Ideas to App Store (2010)

Ideas to App StoreThe Opportunity in Applications for

Apple Mobile Devices

Joseph DeSetto1 813 639 4270 . @desetto . desetto.com

Why Apple?

DevicesiPhone2007 iPod touch

iPhone 3G2008 iPod touch, 2nd Generation

iPhone 3GS2009 iPod touch, 3rd Generation

iPhone 42010 iPod touch, 4th GenerationiPad

By the Numbers

iPhone 33.75 million (Q4 2009)

iPod touch 32 million (Q4 2009)

iPad 3 million (June 24 2010)

iTunes Stored Credit Cards: Over 100 million

iPod touch

iPod touchThe iPhone for Blackberry users.

iPad

iPadiPad

the Boomer tablet

iPadtextbooks 2.0

iPadimmersive games

iPadBy 2015, the current iPad modelwill seem ancient.

iPhoneA phone with poor reception, and so much more.

iPhoneCameraMicrophoneGestures

Location Aware

Is a web app an app?

Sort of. Web apps are...

Browser based.Run from a server.Requires an Internet connection.

No App Store, for better or worse.

Famous Web App: Google Maps

Mobile Web Apps

Web apps instead of apps?

For games? No.

For data apps and simple utilities?

Well, maybe.

Promise vs. Reality

If mobile browsers all rendered the same, web apps would be the best choice.

They don’t.

What is an app?

Software that...

Installs on the device.Generally works offline.Can access device hardware.

Distributed through the App Store.

Promise vs. Reality

If mobile apps were easy to promote and sell, we would not need an App Store.

They aren’t.

What is an App Store?

Promise vs. Reality

HTML 5 means all mobile devices render the same, including audio and video playback.

Not today, tomorrow, or the day after next.

Promise vs. Reality

Apple will give in and run Flash, so wait to build apps with Flash for iPhone, Android, and even Blackberry.

Apple mobile devices will not allow Flash content in the foreseeable future.

Q & A

Devices

The App Store

Web apps vs. Apps

Making Apps

Step 1.

Join the iPhone Developer Program as an Individual, Company, or Enterprise.

iPhone Developer Program

Isn’t my Company an Enterprise?


Individual and Company. $99/year.

Enterprise: Internal Distribution Only

Education: 20+ Copies, 50% off

University: Free tools for teaching iOS


I’m not a developer. Why should I join?

iTunes Connect

The brains of the operation.

Tools of the Trade

XCode

Tools of the Trade

Corona Unity GameSalad

Q & A

iPhone Developer Programs

iTunes Connect

Development Tools

The Rules

By Order of Steve

Apps must not contain any obscene, pornographic, offensive or defamatory content or materials of any kind (text, graphics, images, photographs, etc.), or other content or materials that in Apple’s reasonable judgment may be found objectionable.

The Rules

Apps Must Do, Well, Something

... this application contains minimal user functionality and will not be appropriate for the App Store.

The Rules

Thoughts on FlashWe [Apple] know from painful experience that letting a third party layer of software come between the platform and the developer ultimately results in sub-standard apps and hinders the enhancement and progress of the platform. If developers grow dependent on third party development libraries and tools, they can only take advantage of platform enhancements if and when the third party chooses to adopt the new features. We cannot be at the mercy of a third party deciding if and when they will make our enhancements available to our developers.

Steve JobsApril 2010

Limited Promo CopiesApps can be free.

If you sell an app, you can’t just give it away.

Huh?

Limited Promo Copies

50 copies per version of an app.

Gifts supported in iOS 4.

Gift certificates or sale outside of iTunes? No.

Limited eCommerce

No in-app purchase of physical goods.

Shopping carts are okay.

User input of credit card information is okay.

Actual transaction processing is through Safari only.

Limited eCommerce

Giveaways & Contests

Apps may hold contests or give away prizes,but not as the sole purpose of the app.

The focus should be on gameplay, not prizes.

May not cross into gambling.

Giveaways & Contests3.3.21 Your Application may include promotional, sweepstake or contest functionality provided that:

You are the sole sponsor of the promotion and that You and Your Application comply with any applicable laws and fulfill any applicable registration requirements in the country or territory where You make Your Application available and the promotion is open.

You agree that You are solely responsible for any promotion and any prize, and also agree to clearly state in binding official rules for each promotion that Apple is not a sponsor of, or responsible for conducting, the promotion.

Gambling

No lotteries or gambling.

An app cannot have the sole purpose of winning a game of chance for a cash or cash equivalent prize.

Winning virtual goods, however, is allowed.

Too Many Rules?

Selling an app Ad Hoc, or without the App Store, limits distribution to 200 copies.

Build for each device based on unique identifier, not user credentials.

