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Today we discuss the trials and tribulations of supporting new features and new operating systems. We start by recapping the recent problems with the roll out of iOS 8, particularly those surrounding iCloud Drive and the code signing of iOS 8 extensions. We look at the relative advantages and disadvantages of living on the bleeding edge and including brand new operating system features on day one. We bemoan the need to develop with beta tools and rant a bit about Apple’s penchant for tying iOS releases to hardware releases. We close by hearing how Bombing Brain approached their updates for the new operating systems, and how we decide when to drop support for older versions of an operating systems.
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Today we discuss the recent Apple event in which we learned about Apple’s new products and got a free lesson in spoken Chinese. We start by talking about the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and Joe’s disdain for the larger form factors, as well as how the new screen sizes will affect design and localization efforts. Next we turn to the new Apple Pay service, and our initial take on its long-term importance. Finally we consider Apple’s new “wearable,” the Apple Watch, and the new opportunities it presents for developers.
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Today we talk about Joe’s recent trip to 360|iDev and the talk he gave about the video app previews that are coming soon to the App Store. Joe tells us what he’s learned about app previews, their format, what’s allowed, and what’s not. Then we talk about what goes into a good marketing video, and Joe shares some resources that he’s found to make creating a great video a little bit easier.
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Today we continue the market research discussion that began last week, and explore a few tangents along the way. We talk about reusing code in new apps, researching competitors, and being a student of apps. We consider possible responses to new competition, and the risks and benefits of entering a market with existing competition. We close by looking at niche markets and mass markets including a discussion of appropriate pricing strategies for each, our comfort with different size markets, and the suitability of these markets for independent developers.
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Today we take a look at market research and “market driven development” as a means of increasing an independent developer’s chances of success in the App Store. We discuss strategies for choosing a group of people to target with a new app, picking profitable app ideas that solve a target group’s problems, and the extent to which domain knowledge is necessary to build a great product. We also consider what types of market research needs to happen before you even open Xcode, and the role that existing competition plays in choosing to develop an app idea.
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