Why Android is overtaking Apple, IMO

[rsarno]

For those that havent seen this, this is a direct copy/paste from apple.com developer guidelines.

EDIT, Sorry mods for making it so many posts ... but thats sort of my point. I feel they are putting too much thought into telling users what NOT to do, and what they CANT do, and what they SHOULDNT do

Introduction

We're thrilled that you want to invest your talents and time to develop applications for iOS. It has been a rewarding experience - both professionally and financially - for tens of thousands of developers and we want to help you join this successful group. This is the first time we have published our App Store Review Guidelines. We hope they will help you steer clear of issues as you develop your app, so that it speeds through the approval process when you submit it.
We view Apps different than books or songs, which we do not curate. If you want to criticize a religion, write a book. If you want to describe sex, write a book or a song, or create a medical app. It can get complicated, but we have decided to not allow certain kinds of content in the App Store. It may help to keep some of our broader themes in mind:

• We have lots of kids downloading lots of apps, and parental controls don't work unless the parents set them up (many don't). So know that we're keeping an eye out for the kids.
• We have over 250,000 apps in the App Store. We don't need any more Fart apps. If your app doesn't do something useful or provide some form of lasting entertainment, it may not be accepted.
• If your App looks like it was cobbled together in a few days, or you're trying to get your first practice App into the store to impress your friends, please brace yourself for rejection. We have lots of serious developers who don't want their quality Apps to be surrounded by amateur hour.
• We will reject Apps for any content or behavior that we believe is over the line. What line, you ask? Well, as a Supreme Court Justice once said, "I'll know it when I see it". And we think that you will also know it when you cross it.
• If your app is rejected, we have a Review Board that you can appeal to. If you run to the press and trash us, it never helps.
• This is a living document, and new apps presenting new questions may result in new rules at any time. Perhaps your app will trigger this.

Lastly, we love this stuff too, and honor what you do. We're really trying our best to create the best platform in the world for you to express your talents and make a living too. If it sounds like we're control freaks, well, maybe it's because we're so committed to our users and making sure they have a quality experience with our products. Just like almost all of you are too.

 

[rsarno]

unctionality

• 2.1
  
  Apps that crash will be rejected
• 2.2
  
  Apps that exhibit bugs will be rejected
• 2.3
  
  Apps that do not perform as advertised by the developer will be rejected
• 2.4
  
  Apps that include undocumented or hidden features inconsistent with the description of the app will be rejected
• 2.5
  
  Apps that use non-public APIs will be rejected
• 2.6
  
  Apps that read or write data outside its designated container area will be rejected
• 2.7
  
  Apps that download code in any way or form will be rejected
• 2.8
  
  Apps that install or launch other executable code will be rejected
• 2.9
  
  Apps that are "beta", "demo", "trial", or "test" versions will be rejected
• 2.10
  
  iPhone apps must also run on iPad without modification, at iPhone resolution, and at 2X iPhone 3GS resolution
• 2.11
  
  Apps that duplicate apps already in the App Store may be rejected, particularly if there are many of them
• 2.12
  
  Apps that are not very useful or do not provide any lasting entertainment value may be rejected
• 2.13
  
  Apps that are primarily marketing materials or advertisements will be rejected
• 2.14
  
  Apps that are intended to provide trick or fake functionality that are not clearly marked as such will be rejected
• 2.15
  
  Apps larger than 20MB in size will not download over cellular networks (this is automatically prohibited by the App Store)
• 2.16
  
  Multitasking apps may only use background services for their intended purposes: VoIP, audio playback, location, task completion, local notifications, etc
• 2.17
  
  Apps that browse the web must use the iOS WebKit framework and WebKit Javascript
• 2.18
  
  Apps that encourage excessive consumption of alcohol or illegal substances, or encourage minors to consume alcohol or smoke cigarettes, will be rejected
• 2.19
  
  Apps that provide incorrect diagnostic or other inaccurate device data will be rejected
• 2.20
  
  Developers "spamming" the App Store with many versions of similar apps will be removed from the iOS Developer Program