App Store is a curated retail environment.

Q & A

The Rules of the App Store

Design for Web, 1995 - 2005

Typical user?

Seated at a desk.Standard mouse and keyboard.Office or home office environment.Single task oriented.

Design for Mobile, 2005 - ?

Typical user?

Surrounded by DistractionsMultitaskingMovingInterrupted

Source: Jan 2010 Flurry

Requisite Powerpoint Chart

Build a Better Game

Achievements

Leaderboard

Unlocked Content

Easy to learn, hard to master

Mundane ideas, done well

Achievements

Keep Score

Unlocked Content

Easy to Learn, Hard to Master

Mundane Ideas, Done Well

Plant crops to ward off zombies.

Slingshot birds at pigs.

Jump from building to building.

Slice fruit.

Land planes.

Cook and serve food.

Classics: Scrabble (twice) and Solitaire.

Q & A

iOS 4 vs. iPhone OS 3

Design for Mobile

Games

Income Strategies

Tiered Pricing

Freemium

Ad Supported

Mobile to Brick-and-Mortar

Tiered Pricing

70% for developer

30% to Apple

Includes:

credit card processingcurrency conversationwireless carriers

Freemium

Free to download.

Upgrade still 70/30 split.

Ad Supported

iAd Supported

Mobile to Brick-and-Mortar

Updates

Approved by Apple

App Store Download

Optional to Users

Is Dynamic Content an Update?

Q & A

Income Strategies

Advanced Features

Push

In-App Purchase

Universal Apps

In App Purchase

Universal Apps

One binary file that includes iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch versions of an app.

Universal Apps

Non-Universal AppsCommonly uses HDname for iPad.

Keeps download sizeunder 3G limit.

May charge user twice!

Q & A

Push

In-App Purchase

Universal Apps

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

85% of “day zero” users lost in 30 days.

A great app may have 5% of “day zero” users in only 6 months.

The App Store is designed for high turnover.

Requisite Powerpoint Chart


Yesterday’s News

Every 6 months, major OS changes likely.

Yesterday’s News

Every 6 to 12 months, new devices.

April, iPad

June, iPhone

September, iPod touch

Yesterday’s News

Within 2 years, today’s devices will miss out on new features.

Party Like Its 1995.

Like the early days of the web, App Store developers have diverse backgrounds.

As such, potential vendors are likely to bemulti-disciplinary teams.

Who creates apps?Advertising/Marketing types.

Console game, web application & desktop software coders.

Flash refugees.

Zynga. 37Signals.

Math nerds. Students.

Offshore sweatshops.

Obscure Mac developers that suddenlyfeel vindicated.

Chart Showing What I Just Said


Two Approaches

Agile

Two Approaches

Waterfall

Make Your Vendors Better

Know your audience.

Keep to your niche.

Niche success: Proloquo2Go


Remember an app is not a small website.

Or print ad.

Or television show.

Leave out features and adapt quickly.

Frequent updates keep users interested, so don’t wait for perfect.


Apps can’t solve bad products.*

*This message brought to you by developers everywhere.


Great apps are not desktop software in miniature.


Remember, making an app simple for users does not mean it is easier or cheaper to develop.


Q & A

Types of Vendors

Project Approaches

Making Vendors Better

Information Sources

In-App Analytics

App Store Reports

Analytics

What can we track?

Device Data may not be provided or disclosed to a third party without Apple’s prior written consent. Accordingly, the use of third party software in Your Application to collect and send Device Data to a third party for processing or analysis is expressly prohibited.

What can we track?

Some company called Flurry had data on devices that we were using on our campus -- new devices. They were getting this info by getting developers to put software in their apps that sent info back to this company! ... It's violating our privacy policies, and it's pissing us off! So we said we're only going to allow analytics that don't give our device info -only for the purpose of advertising.

Steve JobsJune 2010

App Store Reports

SKU

Country

Price Paid

Your Share

In a text file to import to Excel, etc.

Standard Equipment

Standard UI Controls

No databases

No animation

Optional Equipment

OpenGL-ESCore AudioCustom UICore Data / SQLitePush NotificationsIn-App Purchase

Q & A

Analytics

Cost Considerations

Best in ClassiPad

Best in ClassiPhone & iPod touch

Q & A

Best in Class Apps

Next in Mobile?

More social.

More virtual goods.

More non-traditional devices.

Television 2.0.

Bandwidth Battles.

Social Integration

Virtual Currency

iOS 4 on... BMW?

TV + App Store = ?

Bandwidth

Q & A

Social features.

Virtual goods.

Future directions.

thank you!

Joseph DeSetto

[email protected]

+1 813 639 4270

Ideas to App Store (2010)

Technology

Transcript of Ideas to App Store (2010)