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T-Mobile To Open App Store For All of Their Phones
tsa brings news that T-Mobile will be developing their own application store to compete with Apple's popular distribution scheme. Their aim is to be capable of bringing new services to all of their customers. Excerpting:
"Developers will submit their applications online; the revenue-share agreement will be based on how much the application uses the network; and the applications will be presented to the user in order of popularity, not according to T-Mobile's preferences. It's all pretty straightforward, but the more interesting aspect is that this will apply to all the carrier's platforms from upcoming Android to Java to Sidekick and Windows Mobile."
If I develop an app for WinMo I can sell it to anyone with a WinMo phone and keep ALL the money.
But surprisingly, the entry barrier appears to be slightly higher with Windows Mobile software than with iPhone software. In addition to the roughly $400 handheld device (Pocket PC or iPod Touch), you have to buy a compatible computer and a copy of the development software. For Windows, this is a $600 Windows PC incl. keyboard, mouse, and monitor, and a $1,000 copy of Visual Studio (not the Express version, which doesn't target Windows Mobile). For iPhone, this is a $1,100 iMac and a $100 SDK activation for your device.
Fring is availible for iPhone.
You are right about that, sorry for not making the distinction- I spaced-out on that one. Still Fring is coming to the App Store according to the devs and nothing in the SDK should prevent it from doing so.
"pull an Apple"? Like 1000+ apps. All of which seem to run flawlessly. Half of which are completely free. All install seemlessly. And run on the device that Google claims is responsible for 70% of its mobile web traffic (meaning, a smart mobile device that can really be used for once)? T-Mobile would be friggin lucky it it created anything remotely similar to Apple.