Landscape Email Apps - Is Apple Easing Up on Rejection Policy?

[MacRumors]

This morning saw the release of four applications that offer you the ability to compose emails in landscape mode.

- Wide Email - $0.99
- Sideways - $1.99
- Touchtype (Landscape Email) - $0.99
- Compose - $4.99

Not speaking to the value of these apps, but on the surface it seems surprising that Apple would approve these apps after rejecting some others due to duplicating functionality "without providing sufficient differentiation". Is Apple easing up on its rejection policy?

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[mainstreetmark]

I don't know what to make of this! I doubt any of these apps offer anywhere near the sophistication of Mail itself. It appears all they do is compose mail FOR Mail, which is kind of strange.

I think these Apps will increase Apple's incentive to sidewaysify Mail. Them being allowed into the store indicated that Apple is NOT working on this ability for release anytime soon.

But, at least it shows it's possible! Now, if someone would write a clickwheel type music player so my iPod can act like an iPod again, I'd be very pleased.

[Waiting4MacBook]

I don't want it THAT bad.

[Samarium]

I bet that Apple will make Mail to be in landscape mode in future updates.

[hayduke]

Originally Posted by Samarium

I bet that Apple will make Mail to be in landscape mode in future updates.

I agree, it is oddly annoying that this isn't already possible.

[That-Is-Bull]

Originally Posted by mainstreetmark

Now, if someone would write a clickwheel type music player so my iPod can act like an iPod again, I'd be very pleased.

So instead of vertically scrolling through your music, you'd rather have half your screen taken up by a clickwheel just so you can move your finger in a circle?

wat?

[Hooka]

Strike while the iron is hot, get that fart app (pull my finger) up ASAP!!!

[mortfe]

Great start, but only says 'email'. What about sending SMS. I think texting is done more than emailing.

[Kwill]

Some of these apps have been around since April. I doubt if that means Apple is "easing up on rejection policy." Apparently these and others like vCard Mailer do not threaten core Apple business, nor are they alternative email applications per se, just interfaces for sending data via the existing iPhone Mail application.

BTW: Based on advertised features, Sideways appears to be the best of the bunch. (App Store links to TouchType Web Site and Support are broken.)

[meagain]

Darn. I only see "composing" email. Not reading. It's a nightmare to read "group" type emails in vertical mode.

I want to "read" emails in landscape. At least something's going in the right direction.

[Vandam500]

This is the question:

Why didn't Apple implement this into all the standard apps (SMS,Email,etc) and why haven't they added it yet?

[rstansby]

Originally Posted by meagain

Darn. I only see "composing" email. Not reading. It's a nightmare to read "group" type emails in vertical mode.

I want to "read" emails in landscape. At least something's going in the right direction.

+1 my general practice to increase text size on web pages is to turn the screen sideways, I wish I could do that in Mail.

[Darkroom]

i would assume that apple is just being random and thoughtless still...

[rstansby]

Originally Posted by Vandam500

This is the question:

Why didn't Apple implement this into all the standard apps (SMS,Email,etc) and why haven't they added it yet?

I assume they did it because they felt there wasn't enough room on the screen for the keyboard and more than a couple lines of the email.

I would still like the option.

[xerxes2008]

I'm the developer of Wide Email...

First of all, the price of the app really is 99 cents, despite what the app's info page on iTunes says right now. The change hasn't propagated all the way through their system yet .. but if you do a search in iTunes, you'll see the correct price of 99 cents, so I'm sure that's what you would be charged. The info page should update soon.

Second, about SMS and reading emails in the wide-screen orientation ... neither is possible with the current SDK. If and when it is, I'll be sure to add those features.

Hope you all like the app!

--pat

[xerxes2008]

As for Apple adding this landscape mode in a future update of Mail ...

