Unauthorized Stores Spring Up To Sell iPhone Apps

The Wall Street Journal

At least three online stores are preparing to enter the iPhone apps market, the Journal reported.

The first is a Web site from the developer of the Cydia service. Cydia is an application that turns a standard iPhone into a modified, or "jailbroken," iPhone on which unauthorized iPhone applications can be installed and run.

The second is a store called "Rock Your Phone," aimed at helping users with unmodified iPhones download and purchase unauthorized applications.

The third is an online store specializing in selling iPhone adult games.

Keeping control of the iPhone application market is important to Apple, which in January reported sales of 4.4 million iPhones in the three-month period ended Dec. 27, 2008, an increase of 88 percent over the same period in 2007.

Apple collects a 30 percent commission from sellers of authorized applications on its online store, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Apple regularly prevents iPhone applications from being made available on its online store.

Some of those apps include Mailwrangler, which would allow iPhone users to switch between multiple Gmail accounts; NetShare, which in effect allows an iPhone to be used as a wireless modem for a laptop or desktop PC; Obama Trampoline, a game which lets users bounce U.S. politicians on a virtual trampoline; South Park, which Apple deemed potentially offensive; and I Am Rich, which did nothing but load a ruby-red icon on the home screen, for which eight people paid $999.99 before it was yanked from the store.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment.