Pieceable lets iPhone developers demo apps in a browser

Pieceable has introduced an online tool that lets iPhone developers offer a preview of their application to prospective customers. The tool, called Viewer, uses Flash to display a version of the application that can be previewed using a web browser. Developers can easily implement this service by adding a line of Pieceable-specific code to their iPhone app compiling the app for the Xcode iOS Simulator (rather than an actual device) and uploading their application file to Pieceable's website. Pieceable will generate a web link to your app that you can share with others. The tool only supports iPhone apps; a future version will add support for the iPad.

Pieceable is a premium service, but a free trial is available that lets you share one application for one hour with one person at a time. A Pro version costs US$60 per month and lets you share an unlimited number of applications for an unlimited amount of time with ten simultaneous viewers. If you need something in between, Pieceable offers a Basic plan that lets you upload five applications for an unlimited amount of time with three simultaneous viewers.

Similar tools already exist for Android. BlueStacks recently launched a Windows-based viewer for Android applications, and Amazon's new Android Appstore lets users demo select applications from within their web browser. While Android developers have options to offer online and desktop demos of their applications, Pieceable's Viewer is the first such web service for iOS devices.

[Via GigaOM]