That’s right folks, the iPhone App store is being rumored to launch this Thursday! According to Forbes the online store will open at noon, Eastern Time, Thursday, to coincide with when the iPhone goes on sale in New Zealand. The App store is going to play a pivotal role for iPhone’s success in the future as it’ll coincide with the iPhone 2.0 software update which will also make it to the iPod Touch. This move will mark the beginning of the recognition of the iPhone and iPod Touch as general computing devices.
The smart moves that Apple has made with App Store are the 30% share of all the software sales revenue made via App Store ( that will be the only way to distribute your app too ) and the provision of iPhone 2.0 software to the first generation iPhone and iPhone Touch. Applications will be free as well, as shown by a survey done by Apple Insider at the WDDC, which showed that the average cost of an iPhone application will fall below $3.00 with 71% of the developers aiming to publish their applications for free. Whereas, Steve Jobs told USA Today in an interview that the Apple App Store will launch with more then 500 applications on Thursday night, with 25% free applications and 90%( of those for sale ) will cost $9.99 or less.
The cult following of Apple’s products is growing so strong that even VentureBeat has decided to give live updates on the iPhone 3G live launch on FriendFeed. There have also been rumors of iTunes 7.7 launch soon, an update that will be required for the iPhone 3G.
The reactions from early reviews of the iPhone 3G have showed that it’s good, but the App Store is going to be the main highlight. Such is the power of software, that it has the potential to raise the already beloved device to whole new levels of usefulness and productivity.
A list of some applications that will probably be in the App Store at its launch has been published by Mashable. The list includes Apps for social networking, such as Loopt (which uses iPhone 3G’s GPS), SpotJots (which is microblogging with location awareness ) and everyone’s beloved, a Twitter App Twitterific. Blogging is also going to be served through the TypePad App. Newsreading will be provided by AP Mobile News Network and NetNewsWire, Photo Sharing by Phanfare, radio by AOL Radio to name a few.
According to Steve Jobs, this is going to be the biggest day of his life. Judging by the excitement of consumers ( who are lined up outside Apple Stores since a week ) for the iPhone 3G and the anticipation of the App Store, this is going to be a big week for Apple.
Update: Thanks to Espen Otterson for the update, iTunes 7.7 is out in Apple Software Update now, but not on www.apple.com/itunes yet.
iTunes 7.7 is out now (in Software Update)! Not on apple.com/itunes yet.
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“Use iTunes 7.7 to sync music, video, and more with iPhone 3G, and download applications from the iTunes Store exclusively designed for iPhone and iPod touch with software version 2.0 or later. Also use the new Remote application for iPhone or iPod touch to control iTunes playback from anywhere in your home — a free download from the App Store.”
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