Phil Schiller on App Store Knockoffs in 2012: ‘Is No One Reviewing These Apps?’
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At the time, Temple Run was an extremely popular iOS exclusive title, and in February 2012, a fake version of Temple Run hit the App Store charts. Schiller sent out an e-mail to Eddy Cue, Greg Joswiak, Ron Okamoto, Phillip Shoemaker, Matt Fischer, Kevin Saul, and others on the App Store group. “What the hell is this????” he asked. “How does an apparent swindle of the super popular Temple Run, with no screenshots, garbage marketing text, and nearly all 1-star scores become the # 1 totally free app on the store?”
” Is no one reviewing these apps? Is nobody minding the shop?” he ranted on, before asking whether individuals remembered a talk about becoming the “Nordstrom” of App Stores in quality of service.
Phil Schiller, 2015:
” [this rip-off app] is a terrific example of the stuff we ought to have automatic tools to kick and discover out of the store. I cant believe we still do not.” …” and PLEASE develop a system to automatically find low rated apps and purge them !!” pic.twitter.com/fhFvja7vXs
— Jacob Terry (@jerkob) May 5, 2021
Fraud iOS apps that defraud users and mimic genuine apps continue to be a problem to this day. In recent months, developer Kosta Eleftheriou has actually taken to speaking out against rip-off apps and highlighting noteworthy frauds in the App Store, bringing additional attention to the problem.
Phil Schiller in 2012, after a rip-off app hit # 1: “What the hell is this?????
… Is no one examining these Apps? Is nobody minding the store?” pic.twitter.com/pNaozl6hv1
— Patrick McGee (@PatrickMcGee_) May 3, 2021
Since that 2012 rant, App Store reviewers have continued to deal with knockoff apps that simulate real apps. A second document highlighted Minecraft knockoffs that had made it into the App Store not when, however two times, and was consuming Minecraft sales, and in a third 2015 document, Schiller comments that he “cant think” that Apple does not have automated tools to kick and find out scam apps.
At the time, Temple Run was an extremely popular iOS exclusive title, and in February 2012, a phony version of Temple Run hit the App Store charts. Schiller sent out an e-mail to Eddy Cue, Greg Joswiak, Ron Okamoto, Phillip Shoemaker, Matt Fischer, Kevin Saul, and others on the App Store group. “How does an obvious rip off of the extremely popular Temple Run, with no screenshots, garbage marketing text, and nearly all 1-star rankings end up being the # 1 free app on the shop?”
Phil Schiller in 2012, after a rip-off app struck # 1: “What the hell is this?????
… Is no one reviewing evaluating Apps?