BlackBerry® World™ Development

[kid992]

I have had an app under review for the best part of a month and the last time I had to resubmit the app was 14 days ago, why is the App review process so slow? I know I have submitted this app during the free playbook promotion, but to be perfectly honest if it wasn't for this promotion I wouldn't even know that Blackberry had started accepting Android apps for submission. As an existing Android developer my only interest in Blackberry is to be able to port my existing Android apps to Blackberry for when they work in the new handsets later in the year. Apart from the fact that I can test them on the playbook in advance it is secondary interest to me. What I need is to be able to wait a reasonable time for a submission and expect updates more than every 14 days.

I accept that Blackberry have gone down the pre approval route but frankly I'm not sure what exactly you are protecting. This promotion may have attracted a lot of people who have written one off apps usually using online online software but you are potentially alienating a lot more potential developers. My app was rejected among other reasons because the icon was called blackberry.png instead of BlackBerry.png are you kidding? are you seriously suggesting one of the worlds biggest software companies can't write a program to change that automatically.

Apparently there are 100,000's of unsold Playbooks you would be better giving them to people that can prove they already are an Android developer.The app I submitted has been downloaded 20,000 times on Android and not once on Blackberry because you are taking two weeks to respond to each submission. After this debacle and given the size of the Blackberry app market I would be unlikely to submit further apps for consideration.

[jtegen]

Whom are you addressing this to? The majority of people helping out on this forum are developers and not RIM employees. I love all the threads of "where is my free PlayBook", and "How come it takes too long to get my free PlayBook", from new developers (for BB) that are very likely never enhance or create another app for the device. I hope that is not the case for you. I hope you get your free device and write a dozen really great apps.

Yes, the review process can be slow when hundreds of apps are being submitted each day. Normally, it is a 7-10 day review process that most developers schedule into their development time lines. Updates are normally 1 day.

I am not certain where a case sensitive image file comes into play since only a BAR file is submitted, but I am certain there is more to that.

Hope to see you apps on the market soon, so we can all download them.

[kid992]

It is addressed to anyone who cares to read it, it is a forum. I have queried the length of submission directly to Blackberry and as the thread points out there is no update or response. Your reply is that they are busy which is fine except we are all busy including Google and Apple and they do better. 

I don't have a development time line as my apps are already written and are all on the Android Market its up to Blackberry to decide how long they take to accept apps and how many resources they put into their App World its their business and future not mine. Just as I too make decisons on which apps to submit where and when depending on the time and resources required and the result acheived and getting App rejections which give the following reasons and I quote for you

Please change icon name from "Blackberry" to "BlackBerry" 

makes me personally think my time might be better spent on other platforms

[jtegen]

What kind of app is it?
Just wondering if it being delayed on the market by 1-2 weeks would make a large impact to consumers (for not having it) or to your revenue stream. If the delay is losing a large sum of money, I can perfectly understand your frustration by the RIM process. The Android process is very nice, but it does come with a price as well -- no restrictions of what is possible.

As you said, it is your choice where you spend your time.

[kid992]

Its a sports app I don't wish to say more.If there is a reason its problematic I can work on it, but it is a question of time over result. The timescale is insignificant and neither is the money important initially as Android apps won't work on Blackberry until 2 goes on the handsets later in the year but its the message it sends the frustration is immense. Its 25 dollars to register to develop on Android but there isn't an approval process I would pay the same if Blackberry could streamline things a bit more they should remember that it was them that encouraged Android developers to port to Blackberry not the other way around they need to be encouraging new developers not putting them off. Now I'm off to work on my Apps while I wait for that ever elusive Blackberry update email.

[falo]

Your frustration is understanable, but I'm not sure it warranted yet another post on the same subject.  It's not like this isn't being asked multiple times elsewhere.  You know why the review process is slow at the current time and RIM have been very forthcoming about the issues they are facing with approvals at the moment and what they are doing to address this.  It's also reasonably clear from anecdotal evidence on this forum that this is not the norm so a comparison to Apple / Android approvals at this point doesn't really add anything beyond you venting your frustrations.

Regarding the Blackberry vs BlackBerry, RIM do seem quite picky about their brand usage: http://us.blackberry.com/legal/trademarks.jsp#tab_tab_guidelines

I wouldn't care personally, but they obviously do.  Not sure why you're suggesting they should be responsible for writing some code to rectify this for you.  There's a process they have and they've obviously followed it.  Resubmit.  Get over it.

If, as you stated, your only interest is in support later in the year for handsets ... well, what's the point of this little rant then?

[AnishA]

I sent my app on the February 14th, then submitted another release on the 25th and they both got approved yesterday, you will definetely get there bro, dont worry

[AnishA]

I agree, if you are doing this just to get a playbook and will never make an app again, that is just greedy, I am making tons of apps so far. Bravo.