Apple’s rejection of an Internet radio application put forward for the iTunes Apps store has caused confusion. Not only have three previous editions of the same app been approved, but the reason given is inconsistent.

Return7, the producer of streaming radio tool CastCatcher, quotes a rejection e-mail from Apple as saying:

CastCatcher Internet Radio cannot be posted to the App Store because it is transferring excessive volumes of data over the cellular network, which as outlined in the iPhone SDK Agreement section 3.3.15, is prohibited

The firm says this decision is “ridiculous” because three previous versions of the same application all got the thumbs up. Indeed, the last approved version is still available to buy in the store.

The bandwidth claim doesn’t seem to hold up either: both AOL Radio and Pandora have iPhone apps, which are presumably just as data-hungry if not more so thanks to their popularity.

Assuming this is an intentional decision to turn down a streaming-based app, rather than a random blip in the approval process, it seems fair to wonder if Apple is under pressure from AT&T to reduce bandwidth demands among its users.

The rejection continues a pattern of inconsistency in Apple’s approval process. The firm earned criticism in September for rejecting an application which let users wirelessly download podcasts to their iPhones rather than have to transfer them via a computer. Apple said this duplicated its own services, but it appeared the real problem was that it offered a better functionality.

Apple had previously caused confusion by pulling applications which seemed perfectly legitimate, such as a movie listing service. To make things worse, it briefly approved applications that were obvious no-gos (such as one which turned the iPhone into a wireless modem, contrary to the AT&T service agreement) and even some that had no redeeming features (including a screensaver retailing at $999).

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Entry was posted on Tuesday, November 11th, 2008 at 1:04 pm under Apple, iPhone, iPod Touch.  Print This Post

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