Apple got itself some news this past week: It sent intimidating letters to the developers of older applications. Specifically, Apple threatened to expel old apps -- apps that had not been updated in three years -- from the iTunes App Store. (Or is it the Apple App Store?)
On the surface, this seems a reasonable approach. Apple has received complaints about the organization of the App Store, and the ability (or lack thereof) to find specific apps. By eliminating older apps, Apple can reduce the number of apps in the store and improve the user experience.
But Apple showed a bit of its thinking when it sent out the notice. It specified a grace period of 30 days. If the developers of an app submitted a new version, the app could remain in the App Store.
The period of 30 days calls my attention. I think it shows a lack of understanding on Apple's part. It shows that Apple thinks anyone can rebuild and resubmit their app in less than one month.
For professional teams, this seems a reasonable limit. Companies that develop apps should be familiar with the latest app requirements, have the latest tools, and have processes to release a new version of their app. Building apps is a full-time job, and they should be ready to go.
Individuals who build apps "for fun" are in a different situation. For them, building apps is not a full-time job. They probably have a different full-time job, and building apps is a side job. They don't spend all day working on app development, and they probably don't have the latest tools. (They may not even have the necessary equipment to run the compilers and packager necessary to meet Apple's requirements.) For them, the 30-day period is an impossible constraint.
Apple, in specifying that limit, showed that it does not understand the situation of casual developers. (Or, more ominously, deliberately chose to make life difficult for casual developers. I see no evidence of hostility, so I will credit this limit to ignorance.)
In either case (ignorance or malice) Apple thinks -- apparently -- that developers can spin out new versions of their apps quickly. In the long term, this will become true. Casual developers will give up on Apple and stop developing their apps. (They may also drop Apple's products. Why buy a phone that won't run their app?)
As casual developers leave the field, only the serious developers will remain. Those will be the commercial developers, or the professional developers who are paid by corporations.
That sets the Apple environment as a commercial platform, one that serves commercially-developed apps for commercial purposes. The Apple platform will have online banking, email, commercial games, video streaming, location tracking for auto insurance, and other apps in the realm of commerce. But it will have very few fun apps, very few apps built by individuals for enjoyment. Every app will have a purpose, and that purpose will be to make money, either directly or indirectly.
Yet it doesn't have to be this way. Apple has an alternative, if they want it.
Right now, the Apple App Store is a single store. Apple could change that, splitting the App Store into multiple stores, or a single store with sections. One section could be for the commercial apps and another section for the amateur apps. The commercial section will have the tighter restrictions that Apple wants to ensure a good experience for users (updated apps, recent APIs, etc.) and the amateur section will hold the casually-built apps. But the two sections are not equal: apps in the commercial section are allowed to use API calls for payments, and apps in the amateur section are not. (Apple could limit other APIs too, such as biometrics or advertising.)
A two-tiered approach to the App Store gives the developers of iOS apps a choice: play in the pro league, or play in the amateur league. It may be an approach worth considering.
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