We know there’s no love lost between Apple and Google mainly because Google is becoming a serious rival to the computer giant but to ban the use of the word “Android” from the app store really is taking it a bit far don’t you think?
Most of the time some healthy competition can be a good thing, it spurs you on, improves quality, and generates respect, however, there is always the chance that one of the parties will become, well let’s say, a bit petty. You know then that they’re feeling the pressure.
Now Apple, most of the time, is a highly respected producer of quality products of their own and can be pretty strict when it comes to what they will and won’t allow on their app store and that’s fine.
I’m sure we could all understand why Apple wouldn’t want Google’s Voice app in its store. At the time they said it was because it duplicated the core dialler functionality of the iPhone. Nothing personal there is there?
Then they rejected Google’s Latitude app, again because it was similar to their own map application. Fair enough I suppose!
But the latest is that Apple has banned the use of the word Android in their app store. Now it’s looking personal.
According to a report in PC world, a developer by the name of Tim Novikoff, submitted his Flash of Genius app to the Apple app store and mentioned that the app was a finalist in the Android Developer Challenge.
Apple didn’t like that at all. They basically told him to get rid of the reference to Android or they wouldn’t accept it. Here’s what Apple said in their response.
“During our review of your application, we found that your application contains inappropriate or irrelevant platform information in the Application Description and/or Release Notes sections.
“While your application has not been rejected, it would be appropriate to remove ‘Finalist in Google’s Android Developer’s Challenge!’ from the Application Description.
“Please log into iTunes Connect to make appropriate changes to the Application Description now to avoid an interruption in the availability of Flash of Genius: SAT Vocab 2.2 on the iPhone App Store.”
So there’s nothing wrong with the app itself, Apple are obviously happy to accept it, but not with a description that makes any reference to their nemesis.
Novikoff isn’t making any fuss about it, he’s just happy to have his app accepted, and that’s cool.
Apple isn’t quite so cool though, Google must be really getting to them.
this is no different from microsoft banning the word “linux” on the xbox 360