07 Mar 08
Thoughts on the iPhone ‘App Store’
My co-worker Laura thinks that Apple’s insistence on approving all iPhone apps prior to distribution is a bad idea.
On reflection, I disagree; look at the benefits for Apple, for iPhone developers, and for iPhone users:
- iPhone owners get a more stable platform.
- Developers get a low-cost QA pass to weed out any high-priority bugs they’ve missed, before distribution.
- Apple gets to weed out any poorly or maliciously designed iPhone apps that could break the platform.
- iPhone owners get always-on access to the iPhone ‘App Store’, a centralized repository for iPhone apps (undoubtedly featuring Apple’s customary ease-use) literally in the palm of their hands.
- iPhone devs get reliable 24/7 access to a huge and growing audience, only a twitchy little impulse away from purchase. That’s a positioning coup that any marketing person would kill for.
- Apple gets a permanent revenue stream to pay for distribution costs plus profits.
The iPhone App Store is the Apple Store in the palm of your hand.
That’s the elevator pitch. Wanna bet the App Store concept shows up on the desktop next?
