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T-Mobile To Open App Store For All of Their Phones

Posted by Soulskill on Sat Aug 09, 2008 10:01 AM
from the cutting-off-a-slice-of-apple-pie dept.
Cellphones Communications Software
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."
+ -
story

Related Stories

[+] An App Store For iPhone Software 531 comments
Steve Jobs demonstrated a new "App Store" that will be pushed out to all iPhones in June. It's available now in beta. This will be the exclusive avenue developers will use to get their iPhone apps, written to the newly released SDK, to customers. Developers will get 70% of the proceeds from sales of their goods on the App store, with no further charges for hosting, credit-card processing, etc. Jobs called this "the best deal going to distribute applications in the mobile space."
Submission: T-Mobile USA seen cloning iPhone's App Store by tsa (15680)
[+] T-Mobile Will Be First To Use Android 203 comments
stoolpigeon writes to tell us that T-Mobile's upcoming phone will try to combine the best elements of many of the new smart phones, and will be using Google's Android software. "The HTC phone, which many gadget sites are calling the 'dream,' will have a touch screen, like the iPhone. But the screen also slides out to expose a full five-row keyboard. A video of the phone has been posted recently on YouTube. A person who has seen the HTC device said it matched the one in the video. The phone's release date depends on how soon the Federal Communications Commission certifies that the Google software and the HTC phone meet network standards. Executives at all three companies are hoping to announce the phone in September because they would benefit from holiday season sales."
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  • Need a standardized platform! (Score:4, Insightful)

    by BadAnalogyGuy (945258) <BadAnalogyGuy@gmail.com> on Saturday August 09 2008, @10:09AM (#24537347)

    Developing for the iPhone is easy. There is only one platform.

    But Windows Mobile, Android, and Java are three completely different platforms. That's not to mention platforms based on Brew or Symbian, even. Developing for an individual phone is easy, but to reach the entire market, it's very difficult.

    I suppose if you aren't interested in reaching many users, that developing for a single platform like the iPhone is a decent choice. However, if you want to remain viable both in terms of independence and also monetarily, you need to have a broad base of users, not just a small group of fanatics.

    Unfortunately, because of the disparity among the various platforms, the difficulty is high to develop a broadly applicable application. So the answer is to target either the least common denominator (there is none in the current phone market) or to target a generic platform that is relatively widely installed.

    Welcome to MIDP. Yes, you'll hate every minute of it, but at least it exists.

    • Re:Need a standardized platform! (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Llywelyn (531070) on Saturday August 09 2008, @10:19AM (#24537383) Homepage

      I suppose if you aren't interested in reaching many users, that developing for a single platform like the iPhone is a decent choice. However, if you want to remain viable both in terms of independence and also monetarily, you need to have a broad base of users, not just a small group of fanatics.

      You seem to have a different definition of "many" than I do. iPhone adoption has been huge so far, and not just "a small group of fanatics."

      • Re:Need a standardized platform! (Score:5, Insightful)

        by Aetuneo (1130295) on Saturday August 09 2008, @12:02PM (#24537987) Homepage
        But if Apple chooses to cut you off (which it can whenever it wants, by removing your app from its store or by pushing an update which deletes it from all iPhones), you've just lost all access to the market. On the other hand, if you have an application which is being sold for many platforms, you are not as dependent upon the whims of one company which controls both the platform and the store.

        • But if Apple chooses to cut you off (which it can whenever it wants, by removing your app from its store or by pushing an update which deletes it from all iPhones), you've just lost all access to the market. On the other hand, if you have an application which is being sold for many platforms, you are not as dependent upon the whims of one company which controls both the platform and the store.

          Write a must have application for the iPhone and I guarantee you it will never be cut off. The whole point of the development platform for the iPhone is to drive more phone sales. It does nothing for Apple to ostracize products that make their platform bonafide leaders in their respective market(s).

          • Write a must have application for the iPhone and I guarantee you it will never be cut off.

            A must have application like NetShare [slashdot.org] perhaps?

            Yes, chances are Apple will leave you alone unless you're being particularly clever [slashdot.org]. But you can only have so many use-the-accelerometer-to-maneuver-the-virtual-ball-into-the-correct-hole apps.

            - shazow

            • That would be a consequence of Apple's contract with AT&T, and yes, if your application is in violation of Apple's contract with AT&T you can expect it to be removed. Of course, if its in violation of the service agreement, that would go for *any* service provider and *any* phone, though you may run a lower risk of getting caught with some than with others.

              Believe it or not, Apple is not going to go around and randomly ban apps "just cause we can."

