Today I’m proud to unveil Audiobooks 5.0. Audiobooks is an iOS application for listening to audiobooks on your iPhone or iPad.
Today’s launch represents a near complete overhaul of the app’s appearance as well as a major update to both the content and functionality of the app. I’ll talk about the update a bit more at the end of this article but to start with I thought it might be interesting to trace its history.
On May 7, 2012 Apple released iOS 5.1.1 as an over-the-air (OTA) update. This post will continue my popular series of posts discussing the evolution of user adoption for iOS releases.
This post will present data showing how quickly users are updating to iOS 5.1.1. The data below is taken from the user base of my Audiobooks apps. Audiobooks is universal so provides data for both iPhone and iPad. The free and paid versions of Audiobooks together get around 100k weekly downloads so provides a statistically meaningful data set. This data reflects the active unique users each day across all devices.
It seems like a good half of what I read in the Apple related press contains, what they’d call on an earnings call, forward looking statements. It is quite remarkable how each and every day one of the news sites finds some tidbit or rumor to write about. I suppose it is to be expected since their page-view driven business model demands a constant stream of visitors. Apple typically only has maybe 10 announcement days each year and so the remaining 355 days have to be filled with something.
Recently, however, I’ve started to draw a distinction between two distinct kinds of forward looking statements. There are those that are extrapolations and then there is idle speculation. I’ve started skipping over the later entirely and only reading things akin to the former.
I consider extrapolations to be those things that we might surmise based on a careful examination of Apple’s past actions. They are formed by tracing a line between past actions and then using those to predict what might come next. To make reasonable extrapolations you need to be well immersed in Apple’s history and concede that you may not be able to write bold, page-view grabbing headlines. This is more the work of a skilled tracker stalking in the wild. Picking up on all the little clues Apple leaves as it moves and combining them to predict their next move.
Speculation on the other hand is more the work of waving your hands and making wild guesses. It is easy to burn through dozens of articles essentially fabricating ideas and then running with them. Finding some random part in Vietnam and then building a whole story around it. I just don’t find this type of ‘news’ interesting anymore. It is useful for my business as an app developer to have some sense of what might be coming, but in order for that to be of any use the information needs to have some basis in reality.
A few examples of things that I would consider extrapolation at this point would include:
These are conclusions drawn from looking at recent history and then looking for patterns or clues in the evidence. They may not all be 100% accurate but if they aren’t it will be because they signal a break in pattern rather than a unreliable source or faulty imagination. When in doubt assume that Apple will do exactly what it did last year.
The nature of writing apps for sale in the App Store means that there are many things that you are simply not in control of. You cede this control to Apple in exchange for access to their marketplace. These things include direct access to your customers, the ability to make whatever software you like and control over the timeline of your releases.
As an app developer you can prepare, but you can never plan.
I truly believe the policies of the App Store, by and large, help me make more money. They create an environment where millions of customers around the world gladly part with billions of dollars each year. Apple does a good job of patrolling the store and keeping things safe for users. They aren’t perfect, but they do a consistently great job.
I mention all this because the major update to Audiobooks that I was hoping to launch today has been delayed due to a need for ‘extended review’ time. The details of the delay are unclear but I expect it is a simple misunderstanding and all will be resolved soon. This disappointment, however, is nevertheless difficult. I’m excited to launch the software I’ve spent the last few months working on. Every time I see a customer complain about something that I know is fixed and improved in the new version I go a little crazy.
Patience is probably the most important attribute of a successful app developer. Without it you’ll go mad. In the 3.5 years I’ve had apps on the Store I’ve encountered almost every imaginable delay and hiccup. At first I’d get all bent out of shape about them. Now, as I’ve spent more time doing this, I see them as just the symptoms of the great system that makes my living. Without them I don’t think I’d be able to have made a living at this for so long.
So I’ll just keep preparing for the launch. Hoping to share the great new features and aesthetics I have ready—soon.
Many of my favorite reading apps (Kindle, iBooks, Pocket, Instapaper,…) include a dedicated dark mode. This typically involves the app setting the background to black and the text to a light gray. This works great for using your iPhone in the dark. For me this is typically when I’m putting my young children to bed or reading at night. The dark mode is easier on your eyes and means you don’t totally loose your night vision.
The challenge I’ve often run into is what to do for apps that don’t include a dedicated dark mode. Things like checking email, twitter, RSS or using Safari. The transition between a dark mode app and one of these apps is jarring. I came up with a bit of a hack to get around this. It isn’t perfect but generally speaking I’ve found it to be a great way to use my iPhone at night.
