Renegade App Stores for the iPhone

Yukari Iwatani Kane:

Apple Inc. faces a growing threat to its iPhone business, as renegade stores spring up online to sell unauthorized software for the device.

The developer behind some popular iPhone software on Friday plans to open a service called Cydia Store that could potentially sell hundreds of iPhone applications that are not available through Apple’s official store. Users must download special software that alters their iPhones before they can run these programs.

The idea of for-pay jailbreak app stores is an interesting development, for sure, but I think it’s a stretch to call it a threat to Apple’s iPhone business. It’s a threat to Apple’s App Store business, but Apple’s main mobile business is selling actual iPhones and iPods.

★ Friday, 6 March 2009