Location

• 4.1
  
  Apps that do not notify and obtain user consent before collecting, transmitting, or using location data will be rejected
• 4.2
  
  Apps that use location-based APIs for automatic or autonomous control of vehicles, aircraft, or other devices will be rejected
• 4.3
  
  Apps that use location-based APIs for dispatch, fleet management, or emergency services will be rejected

Push notifications

• 5.1
  
  Apps that provide Push Notifications without using the Apple Push Notification (APN) API will be rejected
• 5.2
  
  Apps that use the APN service without obtaining a Push Application ID from Apple will be rejected
• 5.3
  
  Apps that send Push Notifications without first obtaining user consent will be rejected
• 5.4
  
  Apps that send sensitive personal or confidential information using Push Notifications will be rejected
• 5.5
  
  Apps that use Push Notifications to send unsolicited messages, or for the purpose of phishing or spamming will be rejected
• 5.6
  
  Apps cannot use Push Notifications to send advertising, promotions, or direct marketing of any kind
• 5.7
  
  Apps cannot charge users for use of Push Notifications
• 5.8
  
  Apps that excessively use the network capacity or bandwidth of the APN service or unduly burden a device with Push Notifications will be rejected
• 5.9
  
  Apps that transmit viruses, files, computer code, or programs that may harm or disrupt the normal operation of the APN service will be rejected

 

[rsarno]

Game Center

• 6.1
  
  Apps that display any Player ID to end users or any third party will be rejected
• 6.2
  
  Apps that use Player IDs for any use other than as approved by the Game Center terms will be rejected
• 6.3
  
  Developers that attempt to reverse lookup, trace, relate, associate, mine, harvest, or otherwise exploit Player IDs, alias, or other information obtained through the Game Center will be removed from the iOS Developer Program
• 6.4
  
  Game Center information, such as Leaderboard scores, may only be used in apps approved for use with the Game Center
• 6.5
  
  Apps that use Game Center service to send unsolicited messages, or for the purpose of phishing or spamming will be rejected
• 6.6
  
  Apps that excessively use the network capacity or bandwidth of the Game Center will be rejected
• 6.7
  
  Apps that transmit viruses, files, computer code, or programs that may harm or disrupt the normal operation of the Game Center service will be rejected

iAds

• 7.1
  
  Apps that artificially increase the number of impressions or click-throughs of ads will be rejected
• 7.2
  
  Apps that contain empty iAd banners will be rejected
• 7.3
  
  Apps that are designed predominantly for the display of ads will be rejected

Trademarks and trade dress

• 8.1
  
  Apps must comply with all terms and conditions explained in the Guidelines for using Apple Trademark and Copyrights and the Apple Trademark List
• 8.2
  
  Apps that suggest or infer that Apple is a source or supplier of the app, or that Apple endorses any particular representation regarding quality or functionality will be rejected
• 8.3
  
  Apps which appear confusingly similar to an existing Apple product or advertising theme will be rejected
• 8.4
  
  Apps that misspell Apple product names in their app name (i.e., GPS for Iphone, iTunz) will be rejected
• 8.5
  
  Use of protected 3rd party material (trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, otherwise proprietary content) requires a documented rights check which must be provided upon request
• 8.6
  
  Google Maps and Google Earth images obtained via the Google Maps API can be used within an application if all brand features of the original content remain unaltered and fully visible. Apps that cover up or modify the Google logo or copyright holders identification will be rejected

Media content

• 9.1
  
  Apps that do not use the MediaPlayer framework to access media in the Music Library will be rejected
• 9.2
  
  App user interfaces that mimic any iPod interface will be rejected
• 9.3
  
  Audio streaming content over a cellular network may not use more than 5MB over 5 minutes
• 9.4
  
  Video streaming content over a cellular network longer than 10 minutes must use HTTP Live Streaming and include a baseline 64 kbps audio-only HTTP Live stream

 

[rsarno]

User interface

• 10.1
  
  Apps must comply with all terms and conditions explained in the Apple iPhone Human Interface Guidelines and the Apple iPad Human Interface Guidelines
• 10.2
  
