In what many would see as a fairly bizarre move, Apple Inc. yesterday released a new app on the iOS App Store called iAd Gallery, the sole purpose of which is – you guessed it – to be a gallery for iAds. What purpose this app serves is completely unknown, except perhaps for back-slapping marketing agencies to show their client show nice their ad looks on an iPhone.
This seems to be yet another case of Apple telling their users and developers to do as they say, not as they do. Engadget points out that an iOS developer recently had a similar app called Ad Tube rejected by the App Store gatekeepers for having “not enough user functionality.” Apple also seem to be in breach of their own guidelines, as clause 7.3 states that “Apps that are designed predominantly for the display of ads will be rejected.”
Of course the underlying story here is the relative invisibility of iAds as a platform. Whereas Google Inc.’s AdWords service is fairly ubiquitous on Android, and is turning into a real money-spinner for some developers (Rovio reported they had made $1 million from Adwords ads in the first month of Angry Birds being released on the platform), iAds is used in comparatively few iOS apps – most developers opting to go the paid route instead of a free, ad-supported version.
Of course Apple is keen to push their fledgling advertising service, however what purpose this new app serves (apart from reminding iOS developers that Apple is free to bend or break the rules as they see fit) is a complete mystery. Nevertheless, the iOS faithful seem to be enjoying it, rating it a solid 4/5 stars. One reviewer astutely notes:
“Pretty nice app, but it would be even better if you could use in app purchase to remove the ads.”
