Good news for Pebble and iOS users: Pebble has just posted on Reddit that it is working with Apple to make sure that rejections like this will no longer happen.
Still a work-in-progress, but we’re working with Apple to clear up any misunderstandings to make sure rejections like the handful of recent ones don’t happen again – they’re being super responsive the concerns that bubbled up (much appreciated!). Apps are still getting approved with mentions of Pebble support in the description or metadata (e.g. RunKeeper). For now, developers should continue with their iOS app update plans and approval submissions to the iTunes store as normal (i.e. include Pebble support in your app info if that was your original intent).
…completely unfounded. So is typical of the android nut who moonlights with macbooks. I know so many of them.
It obviously wasn’t unfounded at the time, before apple changed it’s earlier stance. One has to wonder just how much of a role the media has in deciding these things. If there were no media & blogger coverage, I’m skeptical that apple would have changed its mind at all. It seems likely the apps would remain blocked for mentioning support for Pebble. So thank you Thom, for making a difference!
There were many apps with pebble listed in it’s metadata. Runkeeper being one of them. Thom jumped the gun.
“There are 401 iOS apps that work with Pebble smartwatches, and many of them have been updated recently.”
– wired
The forum also has other developers who were blocked for showing Pebble support, as well as some who weren’t. Who knows why, maybe they were rolling out a new policy, maybe it was incompetence, etc… The reason doesn’t really matter as long as apple corrects the problem and doesn’t deny any apps just for mentioning Pebble in the future. But we must keep in mind that the developer actually did appeal the denial and Apple continued to insist Pebble references be removed.
So I submit to you that these particular devs might not have had a recourse in apple’s approval process if it weren’t for the media involvement.
Edited 2015-04-25 04:23 UTC
“Moonlight”?
Or, how about, practical? It fits their needs? Only fanboys thinks people must only buy from one vendor.
Glad to see apple is backing down this time, it makes me wonder what went on behind the scenes with regards to lawyers and such.
Ideally we’d get more clarification: Does this actually signify a policy change for all developers or is apple just making a policy exception here for Pebble developers because they’ve made the media?
Backing down, or maybe it was the usual media storm in a teacup over some perceived Vendor lockout. Apple gets this more often because of the rest of their overbearing policies, but this happens all over the industry.