Developers were greeted with an email from Apple few days back (along with the availability of the 5th beta version of iPhone OS 3.0) that all submissions to the App Store will be reviewed on the latest beta of iPhone OS 3.0. If their iPhone app submission is not compatible with iPhone OS 3.0, it will not be approved.
Apple also informed developers that though all existing iPhone apps should be compatible with iPhone OS 3.0 they should test their iPhone apps for compatibility issues as any application that is found to be incompatible after the public release of iPhone OS 3.0 may be removed from the App Store.
Folks at AppleInsider have published the email that was sent by Apple to registered members of the iPhone Developer Program.
There seems to be some confusion in the blogosphere as Apple hasn't clarified if it expects developers to submit iPhone apps compiled using iPhone SDK 3.0 or it wants them to simply test their iPhone apps using iPhone OS 3.0 emulator or device (for iPhone OS 3.0 compatibility). In my opinion, it is the latter and current submissions will have to be built using iPhone SDK 2.2.1.
If Apple removes apps due to compatibility issues with iPhone 3.0 then what happens to the customer who has already paid for an app. Do people get refunded for such apps or is it a goner? I guess the onus will be on iPhone developers to fix the compatibility issues.
But this move will lead to a ‘clean up’ of the App Store which is a good thing. iPhone Apps that are either redundant or even abandoned by the developers will be removed, thus reducing the number of apps that are passé.
Does the email suggest that Apple will release iPhone OS 3.0 sooner? I doubt it. Apple is just trying to ensure that it gives developers enough time so they are ready for iPhone OS 3.0.
I expect Apple to announce the release date of iPhone OS 3.0 at the WorldWide Developer Conference and hopefully also their next generation iPhone.
As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Thanks Geogo3r for the tip!
[via AppleInsider]
Makes sense, if they are releasing a new iphone preloaded with 3.0 OS, it would be very embarrassing for apple to have a product which is not compatible with many of their apps.
yes it would, this is a good move, but still shouldnt everything be compatible already?
I rewatched the Apple keynote presentation for OS3.0 and they were very clear from the outset that devs needed to start checking their apps for compatabilty straight away. Seems this e-mail is just a timely reminder to get cracking – possibly because Apple have identified apps which are not comparable and the devs haven't revisited yet?
We have an app called Snap!t Photo Mail. We print and mail photos directly from the iPhone to anywhere in the U.S. Users are required to create an account and provide us with payment info so that we can charge them for their orders. I hope this does not become an issue with 3.0, however, if there was a way to integrate it so that Apple handled the payment processing you would get no complaints from me!