              • Since when is the iPhone only available to AT&T customers?

                Do iPhone apps have to read and conform to every single iPhone provider in the world?

      • Jobs has a different definition of "many" too (Score:5, Insightful)

        by MacDork (560499) on Saturday August 09 2008, @12:43PM (#24538243) Journal

        You seem to have a different definition of "many" than I do. iPhone adoption has been huge so far, and not just "a small group of fanatics."

        As the Washington Post article mentions, Steve Jobs' stated goal for Apple is 10 million iPhones in 2008. A rather modest goal for an industry that pushes more than a billion units a year. For the first half of the year, Apple has only sold 2.4 million iPhones.

        Of course, the spin in this article doesn't stop with iPhone "popularity"... The article is also spinning this as a competition between T-Mobile and Apple. There is no competition. You cannot choose T-mobile's app store over Apple's on your iPhone. Likewise, you cannot shop at Apple's store on a T-Mobile phone. Apple's store is irrelevant to T-Mobile's ambitions. Apple exists in its own little walled garden.

        Furthermore, it sounds as if T-Mobile is competing with Nokia's Download Store which, BTW, predates Apple's app store... and iPhone for that matter. Why wasn't the actual competition mentioned? That's where the meat is in this news... Will Nokia be blocked by T-Mobile on their locked handsets? Will the T-Mobile store offer a better deal to S60 developers? Will Nokia withhold signed apps from T-Mobile or fast track the signing process for Nokia Download Store developers?

        Nope, no real news in this article. It's just fanboy infotisement. How did it even make front page? News for nerds indeed...

        • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

          by onefriedrice (1171917)

          Apple's store is irrelevant to T-Mobile's ambitions. Apple exists in its own little walled garden.

          You are assuming that just because the two stores will operate separately without compatibility that there is no competition. This is obviously false. If Apple's App Store acts, in any capacity, as an agent to draw new customers to Apple/AT&T then there are that many fewer customers going with T-Mobile.

          Because of this, T-Mobile's decision to develop an app store for phones on their network was very likely a direct result of Apple's App Store in order to stay competitive. On the other hand, the Nok

        • As the Washington Post article mentions, Steve Jobs' stated goal for Apple is 10 million iPhones in 2008. A rather modest goal for an industry that pushes more than a billion units a year.

          Sure, if you're talking about the entire cell phone market. Most of those won't be a target for an app store. Smart phones are the market, and Apple was able to grab 28% of it even before the iPhone 3G [techcrunch.com].

          For the first half of the year, Apple has only sold 2.4 million iPhones.

          No surprise there. Who's going to buy one of the old ones when it's an open secret that a new version will be out soon?

          That's why they sold a million 3Gs on the release weekend [yahoo.com].

          • As the Washington Post article mentions, Steve Jobs' stated goal for Apple is 10 million iPhones in 2008. A rather modest goal for an industry that pushes more than a billion units a year.

            Sure, if you're talking about the entire cell phone market. Most of those won't be a target for an app store. Smart phones are the market, and Apple was able to grab 28% of it even before the iPhone 3G [techcrunch.com].

            For the first half of the year, Apple has only sold 2.4 million iPhones.

            No surprise there. Who's going to buy one of the old ones when it's an open secret that a new version will be out soon?

            That's why they sold a million 3Gs on the release weekend [yahoo.com].

            You might as well save your breath. People will cite throw away phones that telcos can't even give away as part of the same market as the iPhone. You're absolutely correct that the future of Telcos in the wireless markets are Smartphones. This is where Apple will be and continue to become the market leader.

        • Actually I had posted a completely different text in which I stated that on the one hand the emerging of these special stores is a good thing because you get guaranteed virus- and spyware free app, but on the other hand the dependence on just one distributor who controls what you can run on your phone is scary. My intention was to start a discussion about that. If Apple were to make all applications for their Macs only available through a Mac Apps Store, everybody but the most fanatic Apple fans would cry f

        • You seem to have a different definition of "many" than I do. iPhone adoption has been huge so far, and not just "a small group of fanatics."

          As the Washington Post article mentions, Steve Jobs' stated goal for Apple is 10 million iPhones in 2008. A rather modest goal for an industry that pushes more than a billion units a year. For the first half of the year, Apple has only sold 2.4 million iPhones.

          Of course, the spin in this article doesn't stop with iPhone "popularity"... The article is also spinning this as a competition between T-Mobile and Apple. There is no competition. You cannot choose T-mobile's app store over Apple's on your iPhone. Likewise, you cannot shop at Apple's store on a T-Mobile phone. Apple's store is irrelevant to T-Mobile's ambitions. Apple exists in its own little walled garden.

