Apple has approved an application called BdEmailer, which exactly replicates the functionality of the iPhone’s built-in Mail application. This comes as a surprise to most since Apple has been harshly rejecting most applications that duplicate functionality built into the iPhone.
BdEmailer
After Apple banned MailWrangler, PodCaster and NetShare, a pattern emerged. If an application directly duplicates functionality that Apple has built into the iPhone, chances are it would get rejected. With certain applications like NetShare, we’ve learned that Apple and AT&T are offering their own solution, thus the rejection.
So based on our experience, if an application copies something Apple already offers, or if it copies something Apple is planning to offer, most likely it will not be accepted into the App Store.
Enter BdEmailer, which clearly duplicates functionality that is present in Apple’s native Mail application. According to BadDogApps “BdEmailer is the first wide email iPhone app that supports client SMTP.” — “…the iPhone doesn’t have the ability to store messages for reuse. BdEmailer allows you to search and recall Drafts or Favorites dramatically improving your productivity.”
Not only does BdEmailer take Apple’s Mail application head-on, but the SMTP functionality is still in place! This is either a slip-up on Apple’s part, or they are loosening up the application rejection policy. Up until now apps that duplicate Apple’s own functionality have had a giant bullseye painted on them, perhaps that’s changing. As you can see from the screenshot on the left, BdEmailer does have a few hidden surprises, but for the most part it does offer functionality that many people have been asking for. Based on everything we’ve seen since the launch of the App Store, it will not be around for much longer. If you’re looking for a landscape email client and need more email functionality than what Apple currently offers, consider BdEmailer. Unless of course Apple hands us a nice gift for the holidays.
Update: After further investigation, we’re able to confirm that the application BdEmailer doesn’t exactly violate App Store rules. Neither does it exactly replicate functionality from Apple’s Mail application. TheAppleBlog believes that BdEmailer doesn’t duplicate Apple’s mail application at all. However, they are assuming that Apple plays by the rules when it comes to banning applications.
Landscape email alone, coupled with SMTP, as well as being able to send/receive and store messages, seems like a combination of functionality that Apple would ban without thinking twice. We remain fairly surprised by Apple’s policies given that this application was approved.
7 Comments to “Apple Surprisingly Approves Landscape Email App BdEmailer [U]”
As the author of the TheAppleBlog piece I can’t say that I assumed Apple “played by the rules” for banning applications. In fact, I linked to an example that alleges one app was rejected by Apple, and then accepted later with no changes. Like many bloggers, I’m not yet clear on just what “the rules” even are.
I just think that BDEmailer is not the shining example of inconsistency that early blog posts made it out to be. I believe people were either looking too hard for such examples or giving the app credit for something it cannot do. The latter is easy to do, given the app’s description on their web site.
Reply
Agreed. For the most part, we’re on the same page here. “This App Doesn’t Do What You Think it Does” — that part of your title is a bit misleading though. The application in fact does do everything that was listed. If you visit BadDogApps’ website, they mention it themselves
The thing is, this application was approved amidst a sea of crushing rejections. Not only is this confusing, but Apple’s policies are becoming even blurrier. BdEmailer may offer functionality that users are looking for. However, based on my experience since the App Store launched, and the iPhone developers I’ve spoken with, BdEmailer is seemingly similar to MailWrangler and PodCaster.
If BdEmailer gets rejected within the next few weeks we’ll know for sure.
Reply
Thanks for all the free advertising, I am amazed at all the people blogging and commenting on BdEmailer, too my surprise no one has ever contacted me to get my side of the story. BdEmailer is not a replacement for Apples Mail on the iPhone its just is to enhance sending mail not reading it. It’s a 0.99 cent app some people are talking like they paid $100 dollars for BdEmailer and there world is coming to a end, get a grip.
Apple did not miss this one they will eventually release a smtp for developers at some point, there is tons of speculation and that’s just it ..speculation.. BdEmailer went through two rejections before it was approved, as the SMTP setup had to work 100% with .mac and gmail.
Bad Dog App hopes to improve BdEmailer with each release, but all these nay sayers are not helping developers producing better apps, by expecting everything to be free, your killing off a lot of good developers. I have reviewer bad mouthing my app, how do you expect things to get better, I would love to go to there place of work the day they started and critique them,
You’ll pay for it in the end when they move to a different planform or give up because they can not make ends meat. I suggest everyone buying and complaining about iPhone apps read the article below.
http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2008/11/15/how-to-price-your-iphone-app-out-of-existence
Reply
Wait, I said your application “does offer functionality that many people have been asking for” — I never bad mouthed it if that is what you were saying. Don’t get confused by the harsh words by all of us, which are aimed at Apple’s App Store policies. See here — http://tinyurl.com/5ncrl3
Anyways, you said it yourself. Your application was rejected twice
— I am definitely not saying anything negative about your application. Me pointing out the bugs is me being fair to our community. There is no biased either way. I downloaded the application and played around with it for at least half the day, which is what I do for every application I write about.
Like I said in the post, the app does offer functionality that many users may be looking for
Reply
Bad Dog Apps,
You submitted an app for the App Store and it was accepted. Neither you nor Apple owe any explanations for that.
I was surprised that some questioned its acceptance on the Store, and wrote The Apple Blog piece to explain why. In that article I specifically avoided judging the app.
If BDEmailer is getting bad reviews on the App Store, complaining to me or Aviv isn’t going to help that.
Reply
@Tom and Aviv: You both did a good job covering the app with whole hearted honesty, which is more than we can say for some sites these days. Nothing was hidden and you said what you thought. If Bad Dog Apps is getting bad reviews in the app store, it’s because of the application itself. Not because you guys covered the story. I personally WANT to hear about error messages that are built into applications that I pay for. Free is a different story. I’ll take that.
Reply
BadDogApps, you guys need to hire a graphic designer ASAP. the icon is almost unbearable.
Reply