My suspicion (after waiting 6 frickin weeks for them to approve Wide Email!) is that they won't, at least not soon. Yes, I'm biased but here's my thinking: I think the reason for the delay was because Apple's app review team wanted to check first that this landscape mode wasn't slated for a soon-to-be-released update, which would make the apps redundant. That might have taken a while, since I doubt the average app reviewer is privy to Apple's plans for future iPhone OS updates.

The fact that they approved these four apps, to me, suggests that the feature is not coming soon to Mail.

Anyway, that's my guess, so take it for what it's worth. But if you think about it, even if they add that feature in a few months, is 99 cents much to spend to have that functionality in the meantime??

Wide Email developer,
pat

[meagain]

Pat - thanks! Will patiently wait for abililty to read emails in landscape. I have a Yahoo groups list that makes it very hard to read. I'm fine with normal email.

[Spaceboy88]

I downloaded your Wide Email app. I like it. I left feedback on the App Store because I noticed an issue right away when composing a long message and rotating the screen back to normal, the top 1/2 of my message gets cut off. It sends it fully to email, so it's not losing anything, but it'd be nice to be able to review the entire thing right away.

Also, There's no auto-cap in the subject line.

Other than that, it's great and is well worth the 99¢ until Apple puts this in natively. (And it was 99¢ to buy via iPhone, still says $1.99 on ITMS.

[jessica.]

If Apple is easing up on the rejection policy then those developers who created wonderful application such as the podcast streaming application should be allowed to resubmit. Apple should have had their ducks in a row from the start. This is bad business imho.

[xerxes2008]

Spaceboy88:

That's strange ... did you try pressing "done" to drop the keyboard out of view and scroll around the message? I didn't see that when I was testing it, and neither did any of my beta testers.

Good idea about auto-cap in the subject line .. I'll add that in the next update, which will be coming soon (Apple app-review gods willing)

Glad you like the app, and thanks for buying it!

--pat

[deannnnn]

I am VERY surprised at Apple's decision to add these apps.
It's great, don't get me wrong... just very surprising.

[mainstreetmark]

Originally Posted by That-Is-Bull

So instead of vertically scrolling through your music, you'd rather have half your screen taken up by a clickwheel just so you can move your finger in a circle?

wat?

No, when PLAYING music, I would like a clickwheel so I can track around a song, or switch between tracking and ratings, like every other iPod. I'm fine with scrolling to choose, but if I want to rewind a podcast, I have to hold down the REW button like I'm using a Zune.

[viggen61]

Originally Posted by That-Is-Bull

So instead of vertically scrolling through your music, you'd rather have half your screen taken up by a clickwheel just so you can move your finger in a circle?

wat?

Actually I seem to recall that Apple patented an interface where a "virtual scrollwheel" would pop onto the screen, overlaying the rest of the screen (with a degree of transparency, of course).

I hunted here for 20 minutes, and could not locate the link)

For 90% of my interaction with the iPod in my iPhone, what they give you is just fine. But, I listen to Podcasts, and occasionally need to jog forward or backwards a short bit, to re-play something, or make sure I heard what I thought I heard, and the available methods are far too imprecise.

Using the "scrubber bar" invariably overshoots the desired spot by many minutes in a 1-hour or more (I listen to MacBreak Weekly & other TWiT shows) podcast, and using the FF/REW buttons on the bottom of the screen can take an excruciatingly long time to jog anywhere.

If I could just have a virtual scrollwheel to zip through, like you can on an iPod, my iPhone's iPod would be perfect.

[Spaceboy88]

Originally Posted by xerxes2008

Spaceboy88:

That's strange ... did you try pressing "done" to drop the keyboard out of view and scroll around the message? I didn't see that when I was testing it, and neither did any of my beta testers.

Good idea about auto-cap in the subject line .. I'll add that in the next update, which will be coming soon (Apple app-review gods willing)

Glad you like the app, and thanks for buying it!

--pat

You know, that was my bad. I didn't realize I was supposed to hit the "Done" button since the "Send to Email" was there as well. I just tried it again and hit "done" and it worked fine.

[xerxes2008]

Spaceboy88:

Cool, glad it's working for you!

--pat