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Why I’m still not convinced its worth making an iPhone app, yet

Both Blue and Illusion have been talking about iPhone app development and saying I should give it a go. Today after watching Blues Hello World app, I figure that providing the app doesn’t get too complicated (which is the main idea behind cheap iPhone apps) and the fact theres a lot of code snippets of code on the net, that it shouldn’t be too difficult to develop an iPhone app.

So to develop a simple app which I could sell, could only take  a couple of weeks.

However, I don’t think theres many market niches left open. Also from past experience, I’m not skilled at coming up which great program ideas.

If I’m only going to develop a simple program, its a fact that someone will develop something better and the technology will change fairly soon.

Therefore if I’m luckly in a year I reckon I could expect to make a thousand pound or two at most.

This seems a lot of time and effort to make such little money, granted, what else would I do with my time, well I can develop my skills and get a good job and I can concentrate on my kids program which perhaps may only need a couple of months to reach completion.

If I start yet another project other goals and projects suffer.

by JM

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{ 11 } Comments

  1. illusion | October 4, 2009 at 12:04 pm | Permalink

    Well the niches which exist are few, but you can build on
    what other people have made. There are plently of apps
    which look rubbish, don’t work like they are supposed to
    etc. If you have a look through iTunes and read the
    reviews which people put, you will find at least 20% of
    buyers didn’t get what they expect/wanted… which
    means you can make a program which does what the app
    does, does what they ACTUALLY want to do and more.

    Also you have the advantage of being experienced with
    kids programs, you’re sitting on a huge niche right there.
    Granted 4yr olds arn’t able to buy apps, but their parents
    are. So have a look for kids programs which you could
    make, or even make a iPhone version of what you are
    selling. At the very least putting that on your site will
    attract visitors who search for iPhone apps for kids.

    By DN

  2. Blueskimonkey | October 4, 2009 at 12:12 pm | Permalink

    I mainly learnt my iPhone coding from a few books I purchased, at first I followed
    examples until I was at the stage to know how to search for stuff I need then it was
    just a case of putting the app together.

    To date I have not had an original idea however I have made an app which is more
    simple to use.

    However I now have an original idea at the moment which I will be coding soon, it
    has only come to me after weeks / months of playing around with the iPhone XCode
    etc.

    DN is right you could target kids apps, a lot of parents do let their kids use their
    iTouch or iPhone whilst travelling or waiting around etc.

    To date I have made £450 since the 1st August from a none original idea iPhone app
    it is possibly the most user friendly one on the app store and perhaps why it does
    well, development time was short as well around 3/4 evenings at a guess. My app is
    flawed at the moment and I only get sales from the UK hopefully with V2 it will
    attract sales from the rest of europe and bring in more cash.

  3. Dipsy | October 4, 2009 at 12:49 pm | Permalink

    Is it worth it ?

  4. illusion | October 4, 2009 at 12:50 pm | Permalink

    Simple answer. Yes! :)

  5. Dipsy | October 4, 2009 at 1:00 pm | Permalink

    Why?

  6. illusion | October 4, 2009 at 1:02 pm | Permalink

    Well as Blue said, a simple unoriginal idea made basic
    and easy to use nets him £450 a month pure profit. How
    many other programs on their own can do that?

    By DN

  7. Dipsy | October 4, 2009 at 1:10 pm | Permalink

    But how long will that last ? before something else comes along and blows the platform out the window.

  8. illusion | October 4, 2009 at 1:13 pm | Permalink

    well based on the news, they say the app market will last
    for about 20 years before it all dies out.
    That’s why you build simple apps, if they can supplement
    your income or provide extra for your programs you sell
    on the pc then it’s all good.
    Yeah nothing is forever, that’s why you have to make the
    most of the gold rush :)

    By DN

  9. Dipsy | October 4, 2009 at 2:38 pm | Permalink

    “supplement your income”

    I think thats the main point.
    I know your a student and thats what you need at the moment.

    But to commit to something you have to have goals and I’m not sure that as such this is something I’d like to invest into.

    Having said this I may well have no better thing to do and may give it a try, but its not something you want to invest a lot of time and effort into.

  10. illusion | October 4, 2009 at 3:24 pm | Permalink

    Again maybe.. if you feel that supplementing your income
    is earning about £3/4 thousand pounds a week, then I
    would love your real job ;)

  11. Dipsy | October 4, 2009 at 3:34 pm | Permalink

    Cant see that happening

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