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I recently launched an App for the iPhone for the first time ever. And the approval process can be ridiculous. In my case, my meditation app allowed the user t

I recently launched an App for the iPhone for the first time ever. And the approval process can be ridiculous. In my case, my meditation app allowed the user to optionally measure their heart rate while meditating with a heart rate monitor. When I submitted for the App Store, I had to wait a week to find out I'd been rejected because they didn't have a heart rate monitor to test my app. It works without it. And never mind there are literally hundreds of apps which also incorporate the Bluetooth LE heart rate monitors. Apple wanted me to send them one, so I ended up overnighting them one, only to have them take another week to let me know they'd taken a look at my app, then approved it. I agree, this marketplace approval thing sucks.

bollockitis 14y ago
Maybe it's just me, but I'm actually glad they wanted to verify that your app worked as advertised before approving it. They should probably have peripherals on hand for testing though.
- marquis 14y ago
  There are other methods to tests apps. Perhaps Apple needs an anonymous but controlled 'approved beta test' group who willingly give their feedback and save everyone some time and grief.
- FireBeyond 14y ago
  I wouldn't be - such apps are not regulated medical devices. Why should Apple be giving such things the okay? It adds an air of at least implied reliability for such tools, and that's probably not a good place for anyone to be in. (Not to mention, at least for me, such tools have proven horribly inaccurate.)
  - burningion 14y ago
    I want to address your last comment, about heart rate monitors being horribly inaccurate for you. According to a large body of research (http://www.polar.com/en/about_polar/who_we_are/research_index?cat=1 http://www.polar.com/en/about_polar/who_we_are/research_inde...), the Polar brand heart rate monitors provide basically medical quality data. Have you really tried one of the new Bluetooth LE monitors, and what sort of problems did you have? It's vitally important to me, because my startup revolves around the rock-solid, years of research that have gone into developing these devices. Thanks for letting me know.
    - FireBeyond 14y ago
      Certainly, and it may actually be a red herring. I have a Polar and I believe it to be fairly accurate. My initial impression of a HRM-style app was the more gimmicky pseudo-pulseox LED flashlight and camera style. Apologies for the misleading!
taligent 14y ago
>I agree, this marketplace approval thing sucks. No what sucks is as a consumer having apps not do what they are supposed to.
- mikeash 14y ago
  Apple's process hasn't succeeded in substantially mitigating that problem.

bollockitis 14y ago

Maybe it's just me, but I'm actually glad they wanted to verify that your app worked as advertised before approving it. They should probably have peripherals on hand for testing though.

marquis 14y ago
There are other methods to tests apps. Perhaps Apple needs an anonymous but controlled 'approved beta test' group who willingly give their feedback and save everyone some time and grief.
FireBeyond 14y ago
I wouldn't be - such apps are not regulated medical devices. Why should Apple be giving such things the okay? It adds an air of at least implied reliability for such tools, and that's probably not a good place for anyone to be in. (Not to mention, at least for me, such tools have proven horribly inaccurate.)
- burningion 14y ago
  I want to address your last comment, about heart rate monitors being horribly inaccurate for you. According to a large body of research (http://www.polar.com/en/about_polar/who_we_are/research_index?cat=1 http://www.polar.com/en/about_polar/who_we_are/research_inde...), the Polar brand heart rate monitors provide basically medical quality data. Have you really tried one of the new Bluetooth LE monitors, and what sort of problems did you have? It's vitally important to me, because my startup revolves around the rock-solid, years of research that have gone into developing these devices. Thanks for letting me know.
  - FireBeyond 14y ago
    Certainly, and it may actually be a red herring. I have a Polar and I believe it to be fairly accurate. My initial impression of a HRM-style app was the more gimmicky pseudo-pulseox LED flashlight and camera style. Apologies for the misleading!

taligent 14y ago

>I agree, this marketplace approval thing sucks. No what sucks is as a consumer having apps not do what they are supposed to.

mikeash 14y ago
Apple's process hasn't succeeded in substantially mitigating that problem.