Developer’s Android Market Complaints In Perspective
| by Rob Jackson on May 3rd, 2009 |
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We hear more than our fair share of complaints about the Android Market. And I admit, I do my fair share of whining. But when put in perspective that is ALL we are really doing… whining. Developers of the heralded iPhone are being screwed left and right.
I just wanted to point you folks to the TechCrunch article about this situation and offer some quotes from iPhone Developers found on Gizmodo – parts from both quoted below. Constructive criticism and complaints in context are all good but lets take a moment to recognize what a fantastic job Google and the OHA have done thus far.
TechCrunch passage:
Apple’s contract, … , says that payment will be made to developers within 45 days of the end of the month. Developers are claiming that there are massive delays in payments for as early as last fall and are not being paid the amount of money that the developers are in fact due from sales. One developer, who hasn’t been paid since November 2008, forwarded us an email chain between Apple’s App Store finance team and himself. An Apple employee, who was responding to the developers complaints, wrote that the developer’s continued emails about the late payments was “bordering on harassment,” and claimed that the finance team receives thousands of emails a day and couldn’t get to his right away. Another developer on the forum says that he hasn’t been paid since September and is owed close to $7000 for sales.
iPhone Dev Quotes from Gizmodo:
30 something year old family man with bills to pay owed 1,000’s (soon to be 10’s of thousands if March is missed also) here.
I’m with you. I am a 30 year old work-from-home Dad of 2 kids. I’m owed probably about $10k at this point ($2k from past months, $8k from the month with no payments or financial reports yet).
This is a BIG deal for me and my family.
Over $10,000 here. Family, kids, mortgage etc. Mails unanswered etc. In dispair. No where to go. They don’t reply to emails and there is no number. Can’t do anything physically because I’m in the European Union.
Apple still owes me more than $7,500 since September 2008 for US and World regions. I supplied them with a new SWIFT code and a intermediary bank they could use last month, but still nothing. Sent them tons of emails but I never got to know what is really wrong/faulty so I just tried to give them another SWIFT code that DNB (Biggest bank in Norway) uses. All other region payments have been OK.
Apple owes me near $2000 since Feb. Zero payment received. Zero email replies.
If you have similar horror stories about Android Market, by all means, speak now or forever hold your peace. But otherwise, lets take a moment to appreciate Android Market and realize that our when put in perspective, our complaints merely amount to nit-picking (mine especially). Also just want to recognize and thank all of the Android developers who have contributed to what Android has become. It is only getting better!
1. Jacob wrote on May 3, 2009
I see that as a plus for Android. Google seems to take paying developers very seriously, it’s the least Apple can do to at least pay Devs monthly.
2. Elmdroid wrote on May 3, 2009
Hear hear, guys!
3. Jason D wrote on May 3, 2009
BLASPHEMY!
How dare you speak of of Almighty Apple. May Steve smite you where you stand!!
4. Rob Jackson wrote on May 3, 2009
Smite me? If anything he would suffocate or strangle me with his black turtleneck hehe.
5. Jacob wrote on May 3, 2009
@Rob Lol
But seriously Apple really should take payments more seriously
6. Tyler Miller wrote on May 3, 2009
One plus after the dust settles. We may see an influx of Apple Devs becoming Android Devs. Bonus points.
7. Rob wrote on May 3, 2009
This is bullshit..
This is ANOTHER case of a company taking advantage of the people that MAKE their product. Think about it, What exactly would the iPhone be without the support of all the developers that took part in making apps for them?
The nerve of Apple to make commercials and shit flaunting their apps when the people that are responsible for their ability to do so are fucking starving. Nonsense.
8. Andrex wrote on May 3, 2009
I think the Android Market doesn’t have this problem because it uses Google Checkout, which is already established worldwide and is a proven system. Apple has to use their own new payment scheme instead of trusted and true one, and that’s what’s causing these problems.
9. Manacit wrote on May 3, 2009
Wow, once it gets to be >$1000 I would honestly begin to take legal action, hundreds of developers taking legal action would surely scare Apple into paying people what they deserve..
I’ll ask my friend’s dad who is a dev, see if he’s been paid recently :|
10. cray wrote on May 3, 2009
this is the lowest form of humankinds greediness.
this incident rivals Enron and Watergate and other
major corporation scandals.
fight the power.
11. snctln wrote on May 4, 2009
As an Android dev I am generally jealous of the high volume of sales that iPhone developers get but after seeing this story i am very happy to say that at least I get paid 5 times a week (M-F), Google checkout has its limitations, but it is nice to know that within 5 days of a sale the money is direct deposited into my checking account :)
12. Andrex wrote on May 4, 2009
Watergate wasn’t a “major corporation scandal” though…
13. Trent Reznor: Nobody Has An Android Phone | Android Phone Fans wrote on May 4, 2009
[...] to the Application and apparently includes one too many F-bombs. Yes… Apple is not only screwing their developers but is also imposing ridiculous limitations on what content their customers and users are allowed [...]
14. Androman wrote on May 4, 2009
Only USA and UK developers can get paid for apps on Android Market… The rest of us have to give apps for free and that is not good for USA and UK developers since people will rather have free apps and we can’t sell them…
When will this be possible we don’t know maybe next year?
15. Maj wrote on May 4, 2009
@snctln so true about the amounts of crazy sales on itunes store, wish Android market would get as active. I haven’t heard so far any success story for making android apps, sometimes i start wishing i can develop for apple but im not going to end up buying an overly priced computer just for development
16. Grant wrote on May 4, 2009
Hi. I am a 26 year old genius developer with 8 bastard children and a wife with a crazy-big plastic surgery bill. I developed that application where you can take a picture of someone, and crush them with multi-touch gestures, or shake them like a baby. It’s called iHate people. Apple still owes me $9,502, and a shirt with Steve Jobs face on it :( I am soooo screwed. My wife is telling me that if i don’t get this fixed soon, she will have to sell her implants on Craigslist, and my lovers are threatening to take me to daytime court TV! AAAPPLE!
I guess it’s kinda pointless protesting the reliability of geek crunch propaganda on a website largely devoted to rumor and supposition, but I felt like it was the right thing to do. Can we still be friends Phandroid?
17. cray wrote on May 4, 2009
you dont consider the United States government a major corporation??
18. Rakem wrote on May 5, 2009
Thnx Devs….I don’t like apples anyway….