40 staffers. 2 reviews. 8,500 iPhone apps per week
Image: Apple Inc.
It took the heavy hand of the Federal Communications Commission to pry it loose, but we finally have a clearer picture of how Apple's (AAPL) App Store approval process works.
The details are contained in Apple's response to the FCC's July 31 letter of inquiry into why Google's (GOOG) Google Voice app has not been approved. AT&T's response fills 16 pages with legalese and footnotes, but the bottom line is short and sweet: it wasn't us.
Apple's response is a little more artful, starting with a six-paragraph preamble about revolutionary interfaces and seamless user experiences.
When it finally gets around to the FCC's first question — why was Google's app rejected? — Apple claims that contrary to published reports, Google Voice it still "under consideration," although the app as Apple describes it does such violence to those revolutionary interfaces and seamless user experiences that it seems unlikely the thing will ever see the light of day, except perhaps as a Web app.
The meat of the document, however, comes later, in answer to the FCC's question "what is the approval process?" Apple's reply tells us more about how the machinery works than we've learned in a year of hits, misses and developer hissy fits.
The procedure, as the company describes it:
- Apple looks at every app it receives — 200,000 so far — pouring in at the rate of 8,500 new apps and updates per week.
- The company employs 40 full-time reviewers; at least two reviewers study each app.
- Apple has established — it doesn't say when — an App Store executive review board that sets policy and reviews app that have escalated to the board because they raise new or complex issues.
- Apps are reviewed for just what you'd expect: bugs, instabilities, privacy violations, stuff that little kids shouldn't see.
- Apps are also reviewed for the stuff that gets to the heart of the matter: use of unauthorized protocols and "applications that degrade the core experience of the iPhone." This presumably covers Apple's contractual obligation not to overtax AT&T's (T) fragile 3G network with TV or VOIP.
Apple says its reviewers spend most of their time making sure the apps function properly and working with developers to fix bugs and quality issues.
Arrington to Apple: Liar liar pants on fire
But the amount of time they spend is pretty limited. CNET's Erica Ogg has done some quick back of the envelope calculations and determined that 40 people looking at 8,500 apps and updates during a regular five-day week works out to something like six minutes per app per reviewer.
No wonder these guys make, as Apple concedes, "occasional mistakes." It's a wonder they get anything done at all.
See also:
This article raises the completely fascinating question of exactly how much political control of information can be exercised before the economy of the organization seeking to exercise political control starts to suffer from reduced profits, thus forcing the organization to tax outsiders (communist party) or dwindle (communist party).
I have long known that "intelligence gathering" is a myth, because it is hard enough to find what you are looking for in the world, and nobody has the resources, or the life span, to make reasoned comment on every piece of information available in the public domain, with explicit reference to every other piece, upon whose content the true meaning of each referenced piece must depend.
But here with the Apple App store we witness a delightful microcosm of the futility of trying to control information.
Apple are a MASSIVE FIRM. 20 billion in the bank, global network of supply and distribution, blah blah blah blah.
They deal exclusively in the information market.
Now they pay their own bills, more or less. They do have one hand down your pants with the public revenue they are farming with their share of the iPhone airtime fees, but even that was up for grabs in the private sector when the telco's agreed to Apple's deal.
And Apple can afford …. 40? 40 folks. To check through all the information on the App Store, more or less.
I don't think that is unreasonable. 40 folks is probably about 2 million a year. So six minutes per app is 2 million a year. So a whole hour for two people to look at an application and discuss it would be twenty times that.
If, however, we gave each application the same degree of judicial respect shown to the victims of the NKVD's troikas during Stalin's great purge, we would need three judges to convene for an hour and a half, more or less, before deciding the fate of the developer. So that is 45 times the "6 minute per app", which would cost a cool $90 million in wages alone. Then your overheads for that army of commissars would probably push the total budget well over 100 million per year.
And that is without shooting the developer and burying the body out back of barn. !
There is no question, being a political judge of information (for there can be no other kind of information judge) is an expensive business.
This leads me to the disturbing conclusion that most information is free only because it is too expensive and difficult for the leaders of the community to control it completely. But how they try!
Apple has a bunch of people working inside it who believe it is Apple's "responsibility" to prevent uncontrolled information exchange. They are government types, and a cancer on the business model. All folks of this type, people who believe that information control is possible and desirable, are only articulating and projecting an emotional desire for control. They play control games and dress up as fit and proper judges for the content of other people's minds, because it FEELS GOOD. Power feels good.
And just as we the taxpayer (you, in fact: I live in Switzerland) fund the control freaks in government to get their kicks at our expense, so too must the shareholders of Apple fund the power junkies at Apple, as they make spurious arguments that control of information is productive policy.
Get rid of these idiots, Apple.
It will cost so much money to control the App store properly that Apple will go broke just trying to comprehend what it is they are trying to control.
Say, there should be an option to read the comments in chronological order… it's hard to follow in reverse!
