Cleaning up the (app) store

My original post is here on LinkedIn.

Apple is finally making good on their promise to clean the (app) store shelves and it’s coming sooner than you think. January 1st is the deadline Apple has given many app developers to clean up their own mess. What’s interesting about that date is how the Apple app review process mostly grinds to a halt after December 22 when most of Apple (except retail) shuts down for the holiday break.  What I also find interesting (and refreshing) is that Apple is broadening the scope of what they consider as candidates for removal or rejection. Not only are they targeting template-created apps from commercial app-generation tools, but also apps which are low quality, or even white-labeled apps.  What is a white-labeled app? A good example of this is a little league sports team app that is customized by changing basic attributes like app icon, color, or labels for each team or league. Apple has decided to push app creators to up their game. Apple wants well designed and developed apps offering value to the market. Quality over quantity.  I’m looking forward to the app store landscape ahead. What are your thoughts?

App Store Review Guidelines