iPhone Developers: What 3.0 Means for You
Greetings iPhone Developers! It seems you’ve got a lot to digest after yesterday’s iPhone 3.0 announcement. Certainly the wheels are turning on how you can implement all the nifty new features.
By now, (if you’ve been able to access the developer page at Apple.com) you’re probably even scanning all the new documentation for the stuff you’ve been waiting months to get at. But since you’re all in it for the untold fame and fortune, you should stop and think about your customer, too. Let’s recap some of the high points that you should consider from yesterday’s announcements, and how they will affect your paying customers. (Developers of free apps may, of course, follow along as well.)
Business Models
From the sounds of things, you’ve been clamoring for this capability quite a bit. Now you’ve got it, so what’s next? Roll out a solid application framework and you can submit content updates that customers can optionally download to expand on your app’s experience. New playable levels, media content, location-specific data — the world is your oyster. Not a shabby way to expand on your own revenue streams for hard work, eh?
Beware however, the weary customer. Recently the soothing sounds app, Ambiance, got quite the backlash when they went to a downloadable model — and they weren’t even charging for those audio files. So while these new business models will open many doors for existing and future apps alike, be sure to make your intent clear with your customers to avoid headaches later.
The next question becomes, ‘What does the downloadable content approval process look like?’ Hopefully it doesn’t too closely resemble that of the full applications. For those developers who like to put out regular updates of their apps to support their faithful customers with new levels (I’m looking at you, Pocket God), this will hopefully become a giant time-saver. We shall wait and see.
1,000 New APIs
There’s nearly a crap ton of new APIs to start sifting through. The extremely capable hardware that resides within the iPhone is now more at developers’ finger tips than ever before. Get real-time GPS coordinates for turn-by-turn style apps. Communicate with other iPhones and third-party peripherals using bluetooth or the dock connection cable. Yet another revenue stream, as accessory makers and iPhone developers work in tandem to create a whole new array of tools to hook up to our iPhones!
While Apple revealed some exciting ones today, there are probably plenty of diamonds yet in the rough. Undoubtedly many a developer will be looking for a handful of APIs to do things that they aren’t currently able to with their apps.
It’s just a feeling, but as Apple begins allowing developers more access to the iPhone hardware, and to code without the proverbial hand tied behind their backs, we could really begin to see some amazing products as a result. Considering only the APIs announced yesterday, I think the level of utility people will get from these capabilities will be exponential. And as the level of quality offerings rises significantly, developers may be able to start charging more for the well-crafted on which apps they work so hard.
The Upgrade Road Map
So now the difficult part. While the geeks among us will be foaming at the mouth to upgrade to 3.0 when it finally drops “this summer,” many more are probably going to hang back. Some will wait out of concern from a dot-oh release, and others probably just aren’t going to be dialed into the news. (Until Apple/Wireless Carrier sends out their text message reminder, that is.) At what point do you require your customers to upgrade to the iPhone 3.0 firmware to use your application?
I, for one, welcome our 3.0 overlords and the functionality that comes with it, and say, ‘Bring on the new features!’ But there are bound to be paying customers who may be resentful of leaving their happy, secure place on the 2.x platform. For the developers of free apps, maybe this isn’t such an issue — the users paid nothing for it, so supporting their stay on 2.x may be a moot point. Either way, the migration to 3.0 features should be one you consider carefully, and communicate clearly to your customers.
Another possibility is maintaining 2.x and 3.x branches of code. Keeping two versions of code is no light burden by itself. And who’s to say how Apple will address that particular developer approach? It’s something to consider as you lay your plans. Of course you’ve got about three and a half months until the iPhone anniversary (June 29) if that is indeed Apple’s definition of, “this summer.”
Conclusion
You’ve got a lot to play with in the new 3.0 beta SDK. If I were a fart-app developer I’d be pinpointing stinky geographical locations, so that audible notifications could be pushed to phones when they are nearby — the closest thing to Smell-o-Vision. All kidding aside (please, let that remain vapor-ware), figure out what adds the most value to your applications, while also taking the best care of your paying clientele. Amazingly, not everyone will be on board on day one, (and perhaps even on day 60). But if you keep them informed of your intentions, and put out quality 1’s and 0’s, there’s bound to be a brave new world available to you come “this summer.”
Tweet This (17)
Galley on March 18th, 2009 at 7:36 am
For someone who makes a single city guide app, which allows users to purchase additional city guides within the app, it makes sense.
DOG MACHINE on March 18th, 2009 at 8:19 am
paying for extra levels/weapons for games is horrible.
its the worst thing about this generation of games consoles, the jerk developers write all the features on a whiteboard then circle a few to make as “downloadable content”.
dear iphone developers, if your app features this crap and its a good game, i will steal it instead of paying for it.
abraginsky on March 18th, 2009 at 9:26 am
God forbid developers make a living from their hard work.
HobbesDoo on March 18th, 2009 at 9:40 am
That’s a very good point about supporting 2.x and 3.x customers and I wonder how you would have to deal with the AppStore to provide versions for both? Maybe having to submit two different applications, one for each version.
I think having the option to buy extra levels for a game is awesome. Most of the times users will be happy with the included levels, but if the game is really cool you may want to extend the experience. This a great way to provide almost a “demo” of your app and if the app is successful then the user will want to get more out of it.
As for comments such as “Dog Machine’s” that’s what makes me and I bet many other developers really weary of putting any effort into developing for the platform. Developers write applications to earn a living, like any other line of work. Do you expect an electrician to come to your house and work for free? Never, plus you will be paying for his/her expertise. The same level of consideration and value should be applied to developers.
Anyway, I think 3.0 will allow developers to do some really cool stuff and I’m looking forward to seeing it.
I only wished Apple would also provide a better way for customers to manage their phones. There should be ways to manage your Springboard on the desktop and providing a better way to organize apps on the phone would also be really great.
Tom Reestman on March 18th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
The great news about the iPhone is that it’s a computer platform like no smartphone before it.
The bad news about the iPhone is that it’s a computer platform like no smartphone before it.
In other words, the point about supporting 2.x and 3.x is spot on. Many people who perhaps still didn’t “get” that the iPhone is a computer that makes calls could find out the hard way.
I think that’s why Apple made it clear developers should be testing their apps on 3.0 NOW. It was their way of saying “Hey, don’t just jump into the new stuff, make sure you’re existing stuff works too.”
It’s in the best interest of everyone in the iPhone ecosystem (not just Apple) that this first major release since the original SDK doesn’t “break” a bunch of apps. That’ll leave a bitter taste in consumers’ mouths and make for harder upgrades in the future.
Patrick on March 18th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
“I think the level of utility people will get from these capabilities will be exponential.”
The definition of exponential is “becoming more and more rapid”. I think you meant either:
“I think the increase in utility people will get from these capabilities will be exponential.”
or perhaps
“I think the level of utility people will get from these capabilities will be great.”
killingspree on June 22nd, 2009 at 3:27 am
That iPhone 3G S really looks neat, just hope I can get a nice AT&T plan with it.