I'm a little confused by the fuss, i live in the UK and it makes no difference to me or not if this app is approved. But seeing that teh outcome of decisions mde for "voip" or"broadcasting" does affect me i will comment anyway, the decisions made by apple and at&t over there in the states affects users of the iPhone worldwide, they restrict to WiFi when here the app would not be restricted, so it is "double standards" when it comes to apps…!
But having read the FFC reports through the news and on the web, i find it strange that people are still baying for the blood of apple and at&t.
Google where asked how and what the data the app collected would be used, and they refused to comment. Well hold on, if you won't answer how the data used collected from another party, then surely they have the right to refuse the app just for that, data protection is a minefield, and more so on mobiles as there is everyday information held on them, calenders and appointments included, so by using an app for collecting your voicemail you would be giving your data to who knows who for who knows what….???
I would boycott googles app for there shear stupidity on not be upfront and honest about how the data is collected and why….
"It's Apple and AT&Ts phone, they can do what ever they want with it. If you don't like it, you don't have to buy it."
Dear Carl,
you pay close to $2000 during 2yr contract for the phone call it Apple/ATT phone? it is your phone, you are paying real good money for it. no wonder Apple makes so much money off of fools like you.
1. Developers, don't try to be arrogant. Apple App store is the KING and will be the KING. You are only one in a million. You need Apple and Apple doesn't need you. Google or Yahoo are history. You are a slave and think as one. If you challenge the king today, you may win; but at the end you will loss.
2. What can FCC do to Apple? Revoke iPhone license? FCC is behind time and it does not have the law needed to enforce software interface issues. Open software/system/OS will only create security and privacy black hole. Hackers can easily create virus to crash phone system. It than is a national security problem not a simple virus problem. Phone virus is a lot serious than PC virus.
Typical experience for most developers is 1.5 to 2 weeks for approval on a new App submission. And it's true that out of the 8500 new Apps per week, maybe 10 of them are decent. Great Apps like MadLipz and iSoundz get lost in the shuffle!
It's Apple and AT&Ts phone, they can do what ever they want with it. If you don't like it, you don't have to buy it.
To criticize Erica Ogg — it does not have to be 8500 unique apps, some apps could have been reviewed before with a request for updates or changes. And even if they are unique apps, some apps are probably crappy, buggy, obviously not a fit with apple policy or simply not worth a 10-second look. And since there are 2 people per app – it probably means that some of those apps are reviewed even faster if the two reviewers are not carrying out the same tasks.
stupid Apple fanboys go to great lengths to demonstrate their ignorance.
see:
iphonerulez, Brooklyn, New York
Ted, CA
fools,
MS got into trouble and paid fines for just integrating IE into their OS, not by blocking Netscape.
Yeah, like it doesn't make much sense for Apple to protect it's own damn platform or carrier partner any way it can. It's called smart business sense. Only a handful of whiners are suffering because an app or two takes time to get approval. This crap about "every other platform can do this and that and Apple doesn't know what the hell it is doing" is a weak argument. Nobody is stopping developers or users from going to another platform. In two more years, we'll see who comes out ahead if the iPhone mobile platform is so messed up. I'm thinking the iPhone picks up another 3% market share by the end of this year and more if the ChiPhone is announced while Nokia continues to lose market share.
There are only two companies with larger smartphone market share than Apple and both of them have been in the game much, much longer than Apple. The complainers think it is so easy to develop a platform in a year or two and never make any mistakes. Apple is still satisfying most of their customers with the iPhone so I don't know what the big stink is about. Just a few commenters with nothing but anger and spare time on their hands.
Speaking from a developers point of view I see these numbers as staggering. It makes me laugh to think of the section on the App store that says "What we are playing" (this is suppose to reflect what the staff likes and is currently enjoying). Goodness, according to these numbers this should change every 6 minutes or so. I am curious how they pick the apps that garnish this spot on their page. All I know is that being in that spot assures your app proper exposure and turns your app into a profitable one. I'm going back to the drawing board to come up with the next greatest fart app for the iPhone. However, that may get rejected if my fart app uses google open fart API. Lol.
8500 a week = maybe 10 new solid apps. There are developers who skin an app and put out 50 versions of the same app with little difference. See the travel section.
Funny Blackberry already has Google Voice and it works just fine.
Apple is the new FisherPrice of Mobility. Keep it simple for the sheep.
Yes it looks like APPL rejects GOOG's app, so what? Wouldn't you do the same? Are you THAT stupid? Why would apple want to allow Google's app on their phone? If the app is so good, why not run it on its own damn g-phone? Oh, sorry, no one buys g-phone anyway!!!
Oh yeah making excuses pointing fingers now that they are under scrutiny. ATT is telling the truth but kept silent because it benefits them. Apple is at its usual self. Spinning out misinformation. The key is to ask Google on how apple replied to them. I think they said apple rejected their app!
ex ped: What they said was it hadn't been approved, but after six weeks it probably amounts to the same thing.
Hope it takes less than 14 days, just sent my first app to the storehttp://www.soccervirtualcup.com