IPhone App Store

With the highly anticipated arrival of the Apple iPhone 3G also came the launch of the iPhone App Store, quickly expanding the functionality of Apple's very popular mobile phone. What exactly is the iPhone App Store and what can you do with it?

With the App Store from Apple, users are able to acquire a myriad of downloads for the iPhone. This is because the Apple iPhone is technically a smartphone, allowing for the installation of third-party applications. This means users are not limited to just the software that comes pre-installed in the Apple iPhone.

Even before the iPhone was officially released to the world, Apple had a similar configuration set up for its iPod line of portable media players. Although it was not possible to download quite the same range of applications, compatible iPods could download a variety of games for playing on the go. The iPhone App Store is simply an extension of this, addressing some of the core iPhone complaints from the first-generation.

What makes the iPhone App Store distinctly different than other systems that are seemingly similar is that the App Store itself is an application on the iPhone 3G. Users are able to browse through the library of available applications in the store right from their mobile phones. Furthermore, users can also purchase and download these applications directly to the iPhone. The data usage can either be through a cellular based wireless network or via a Wi-Fi Internet connection.

After purchasing and downloading the application directly to the iPhone 3G, owners of the popular handset can immediately start using the application. The kinds of applications available through the iPhone App Store include tip calculators, mobile games, expense trackers, productivity tools, social networking applications, and instant messengers.

For people who are more comfortable making purchases through a regular computer, there is also the option to use the iTunes software on a Mac or Windows-based PC. This is exactly the same as the regular iTunes Music Store where many people go to purchase digital music, movies, and other content. The iPhone (or iPod touch) may require a software update to proceed, just as regular iPods receive software updates from time to time.

In order to make use of the App Store, the iPhone using the downloaded applications must be running at least firmware update 2.0. Future updates may also be required for additional content and functionality.

Just because it is the Apple iPhone App Store does not mean that all the applications come directly from Apple. In fact, the App Store was designed specifically to support third-party applications for the iPhone and iPod touch. To date, more than 500 applications are available through the store and there have been millions of downloads.

Anyone, with the appropriate technical knowledge, can develop an iPhone application and have it posted in the iPhone App Store. The SDK, or Software Development Kit, for the iPhone is available for download through Apple. However, developers need to pay an annual $99 developer package fee to have their applications posted in the store.

The applications can be made available as a free download or as a paid purchase. If the developer choose to charge for the application, Apple takes a 30% commission from the retail price. For example, if an application from the App Store sells for $10, Apple receives $3 and the developer receives $7. Not all applications are made publicly available, as they must all pass an Apple certification procedure. Apple has not explicitly stated its criteria for certification.

Perhaps one of the best known iPhone applications released thus far (as of September 2008) is "I Am Rich". It has since been pulled from the store, but not before a total of eight sales were made. The application's only function is to display a glowing red gem and a screen with a mantra that reads, "I am rich I deserv it I am good, healthy & successful." Yes, the misspelling of "deserve" is actually in the application. The reason why "I Am Rich" became so famous is because this largely useless application sold for $999.99, the maximum price allowed in the iPhone App Store. The minimum selling price, aside from free, is 99 cents.

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