We have spent endless hours trying to get '' You " back up on the store. The timeline is as follows. The app was up and running beginning of November. it was removed by Apple on the 4 of November from the store because it resembled a desktop. (picture 1) And we agreed that it did! We have been trying to get the app live again, since the app sold well in the few days it was live and we owe a live app to those customers. We stripped down everything and the ( black ) image is what we submitted as a replacement. Today after waiting more than 20 days we were told that we are only allowed one item per page. So we need to remove the date and the clock from our home page only displaying the weather. So in essence each page can't have more than one piece of information. He guaranteed me every app on the store only has one item per page and we need to do the same to be reconsidered! Not being able to show basic information like the time combined with weather would make this App a scrolling nightmare and basically useless. Any ideas how to get out of this mess?
I saw an app recently that had weather and time on the same page. It's called Weather+, if you want to take a look at it. Their page is more filled tho, so it doesn't really look like a desktop. Maybe they think yours looks more like a desktop because of the larger amounts of blank space in the middle.
you can't have weather and time on the same screen? lol you should point your fellow reviewer from hell to open up apples own weather app.. i see , my carrier, the time, my batterie status.. and under it i see the weather forecast fo the next week.. ohh hell wait a moment... the TIME AND WEATHER.. on one screen... O_O whohooo.. whats going one.. i feel swamped with information.. yes this is getting ridiculous..
You're being jerked around. It sounds like you're app has been flagged and is on a blacklist, and that the reviewer(s) are going to try and find any excuse to not approve it. There's enough subjective nonsense in the approval guidelines that attempting to reason with the reviewer is unlikely to help. You're best bet may be to submit a "new" app altogether with different look and title and hope you get another reviewer. What's really weird about your situation is that you'd already been approved and live - I wonder what triggered someone at Apple to suddenly pull it.
Strictly speaking in terms of interface (not sure if it works best for your app's purpose): Maybe it would be accepted if you centered the analog clock (maybe making it even larger, if you already have the higher-res media assets), pushed higher the forecast graphics for the next 3 days and cycled between the clock and the forecast data via some fade in/out effects, so that at any time (except during transition) there is a single piece of prominent info (either time or weather). You should balance carefully the transition times and possibly pimp a bit everything by adding some slide animation to the forecast info, but it might work. ... or try Stroffolino's suggestion and save yourself the effort of tweaking it again In any case good luck and HTH!
We resubmitted an update and hit dead on with this reviewer. He removed the app swiftly. The fact that he waits forever just to tell us the app is rejected is also odd. No email nothing just a quick call. I am now noticing the alarm apps that have received " New and Noteworthy" status all have time and weather together on the opening page. So not only do they allow two items on a page they reward it. I have asked for a new reviewer, because at one point even if we have one item per page the app is useless and can't compete against apps that show everything on the opening page
I think what happens is the person who rejected the app is the reviewer that is used to reinstate the app. I requested a new reviewer and just got off the phone with someone with great patience. He is now in charge of this app. He basically is worried that if we strip the app down to 1 item per page that the app wouldn't be great. So he is worried that it might take months of back and forth to get the desk top problem solved. This sure is a tough call. "You" was a great personal tool to manage a users day. Now it will be weather with an alarm clock down the hallway.
I like the original version. If anything, at least release the original version that will probably be almost completely different from the version Apple does eventually approve on Cydia so the original concept doesn't get completely lost.
Ok, seriously? a useful app that looks like a DESKTOP can be rejected, when a whole slew of fart machines, games that are borderline unplayable and other schlock get released? I'd go with the "resubmitting it under a different name" option. Maybe tweak it a bit, I suppose, but I like the original. it feels.. homey.
I think Apple's guidelines mention no 'widgety-desktop' apps which to me, this does look like. In your shoes I might try redesigning the interface so it appears altogether more integrated and like a single composed picture. Good luck!
As XyrisKenn suggested, make it look like a physical bedside clock type device (ie a graphical surround that makes it look like each panel is a screen or dial on the clock).