          Furthermore, it sounds as if T-Mobile is competing with Nokia's Download Store which, BTW, predates Apple's app store... and iPhone for that matter. Why wasn't the actual competition mentioned? That's where the meat is in this news... Will Nokia be blocked by T-Mobile on their locked handsets? Will the T-Mobile store offer a better deal to S60 developers? Will Nokia withhold signed apps from T-Mobile or fast track the signing process for Nokia Download Store developers?

          Nope, no real news in this article. It's just fanboy infotisement. How did it even make front page? News for nerds indeed...

          The article is already out-dated as Apple hs been said to be requesting manufacturing of the iPhone 3G toward 700,000 units per week.

        • Just wanted to point out that people often forget that it's not just the iPhone, but also the iPod Touch. So the market for the Apple Appstore can be both depending on what app you have. Makes the market as a whole larger.

          Not that Apple has failed in selling those 10 million iPhones in 2008 yet. I am sure time will answer that one though :)

      • Huge? Most of the people that I know own a cell phone, and none of them own an iPhone. In fact, the only iPhones that I've seen have been in ads. Apple may have sold millions of iPhones, but they still have just a tiny slice of the global cell phone market.

      • Okay - what's the size of the Iphone market, and how does that compare to say, the number of Java phones?

        However many Iphones may have been sold, I think you misunderstand the size of the market. Even compared to just other individual manufacturers, their sales are dwarfed, last time I looked at the figures anyway.

        • What percentage of all cell phone users will buy from an appstore? How much revenue will they generate for you? Do the various platforms that they are building for support what you want your app to do? How much effort is designed to target these various platforms vs. targeting the iPhone? These are more important questions that "what percentage of the global cell phone market is comprised of iPhones."

          So let's say you want a simplistic app that reports on some basic data and can be ported to just about a
        • Less storage than a nomad, and all that...

    • Not only is there a lot of different platforms but also a lot of different hardware. CPUs, CPU speeds, RAM, storage capacity, screen resolutions/color depth, sound/music capabilities, controls/inputs, etc.

      • Not only is there a lot of different platforms but also a lot of different hardware. CPUs, CPU speeds, RAM, storage capacity, screen resolutions/color depth, sound/music capabilities, controls/inputs, etc.

        Conveniently, the word "platform" takes all of that (and more) into account.

    • Re:Need a standardized platform! (Score:4, Informative)

      by foniksonik (573572) on Saturday August 09 2008, @10:30AM (#24537449) Homepage Journal

      How is this different from Desktop Software? It's the same reason I have limited selection of games on my Mac....

      Developing for Windows is easy. There is only one platform.

      But OS X, Linux and Java are three completely different platforms. That's not to mention BSD, Solaris, even. Developing for an individual Desktop OS is easy, but to reach the entire market, it's very difficult.

      ------------

      Now what you should do as a developer is determine which market segment your software will sell to the best and target the platform that segment uses the most.

      Business Users still goes for Windows Mobile (though iPhone rumors persist)... but Blackberry's based on the old OS??? are still out there in force but not for long as their contracts are nearly up and they will upgrade rapidly. Here you're stuck with WinMobile APIs (which are great for some things and poor for others).

      Consumers who actually buy and use apps are going for the iPhone (the rest just want a phone that might play mp3s and take pictures). Also the best experience is on the iPhone so if you want people to enjoy using your app.. it's the way to go though you have to know and accept the limitations of the SDK/License (though the SDK is very robust for what it allows you to do).

      Developers like the Nokia because it's now running Linux... or later Android when it comes to market. Nokia phones support a wide range of apps with few limitations.

    • Ahhh, But what about the majority cell phones run Java, while the Iphone does not. Apple likes to keep java off of their devices because they cannot have true control of it. They have done this with the mac for years. So you can develop your app in java and have it run on a slew of phones.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by forgoil (104808)

      Java/MIDP is far from "one" platform as well. Just the hassle of figuring out what freakin' device an app might work on, and if there is a special version for it, is hell on earth.

      Can't stress it enough, the iPhone/iPod Touch platform is golden for developers. Good tools, heterogeneous platform, strong hardware, lots of screen, quite a lot of devices, a huge interest in adding applications, actual performance (most mobile devices have horrid performance, java and native).

      I call manager on the whole T-Mobile

    • Developing for the iPhone is easy. There is only one platform.

      But Windows Mobile, Android, and Java are three completely different platforms.

      Developing for Windows Mobile is easy. There is only one platform.

      Developing for Android is easy. There is only one platform.

