Image Source: clutterfree.com.au
There are a number of reports on the web this weekend on Apple ‘s responses to the FCC ‘s request for information regarding the recent Google Voice app rejection “ including this one at TechCrunch. Sites like Daring Fireball have done some reviewing of some of the numbers contained in Apple ‘s responses about the App Store, its number of reviewers, and the volume of apps that get reviewed.
Two very striking numbers revealed by Apple, especially when taken together, are these: 8,500 new apps and updates per week to review, and 40 full-time trained reviewers to handle that load.
Looking at those two numbers together leads to some pretty obvious thoughts pretty quickly:
- Wow, I feel sorry for those 40 reviewers.
- Wow, I feel even more sorry for developers whose livelihood may depend on the whims of those hugely overworked reviewers.
- Since every app apparently needs to be reviewed by two reviewers, that works out to around 80 apps PER DAY that each reviewer has to handle. 10 per hour if they work an 8 hour day.
- That works out to 6 minutes spent per app, on average, even if they take zero breaks during their 8 hours. I ‘m sure some apps require less time than others and so on “ but any way you slice it, that just sounds ridiculous.
- With these sort of numbers it is no surprise at all that we see crazy, dumb approvals and rejections of apps, that later have to be reversed.
- It ‘s also no surprise that we see so much inconsistency in the decisions being made.
Honestly, with that sort of crazy volume of apps to reviewers, it ‘s a wonder they ever get anything right at all in the reviews process.
Doesn ‘t Apple have something like a $40 billion cash pile? Could they maybe take a portion of that and hire some more reviewers? Like a whole hell of a lot more reviewers.
As someone who believes that it is all about the apps / the platform when it comes to the smartphone arena, it seems absurd to me that Apple is not devoting more “ as in, much,much more “ resource to this area.
What do you all think? Do you now dream of a glamorous and exciting career as an apps reviewer?
Continue reading:
- Everything New Apple Just Announced (Septembe
- Apple Watch Pre-Order
- Apple Research Kit launches with 5 Apps
- Apple TV now only $69
TAGS: App Store reviews process, Apple, stupid App Store policies
