After two bouts of cutting features based on a complaint of first "ridiculing public figures" and then "objectionable content" (namely John Hancock), now I get a call telling me that I can't mention iPhone 3.0 in my help file.
Like it isn't all over the internet and Apple's Website. All I said was that I would add features to the email part of the app when 3.0 ships in the summer.
WTF????
Now I get to resubmit and go back to the back of the bus. The first submission took 7 days, the second 9, the third 12 and I'm guessing the next will be 2 weeks. All for a $0.99 app that lets you put your picture on high-denomination fake money.
I guess not being a famous rock star is a serious drawback here - Trent Reznor's NiN app was approved 3 days after the initial rejection after the huge public outcry.
In addition, now I have to test with iPhone 3.0 Beta, which is tough since I only have one iPhone (running 2.2.1) and one iPod Touch (running 3.0 beta). I can't fully test the app since the Touch has no camera, so I am effectively stymied. If I submit it again with only the help file altered and without a full iPhone test, it might get rejected for some camera issue.
I'm beginning to think this app won't ship until the day when there are real $1 Trillion Dollar bills. Meanwhile I am making no money. My next app, Quantum Pool is almost ready; at the rate things are approved it might be a long time before I see any income and it's not a pretty thing.
Maybe writing for OSX is a better idea after all. Harder to market and lower volume but higher paying per copy, and no approvals needed.
I never thought this would become a soap opera. Argh is becoming my favorite word lately.
OS11 05/13/2009 06:34
yeah, but it makes sense why they don't want mention of 3.0 when it won't ship for another 2 months. that could confuse a user, so nobody wants that.
the approval process is actually quite fast, if it was a few months it would be a concern, but a week or so? no big deal.
Buster 05/13/2009 06:40
I can see why you are stymied. After all, it isn't like Apple provides a software-based simulator or anything... Oh, wait... yes they do.
codist 05/13/2009 06:44
You can't validly test on the simulator for submission, its not 100% the same as the device. The 3,0 beta simulator itself is pretty buggy.
I wish it was a week, it's closer to two weeks now.
iphonerulez 05/13/2009 07:01
You'd better contact some of those other 30,000 developers out there and find out how they managed to get their apps approved. Or develop an app that shows a sweet little bunny hopping around on a crowded freeway and no cars ever manage to hit him.
I think if you do manage to upload that app that shows different faces on a trillion dollar bill, the FBI will be at your front door to see if you're producing counterfeit bills in your basement. Best of luck.
Josh 05/13/2009 09:10
How could you not see this coming when a single other party has the ultimate say in whether or not your app is approved, the hardware manufacturer, no less?
KG 05/13/2009 09:19
Man, all the other commenters are apologist dicks. Did you get linked from some fanboy blog? You're right, Apple is being dumb and slow, and they should stop.
codist 05/13/2009 10:33
The money is not an issue at all, I followed all the Secret Service rules. My first app was approved without any trouble. Apple's issues were with the sample photos I had, then the canned signatures I had, then finally one sentence in the help info. Its just frustrating that they stop after each issue and never give you a whole list.
There is already a frog hopping on a freeway, BTW.
With the iPhone 3.0 beta testing requirement, the approval time is likely to get closer to a month than a week.
Marlon 05/13/2009 12:40
Have you considered developing your apps for Android instead? I'm sure they'd welcome your work to their app store with open arms, and with the large number of phones coming out across vendors, its only a matter of time before they have a larger phone base.
codist 05/13/2009 21:03
I'm more likely to write for OSX since its not that different. Android is a completely different SDK and it uses Java (which I know but am trying to forget). Once that market gets bigger it might make sense though.
Brian Stormont 05/28/2009 11:37
Here's an odd thing with the rejection for mentioning 3.0 - I've heard this reported from several developers yet today was surprised when a new update for Smule's Ocarina was released and the sole description for the update says, "iPhone OS 3.0 Beta 5 compatability".
I guess if you're a company on Apple's "good side" they'll let their usual requirements slide and you can mention 3.0.
That's my biggest complaint with Apple's review process. It's totally arbitrary and inconsistent and exceptions always seem to be made for Apple's favorites.