      Developing for Java is easy. There is only one platform.

      Am I missing your point? What's so special about the Iphone?

      • It's been three years since I did any J2ME development, but there was a substantial amount of time devoted to compatibility problems. There was a wide variety of different screen resolutions and storage capacities, then all kinds of idiosyncrasies with how handsets handled screen refresh, button presses, or how they implemented (or didn't implement) various API features.

        J2ME apps may run almost everywhere, but often the result was far from ideal without tinkering for individual handsets. Of course, this was

      • J2ME runs basically anywhere....

        Except when it really only runs on the phone the developer had for development.

  • Will it be in a free data zone?

  • I am in full development for the "I am even richer than those Apple noobs"-application, which can be bought for just $1000.

      • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

        by Fred_A (10934)

        My "I am poor" app, which only displays a frayed piece of string will only cell for 5 cents. I expect to sell at least 100 and thus be able to afford some hot soup !

  • The platform will be open to "almost any developer" that agrees to T-Mobile's revenue split, which one developer says is "very generous.

    So, if I write an app the sucks up a lot of bandwidth and airtime and as a result T-Mobile gets to bill the customer for a lot more money, I make more money?

    • So, if I write an app the sucks up a lot of bandwidth and airtime and as a result T-Mobile gets to bill the customer for a lot more money, I make more money?

      T-Mobile's data plan is flat rate.

  • So what's the current perception of Android? The system of the future, or another Linux -- useful and powerful in its niche, but not the dominant platform?

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by RetroRichie (259581)

      Google has really executed one thing successfully: search. You and I both know that Gmail is fantastic, but it's not "one with the masses" as another poster alludes to. I can't believe Android is going to be successful. Even if you take out their inability to execute on new products, they are way late to the party.

      • I can't believe Android is going to be successful. Even if you take out their inability to execute on new products, they are way late to the party.

        It doesn't have to be successful in the USA.

        Maybe it'll take Europe or Asia by storm and then the USA will be the feeling left behind and "late to the party".

        • I can't believe Android is going to be successful. Even if you take out their inability to execute on new products, they are way late to the party.

          It doesn't have to be successful in the USA.

          Maybe it'll take Europe or Asia by storm and then the USA will be the feeling left behind and "late to the party".

          With the massive listing of iPhone countries expanding throughtout Europe, South America, Asia, Africa, North America I doubt Apple is worried about it being successful.

    • If their actions up to now are an indication... (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Junta (36770) on Saturday August 09 2008, @11:01AM (#24537629)

      Android is in trouble wrt to fulfilling the hope of an 'open' platform. So far:

      -We still know next to nothing about the current state of their development situation. The M5 SDK released all the way back in March is the latest hard technical resource people have without an NDA. Meanwhile, Google is refreshing the SDK for the cherry-picked few (http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers/browse_thread/thread/f031c33fe9e5b992).
      For a platform trying to leverage a large development community, they sure are making it hard for those people.
      -The bits we do have come without platform source. There seems to be a good chance Google might keep their middleware closed-source. Otherwise, why be so secretive about it even today?

      So far we've seen promise of being open falling through to date, we've seen the supposed source of strength of android (the community), hamstringed by Google's own actions. I've seen promises of 'once the phone is on the market, we'll make good!', but I fail to see why they can't allow the SDK to be in public hands because of that excuse.

      Then we have LiMo, which so far looks not to be user-centered, and more cell-phone manufacturer centered, so I'd not expect that to change the world significantly.

      The *only* platform that so far in spirit lives up to those promises is OpenMoko. Unfortunately, the 'best' platform for it (FreeRunner) is a tad underpowered technically.

      • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

        by mmurphy000 (556983)

        For a platform trying to leverage a large development community, they sure are making it hard for those people.

        Undoubtedly a bizarre move, though I have issues with who you probably have as the "they" in that sentence — see below.

        The bits we do have come without platform source.

        You mean, like this?

        http://code.google.com/p/android/source/checkout [google.com]

        I'm under the impression not all bits are there, but it's enough to get Android running (sometimes poorly) on various HTC handsets, Nokia N8xx devices, etc.

        S

  • Nokia App Store? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by PolygamousRanchKid (1290638) on Saturday August 09 2008, @10:31AM (#24537455)

    So I wonder what Nokia will have to offer in the way of an App Store in a couple of months when I plan to replace my N90 with an N96. Ideally, I'd like to be able to download stuff from http://maemo.org/ [maemo.org], just like for my N800.

    But, no, that would be dreaming.