  Apps that look similar to apps bundled on the iPhone, including the App Store, iTunes Store, and iBookstore, will be rejected
• 10.3
  
  Apps that do not use system provided items, such as buttons and icons, correctly and as described in the Apple iPhone Human Interface Guidelines and the Apple iPad Human Interface Guidelines may be rejected
• 10.4
  
  Apps that create alternate desktop/home screen environments or simulate multi-app widget experiences will be rejected
• 10.5
  
  Apps that alter the functions of standard switches, such as the Volume Up/Down and Ring/Silent switches, will be rejected
• 10.6
  
  Apple and our customers place a high value on simple, refined, creative, well thought through interfaces. They take more work but are worth it. Apple sets a high bar. If your user interface is complex or less than very good it may be rejected

Purchasing and currencies

• 11.1
  
  Apps that unlock or enable additional features or functionality with mechanisms other than the App Store will be rejected
• 11.2
  
  Apps utilizing a system other than the In App Purchase API (IAP) to purchase content, functionality, or services in an app will be rejected
• 11.3
  
  Apps using IAP to purchase physical goods or goods and services used outside of the application will be rejected
• 11.4
  
  Apps that use IAP to purchase credits or other currencies must consume those credits within the application
• 11.5
  
  Apps that use IAP to purchase credits or other currencies that expire will be rejected
• 11.6
  
  Content subscriptions using IAP must last a minimum of 30 days and be available to the user from all of their iOS devices
• 11.7
  
  Apps that use IAP to purchase items must assign the correct Purchasability type
• 11.8
  
  Apps that use IAP to purchase access to built-in capabilities provided by iOS, such as the camera or the gyroscope, will be rejected
• 11.9
  
  Apps containing "rental" content or services that expire after a limited time will be rejected
• 11.10
  
  Insurance applications must be free, in legal-compliance in the regions distributed, and cannot use IAP
• 11.11
  
  In general, the more expensive your app, the more thoroughly we will review it

Scraping and aggregation

• 12.1
  
  Applications that scrape any information from Apple sites (for example from apple.com, iTunes Store, App Store, iTunes Connect, Apple Developer Programs, etc) or create rankings using content from Apple sites and services will be rejected
• 12.2
  
  Applications may use approved Apple RSS feeds such as the iTunes Store RSS feed
• 12.3
  
  Apps that are simply web clippings, content aggregators, or a collection of links, may be rejected

Personal attacks

• 14.1
  
  Any app that is defamatory, offensive, mean-spirited, or likely to place the targeted individual or group in harms way will be rejected
• 14.2
  
  Professional political satirists and humorists are exempt from the ban on offensive or mean-spirited commentary

Violence

• 15.1
  
  Apps portraying realistic images of people or animals being killed or maimed, shot, stabbed, tortured or injured will be rejected
• 15.2
  
  Apps that depict violence or abuse of children will be rejected
• 15.3
  
  "Enemies" within the context of a game cannot solely target a specific race, culture, a real government or corporation, or any other real entity
• 15.4
  
  Apps involving realistic depictions of weapons in such a way as to encourage illegal or reckless use of such weapons will be rejected
• 15.5
  
  Apps that include games of Russian roulette will be rejected

Objectionable content

• 16.1
  
  Apps that present excessively objectionable or crude content will be rejected
• 16.2
  
  Apps that are primarily designed to upset or disgust users will be rejected

 

[rsarno]

Privacy

• 17.1
  
  Apps cannot transmit data about a user without obtaining the user's prior permission and providing the user with access to information about how and where the data will be used
• 17.2
  
  Apps that require users to share personal information, such as email address and date of birth, in order to function will be rejected
• 17.3
  
  Apps that target minors for data collection will be rejected

Pornography

• 18.1
  
  Apps containing pornographic material, defined by Webster's Dictionary as "explicit descriptions or displays of sexual organs or activities intended to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic or emotional feelings", will be rejected
• 18.2
  
