Apple's Schiller on app approvals: 'We do a very good job'

Apple's head of worldwide product marketing Phil Schiller defended the much-maligned App Store approval process in a lengthy New York Times feature, maintaining "I think, by and large, we do a very good job there." According to Schiller, the App Store review protocol is a necessary evil predicated on the concept of "consumer trust"--i.e., iPhone and iPod touch user faith that applications distributed via the App Store will not crash the platform, steal personal data or include illegal content. He adds that most applications pass through the approval maze without difficulty, and submissions that do get caught up are typically slowed by bugs or coding glitches.

"Sometimes we make a judgment call both ways, that people give us feedback on, either rejecting something that perhaps on second consideration shouldn't be, or accepting something that on second consideration shouldn't be," Schiller said. "We care deeply about the feedback, both good and bad. While there are some complaints, they are just a small fraction of what happens in the process."

Schiller notes that the App Store now receives more than 10,000 application submissions each week. "I absolutely think this is the future of great software development and distribution," he said. "The idea that anyone, all the way from an individual to a large company, can create software that is innovative and be carried around in a customer's pocket is just exploding. It's a breakthrough, and that is the future, and every software developer sees it."

For more on the App Store:
- read this New York Times article

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