  • Operator run "App Stores" already exist (Score:5, Insightful)

    by @madeus (24818) <slashdot_24818@mac.com> on Saturday August 09 2008, @10:35AM (#24537477)

    Cruder (mostly web based) implementations of the iPhones "App Store" already exist with other operators.

    I know that Vodafone, for example, distribute an application on their branded S60 Nokia phones that links to a small portal site, where you can read news and buy access to premium content, including TV shows and games.

    The application is a small web based one and doesn't have feature the "App Store" has such as the ability to track updates for applications nor does it recognize if you've already made a purchase. I don't recall seeing any significant free applications on their either, almost all the applications were games from major publishers (e.g. branded as EA or Sega titles) and most were consistently priced.

    For me, a major strength of the App Store is that it has a wide range of applications at a range of price points and from a range of developers - I think that's what attracts so many people to it.

    I think mobile operators will struggle to understand the importance of having a wide range of applications (including free ones) and they will continue to take a short sighted view of focusing on doing business with major publishers like EA at the expense of independent developers - pushing to the market what they mistakenly think people want - ultimately to their own detriment.

    So far, I've spent about 25 GBP on the App Store since July I've bought a couple of apps at about 5 GBP, one at about 10 GBP and a few at between 50p to 1.50 GBP. I'm sure I will buy more. I've been with Vodafone for about 8 years, and in that time only bought two applications from them (both games, at around 2.50-4.50 each I think).

    I don't think mobile operators understand the importance of good software enough to replicate the success of the App Store on other devices. If good software was important to them there wouldn't have been a gap big enough for Apple to exploit in the first place.

  • They've been doing it for years (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Sir Holo (531007) on Saturday August 09 2008, @11:06AM (#24537643)
    Haven't the cell providers already been trying to sell extra apps for years? Mostly games. How many un-erase-able demos are on your cell phone?

    Apple has opened the floodgates in yet another market. Delivering to customers what they actually want, instead of what some misguided "marketing" department would prefer to force down their throats.

  • Sounds like Nokia (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Ilgaz (86384) on Saturday August 09 2008, @11:19AM (#24537709) Homepage

    Nokia started a weird campaign promoting its "Download!" making even die-hard Symbian blogs mad. Why? Because it is not really timely co-ordinated campaign and we (Nokia users) still see 10-15 never updated, never changed stuff in "Download!" menu in our phones.

    Check news about it: http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/news/item/7743_Secret_really_is_a_secret.php [allaboutsymbian.com]

    Nokia sits there, look for some great open source/free applications shipped for Symbian, doesn't freely sign them or cover their signing costs, donate to authors, help them, at least put the s60.com apps to the menu.

    All they do is some good graphics wallpaper and application. Yea, race with Apple this way... They don't even put "Opera" and "Fring" to "Internet" category, 2 apps which will never ship for Apple iPhone (with this SDK/EULA) for God's sake.

      • On hacked iPhone. Not official iPhone. A big difference. You should see how convenient it is to install on a Nokia or any phone which doesn't have such foolish restrictions. One click from browser,that is all.

        They have such a client, guys already got certified by Symbian and yet they only put "Gizmo" to download menu. Now they advertise that junk which they wasted for years without any change in policy. That was my point.

  • Yes, but will it be 'open'? Will I be able to use the SDK for their platform to create free apps and distribute them however I like, or will I be forced to use their store, just like Apple's offering?

    I'm only interested in programming for a platform that I can distribute for as I see fit.

    As for the 'how much it uses the internet' bit... Cripes, don't the customers already pay for that? Taking money from the developer AND the consumer is just... Wrong. I could understand it if they offered decently pric

    • I think the idea is that its more convenient this way, but you're right... I also really hope they don't "pull an Apple" on this.

      • Re: (Score:2, Interesting)

        by essinger (781940)
        Dude, it's even cheaper than the other reply says. If Microsft finds out you are a developer they will send you all the shit you need FOR FREE. They've given me three copies of Vista Ultimate, a copy of server 2008 enterprise, a couple copies of visual studio pro, a copy of the mobile development kit, and a couple copies of SQL server.

      • Replace that $1100 iMac with a $599 Mac mini. Buy RAM, monitor, keyboard and mouse from a local shop, install yourself. Total price: a lot less than $1100.

    • No, they're basing the cut on how data-heavy your app is, not the number of people using it. So, T-Mobile would take a smaller cut from GTalk, and a bigger cut from SlingPlayer. The number of users is irrelevant. Also, all of T-Mobile's data plans (from the $6 tZones to the $20 BIS and "Total Internet") are unlimited. If you don't have a data plan, then it is by usage.

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