  Apps that contain user generated content that is frequently pornographic (ex "Chat Roulette" apps) will be rejected

Religion, culture, and ethnicity

• 19.1
  
  Apps containing references or commentary about a religious, cultural or ethnic group that are defamatory, offensive, mean-spirited or likely to expose the targeted group to harm or violence will be rejected
• 19.2
  
  Apps may contain or quote religious text provided the quotes or translations are accurate and not misleading. Commentary should be educational or informative rather than inflammatory

Contests, sweepstakes, lotteries, and raffles

• 20.1
  
  Sweepstakes and contests must be sponsored by the developer/company of the app
• 20.2
  
  Official rules for sweepstakes and contests, must be presented in the app and make it clear that Apple is not a sponsor or involved in the activity in any manner
• 20.3
  
  It must be permissible by law for the developer to run a lottery app, and a lottery app must have all of the following characteristics: consideration, chance, and a prize
• 20.4
  
  Apps that allow a user to directly purchase a lottery or raffle ticket in the app will be rejected

Charities and contributions

• 21.1
  
  Apps that include the ability to make donations to recognized charitable organizations must be free
• 21.2
  
  The collection of donations must be done via a web site in Safari or an SMS

Living document

This document represents our best efforts to share how we review apps submitted to the App Store, and we hope it is a helpful guide as you develop and submit your apps. It is a living document that will evolve as we are presented with new apps and situations, and we'll update it periodically to reflect these changes.
Thank you for developing for iOS. Even though this document is a formidable list of what not to do, please also keep in mind the much shorter list of what you must do.

 

[euqiddis]

thats alot of guidelines.

 

[woofermazing]

99% of the guidelines would be completely unnecessary if they had a simple way to return apps like the Android Market.

 

[MrX8503]

I dunno man, I didn't read all of it, but without guidelines you'll get trash apps.

If I was a developer for iOS, most likely I would probably hate Apple, but you know what? The App Store has some serious cheddar when it comes to quality apps.

That is something that I cant argue against.

EDIT:

Navigation Guidlines

Check out the above link, this is just one page out of the interface guidelines. This right here people is one of the reasons why iOS apps are top notch in design.

 

[Wordslinger]

Honestly, I think only people who read tech blogs and forums care about stuff like this. The average iPhone user probably won't even know Apple updated their developer guidelines.

Android is gaining market share because the iPhone is only available on ATT. Should that change in the future (like if the Verizon rumors are true), I suspect Apple will increase it's lead by a large margin. I like Android, but I'm just being realistic.

 

[JoshUng]

Honestly, I think only people who read tech blogs and forums care about stuff like this. The average iPhone user probably won't even know Apple updated their developer guidelines.

Android is gaining market share because the iPhone is only available on ATT. Should that change in the future (like if the Verizon rumors are true), I suspect Apple will increase it's lead by a large margin. I like Android, but I'm just being realistic.

I think choice is a huge factor, but not just choice in carrier, but choice in hardware. There's the obvious stuff, like hardware keyboard or not, but also things like capabilities. There are plenty of people who'd like a "smartphone" but don't want to pay $200+ with a contract. If they won't pay that much, they definitely aren't getting an iPhone, but they may get an LG Ally or some other midrange Android. So Android has that part of the market all to themsevles really. And while even an iPhone 3GS is probably more capable than an Ally (still more expenseive at $99), it seems obsolete to many non-savy users since its the "old iPhone." While the Ally may not be the greatest phone, there is no Ally2, so the "old" tag wouldn't get applied to it as quickly.

 

[MrX8503]

To me, if its a phone that is not $200, its obsolete. I think its great that consumers have options though.

 

[rsarno]

I dunno man, I didn't read all of it, but without guidelines you'll get trash apps.

If i were able to "answer" some of these points, below would be a small piece of my session:

We have lots of kids downloading lots of apps, and parental controls don't work unless the parents set them up (many don't).
* So wouldnt the answer be to enforce some sort of parental control then?


