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Apple Approves iPhone 4 LED Flashlight Apps

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MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Immediately after the iPhone 4 was released, Michael D'Ulisse of MoreBluSky came up with the idea to make an app that used the iPhone 4's camera flash as a Flashlight. Apparently, he wasn't alone as a number of other Flashlight apps were apparently also submitted to the App Store. Despite submitting his app the day following the iPhone 4's release, however, the app hadn't been quickly approved by Apple.

D'Ulisse contacted Apple about the delay and was told that such apps would be rejected as "inappropriate use of hardware". The developer then reached out to Apple's Phil Schiller who promised to meet with the App Review department to review their policy. D'Ulisse's arguments must have been convincing as after some consideration, Apple has approved MoreBluSky's Flashlight - For iPhone 4 app as well as the many other iPhone 4 flashlight apps in their approval queue. Each app, however, must include a disclaimer that continued use of the iPhone's LED may dramatically decrease battery life.



Article Link: Apple Approves iPhone 4 LED Flashlight Apps
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2010/07/07/apple-approves-iphone-4-led-flashlight-apps/
gmanist1000

gmanist1000

macrumors 68030
Sep 22, 2009
2,833
824
Great news! Will be a lot easier than using my iPhone's screen as the flashlight. Although, will this be available with multitasking, for example, if I receive a text message I wonder if I can answer it, with the flash staying on?
 
ChromeAce

ChromeAce

macrumors 6502a
Jun 11, 2009
584
899
Great! So when will Apple start approving other useful hardware apps like call recording?
 
Small White Car

Small White Car

macrumors G4
Aug 29, 2006
10,966
1,463
Washington DC
Excellent.

That light makes a fantastic flashlight. I've been using the video-camera app, but the button to turn it on is quite tiny.

I'm looking forward to apps with controls that are fine-tuned for this specific use.
 
dieburnbot

dieburnbot

macrumors 6502a
Aug 18, 2008
928
2
CA
What a waste of money. You can do this for free. Open up the camera app, set the slider to video, and turn flash on. The flash will stay on. I would get this if you plan on running the flashlight for long periods of time. If you mostly use it for short period just use the camera app.
 
BornAgainMac

BornAgainMac

macrumors 604
Feb 4, 2004
7,282
5,268
Florida Resident
Or free apps with iAds? Come on developers.

Right now I use the Video Camera mode to use the light so I know if the app disables the screen it should improve the battery if used as just a flashlight. Maybe have the screen flash with an iAd every minute or something to make it free.
 
Winni

Winni

macrumors 68040
Oct 15, 2008
3,207
1,196
Germany.
ChromeAce said:
Great! So when will Apple start approving other useful hardware apps like call recording?
Click to expand...

The question should be: When does Apple finally drop their completely useless approval process and when will they finally be forced to open their devices to competing AppStores?

It should be up to the customer to decide whether an application is acceptable or not. End of story.
 
tonyeck

tonyeck

macrumors 6502
Sep 3, 2004
365
0
Las Vegas, NV
Funny when people claim first without any real claims to back it up! :D

People have been talking about using the LED as a light when Gizmodo had the prototype phone
 
A

aardwolf

macrumors 6502
May 30, 2007
383
211
You know I'm cheap when I'm going to write my own rather than spend $1 on a pre-built one.
 
O

oahazmatt

macrumors member
Jun 22, 2010
39
0
Just purchased it and tried it out. Works as promised. Looks like it will be a lot more helpful than previous Flashlight apps.
 
M

muskratboy

macrumors 6502
Jun 7, 2007
344
0
Winni said:
The question should be: When does Apple finally drop their completely useless approval process .
Click to expand...

well... USELESS is pretty strong. since google's "open" app store is having real problems with that.

the "useless" approval process is EXACTLY the reason there are so many apps, so few malwares, and the whole thing works as well as it does.

so maybe calm down on the "useless" system that's gotten you 100K apps and a thriving ecosystem, ok?
 
A

Advil

macrumors 6502a
Oct 4, 2008
860
231
do any of these use the brighter setting? when you take a pic it does two flashes, one regular and one bright.
 
3

3583582

Suspended
Jan 6, 2009
163
0
Winni said:
The question should be: When does Apple finally drop their completely useless approval process and when will they finally be forced to open their devices to competing AppStores?

It should be up to the customer to decide whether an application is acceptable or not. End of story.
Click to expand...

That would be a huge disappointment if it would ever happened. It'd be fine with a separate "open" store but I don't want the App Store to change. Rather I want Nokia etc to create their own version of the Apple App Store..
 
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