all* new applications are making it, but you get another chance at the 'lottery' by re-applying.
(third time's a charm?? what's up with the comment system here? sorry if this ends up getting posted multiple times - I'm re-submitting because I never got the confirmation email)
- Paulb
not that we can buy the Battlestar Galactica episodes off of iTunes. Stupid NBC/Universal...
June 30 2008 at 1:07 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyBattlestar Galactica = Please don't associate nerds and my TUAW.
June 30 2008 at 2:27 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyYet another reason to target Android (and yes, I am an iPhone owner). No one can tell you what you can and can't develop and sell or give away to whomever you want. Free as in Freedom.
June 30 2008 at 12:48 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyUm, they aren't doing that here though. You can build any apps you want without being malicious or porn. And you can be free (as in beer).
Unlike Android you will have a built in way to make money out of the box. With a store, a nice profit margin, and a user base you will be in a great market.
With Android you will have a download page and mostly hackers having fun. How many of your non-tech friends go to the Google codebase?
One model respects the hacker, the other respects how the market actually works giving buyer and seller unique advantages.
For all that I find some of the App Store restrictions annoying on first glance, I've also had such horrible experiences with third-party software on Windows Mobile smartphones that I'm a bit torn.
In retrospect, given some of the bad experiences I had (or how much some of the software mucked up my phone), I would have loved a store on my HTC Wallaby, Blueangel or Wizard where I could go, know that the apps had been vetted and weren't going to cause everything else to break or uber-drain my battery. I would have spent a great deal less time uninstalling software (or completely reinstalling the OS to get rid of last little dregs!) and wasted a lot less money on apps that proved to be completely useless. (The number of Today screen plugins I went through trying to find the ideal calendar-display one was depressing. One of them cut my battery life by a full third. Just to display the calendar on the main screen!) Moreover, installing the apps could be a pain; I had a friend who got a T-Mobile Dash and then ended up needing my help to get all their software set up. A nice icon you tap that just gives you a place to shop? Could be a vast improvement.
So I'm torn. The developer in me goes, 'Man, these restrictions bother me! Grmph! Apple should make this more open!' But then the smartphone user in me goes, 'Wait... this actually means I have some degree of quality assurance going into this stuff! I can shop with more confidence this time! And I won't have to help others get software onto their phone!'
So I'm going to sit and wait a bit on this, and see what comes of it before crying foul too loudly, I think.
You are luck you have an opportunity to code for the thing. The thing just launched, get in line, quit whining.
This tells you just how disruptive the next wave of computing is going to be. The coders are coming in waves, climbing all over each other to get in the door... How awesome is that?
Long - Time - Coming
This is absolute garbage. I have been done my game for almost 2 months and you're telling me I'll have to wait another 6 for not being one of the 'chosen' ones. This is going to cost me money in the long run....and we should not stand for this as developers. Apple is only hurting themselves. The bulk of the apps will require 'jail-breaking' your phone in the end, and the AppStore is going to be ignored for the most part.
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