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Recently there was yet another event in Brazil for iPhone application developers, and so I decided to interview a professional who is proficient in the subject, to understand how things stand in that sector. With us is Rafael Fischmann, editor of MacMagazine.

When did local developers start getting involved with the iPhone?

Even before Apple started the Developer Program and launched the App Store, a Brazilian developer already had plans to launch an app. A few days later, Apple made two things official: the iTunes Store and the Developer Program.

Gol Mobile was the first business to get into the iPhone Developer Program in Brazil. At that time, FingerTips was also preparing to do the same. Now, we are talking about the end of August 2008, just over a year ago.

Is there a difference between the international markets and the market here?

I think the main thing is the absence of the games category in the Brazilian App Store. For a platform that’s so influenced by the games market, it’s an absurd oversight. In general, I still see a lot of entry-level developers, some charging for nonsense, wanting an immediate financial return.

Several do a great job of programming but don’t understand design concepts and don’t have anyone to partner with, or have no money to invest in good design. There are exceptions, of course, and it’s great to see the evolution of the more veteran developers.

Do the applications built in Brazil tend to be original, or Portuguese versions of existing apps?

Incredibly it’s not very common here - I’ve seen very few Brazilian apps criticized for being versions of existing international ones; hopefully better versions. I think the market for translating or adapting a few cool titles for the Brazilian public is valid, but it’s another not well explored.

In general what strikes me as worst is the lack of originality, in the sense that many developers opt to build really simple things, which consequently end up being really obvious, for the most part.

Are there cases of good success and profitability with any of these applications?

Since the store and the market are so new, these things haven’t really been defined yet. There are many experiments running, and a huge discrepancy in prices among developers - even greater when you compare independent programmers with big businesses that publish apps for the platform.

The store is full of free apps that are very interesting and well built, while some paid ones leave you shaking your head in disbelief. A good, fair price is reflected in the results and consistency of sales, of course.

We are talking about a market of how many users?

7.4 million iPhones were sold just last quarter. In the same period more than 10 million iPods were sold, a good portion of those being iPod Touch, which also runs the iPhone OS. Together they’ve already surpassed 50 million units sold around the world.

The iPhone App Store has surpassed 2 billion downloads, and already has more than 85 thousand apps available and 125,000 registered developers. The growth curve says this is still going strong.

How much money moves in this market?

Apple won’t divulge numbers, but it’s estimated that only in the last 12 months they have profited US$60 million with the App Store. Other research suggests between US$60 and US$ 110 million quarterly.

Are there barriers to the development of this market?

Apple is very restrictive about the developers software kit (SDK) for the iPhone OS, even though it has already expanded greatly in the last few months, launching new APIs with each new version of the system.

In general they don’t allow you to alter the OS, run in the background, or violate their Puritanical rules about pornography, violence, etc.

What is your personal and professional opinion, as a specialist in Apple technologies, regarding the Brazilian market for iPhone applications?

The market is fantastic and very promising, considering the size and scope of the audience and the fact that the majority of the purchases are made on impulse in the App Store (we are talking about cheap titles, very cheap - with exceptions of course).

Winning, therefore, is in quantity. The challenge is to stand out, draw attention among the thousands of other titles; this is the big question.

What are your favorite applications?

Backgammon, Drawrace, Tap Tap Revenge, Convertbot, Fling, Sygic Mobile Maps Brazil, Flight Control, Password, TableTennis, Skype, Shazam - in no particular order.

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