Amateur Developers, grab a number. Your iPhone app is on queue.

As we’ve discussed numerous times before now, Apple is upping the ante on the iPhone and iPod Touch with the addition of the App Store. The App Store sells amateur and professional applications made by the people, for the people. Anyone who purchases the developer software can apply to the developer program, send his or her new app to Apple and, after review, get their game or program up for sale (or free download). Here’s the catch: you might be able to find a handful of Nintendo Wii consoles before seeing your App up for sale.

According to Silicon Alley Insider, “…the waiting list to get accepted into Apple’s developer program is six months long. (That is, to be officially recognized as an iPhone developer, so you can submit your app to Apple for inclusion in the iPhone apps store.) Writing the app takes time, too, but you can start that whenever—Apple says 250,000 have already downloaded the iPhone software developer’s kit. And Apple will still need to review your app before it goes up for sale” (Dan Frommer, Silicon Alley Insider). With this information in mind, there is something a little manipulative about the official Apple developers’ website.  It seems so simple, buy $100 or $300 software, apply as developer, create App and distribute App.

I’m sure this news will come as quite a shock to up-and-coming developers who are itching for wireless exposure—especially after dropping up to $300 on developer programs.The big wait is in getting approval from Apple as an iPhone App developer, which has a misleading website as well.  Developers need permission to be able to test their applications on the iPhone and six months is a long wait.  In that time, you could get started writing your program, but you can only go so far before you need to test it on the real thing.  After receiving approval, you will need to perfect your App before sending it off to Apple.  After their approval, you will finally have stamped your name into Apple history.

Since the App Store launched on July 11th, alongside the new iPhone 3G, no one can know for sure how long it will take Apple to approve each new application.  But know that there are roughly 250,000 people developing now and assuredly more to come.  Also, Apple has spoken about how they will be fairly strict about the content of each application.  One should expect that 8 months to a year is a possible wait time from start to finish, but hopefully a second application will not take as long.