We have over 250,000 apps in the App Store. We don't need any more Fart apps. If your app doesn't do something useful or provide some form of lasting entertainment, it may not be accepted.
* More than half of that huge number you brag about, consists of "fart apps" but now you dont want them? Who are you to judge how entertaining an app is? Let the consumers drive the market!


We have lots of serious developers who don't want their quality Apps to be surrounded by amateur hour.
* Little too late lol


We will reject Apps for any content or behavior that we believe is over the line. What line, you ask? Well, as a Supreme Court Justice once said, "I'll know it when I see it".
* Great, thanks for that guideline lol


This is a living document, and new apps presenting new questions may result in new rules at any time. Perhaps your app will trigger this.
* So i guess i shouldnt submit it then, huh?


Apps that use non-public APIs will be rejected
* This is a BS rule. If im developing an app for a company who wrote an API specifically for my app idea, i cant use it? Eff youuuuu (lol)


Apps that are "beta", "demo", "trial", or "test" versions will be rejected
* WTF? Why cant we release a public Beta? It took gmail how many years to leave Beta? So they wouldnt have an app until then? lol


iPhone apps must also run on iPad without modification
* What if its intended only for the iPhone? There are many circumstances where this is true.


Apps that duplicate apps already in the App Store may be rejected, particularly if there are many of them
* If applied retro, this would drop your number from 250k to about 100k lol


Apps that are not very useful or do not provide any lasting entertainment value may be rejected
* As stated above, let the consumers drive the market.


Apps that are primarily marketing materials or advertisements will be rejected
* Thats BS. Lots of the apps i develop are primarily to promote something, but not directly sell within the app. Now we cant make Informational/Promotional Apps??


Apps that display any Player ID to end users or any third party will be rejected
* I wonder if this is to restrict ALL "Top Score" type of aggregation to use of your own Game Center? Monopolize much?


Apps utilizing a system other than the In App Purchase API (IAP) to purchase content, functionality, or services in an app will be rejected
* So i cant process my own payment? You already captured the 30% of the sale of the app, now you want 30% of every sale i make within my app also??


Apps using IAP to purchase physical goods or goods and services used outside of the application will be rejected
* WTH?? What if i want to make an app to sell sweaters that my grandmother created? Your saying we cannot create ecommerce apps??


Apps containing "rental" content or services that expire after a limited time will be rejected
* So much for competing with your movie rental business through itunes, huh

I really love the way Google is handling their development process. Let the apps in, let the users decide which ones become popular, which ones are flagged and reviewed, which ones make money, and which ones sink because they are worthless.

I take the topic personally because i work for a mobile development company and these limits and restrictions directly impact my paycheck on some level.

 

[Bnice]

Nothing wrong with having a standardize policy but even with Apple on all four major carriers ,it only have one standard phone , what about the low end and mid- range phones? With android having a wider range of phones, its just a matter of time till they take the overall spot as number 1 in the world .

 

[MrX8503]

If i were able to "answer" some of these points, below would be a small piece of my session:




I really love the way Google is handling their development process. Let the apps in, let the users decide which ones become popular, which ones are flagged and reviewed, which ones make money, and which ones sink because they are worthless.

I take the topic personally because i work for a mobile development company and these limits and restrictions directly impact my paycheck on some level.

That is fine, but it's taking too long for android to get quality apps.

 

[Lars]

Some of their policies are good in that they prevent theft and maliciousness by apps. Without such review, only a packet sniffer and lots of time might find out such things. Other things about their policies are exactly why I use Android and am careful which apps I use. I take offense when an Android paper toss game needs to know my location and transmit data over the internet.

 

[nkk]

Some of their policies are good in that they prevent theft and maliciousness by apps. Without such review, only a packet sniffer and lots of time might find out such things. Other things about their policies are exactly why I use Android and am careful which apps I use. I take offense when an Android paper toss game needs to know my location and transmit data over the internet.

Internet is used for ads, which is a problem I have. I would like Android to have two separate Internet categories--access, and ad only access. That way I know if the game is stealing info or just trying to make some money with ads.

-Nkk