Will an iPhone app with a future "availability date" appear in "New Releases" on this date?
I plan to submit my first iPhone game to the iPhone App Store today. Like many people, I want to set an availability date in the future and change it later. But there are two different opinions on what to do after the application is approved:
A: Some people say that I need to quickly change the "Availability Date" to the Apple Approval Date by Apple as soon as I receive the approved "Approved" mail. Otherwise, it will not appear in the New Releases list.
B: Some people say this is optional (or maybe no longer needed). I can set the "Availability Date" to some date in the future (eg next weekend). The app will be released that day and will appear in the New Releases list that day.
Who is right?
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Changing the "Availability Date" will ensure that the app is not available for sale before that date, but the New Releases list is not driven by that date. Otherwise, people could "play" the system by changing the "availability date" of their application to date every day and always appear on this list.
I would say that the "New Releases" list seems to be of very limited value to developers. After a few minutes, you may be pushed off the first page, and by this time hardly anyone will find you by looking at new applications. Better to have a marketing strategy in place / good keywords / app reviews, etc. Etc.
Phil
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You should assume it takes Apple about 2 weeks to review and release your app. This happens in a week or so these days. But I usually set it a month in the future because you can change it at any time.
Once Apple releases your app, your availability date will still be in the future. It's good. Now, if you plan on doing a marketing push and posting a release date, you should do so and set the availability date to the date you sell as the posting date. I don't do marketing, so I just use the next Saturday morning. In any case, use a date that is at least one day in the future in Japan. This is because it is there that the sun rises first on a new date.
The app becomes available in every iTunes store at midnight for that store. Also allow 24 to 48 hours for the available app to be distributed (for a good estimate). Starting at midnight in Japan gives your app the maximum amount of time to be on the "release date" page — in the manner of speaking.
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