The App Store: 500 Apps That Changed Everything
When the iPhone launched last year, Steve Jobs told us that "the web is the SDK." We were supposed to build "sweet" web apps using Safari. Developers weren't happy. We wanted native access to the hardware. Today, Apple finally gave in. The App Store is open, and it is glorious.
Native Power
The difference between a web app and a native app on the iPhone is night and day. Native apps have access to the accelerometer, the GPS, and the full power of the GPU via OpenGL ES.
For developers, the iPhone SDK (now called iOS SDK) is a dream. It’s based on the same Cocoa frameworks we know from the Mac.
// Objective-C is the king of the App Store
- (void)viewDidLoad {
[super viewDidLoad];
UILabel *label = [[UILabel alloc] initWithFrame:self.view.bounds];
label.text = @"Hello, iPhone!";
[self.view addSubview:label];
}
The distribution model is what’s really revolutionary. Apple handles the hosting, the credit card processing, and the updates. They take 30%, which sounds like a lot until you realize how much work it saves you in marketing and infrastructure.
The Gold Rush
Within hours of the launch, we’re already seeing "App Store Millionaires" being made. Games like Super Monkey Ball and utilities like Ebay are showing what’s possible. The "one-person dev shop" is back in a big way. You don't need a massive publisher anymore; you just need a good idea and a $99 developer license.
Looking Ahead
The App Store has just changed our relationship with our phones. It’s no longer a device for making calls; it’s a platform for solving problems. I suspect that within a few years, "Is there an app for that?" will become a standard question for almost every human activity. We’re witnessing the birth of a multi-billion dollar economy, and it’s all happening in the palm of our hands.
Aunimeda develops mobile applications for iOS and Android - from MVP to production-ready apps with full backend integration.
Contact us to discuss your mobile project. See also: Mobile App Development, Mobile Game Development