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With the news that Facebook app dev Joe Hewitt has left the project, I figured that we’ll be seeing similar movements from other high-profile developers. Today we learned that Rogue Amoeba, developers of many popular Mac applications, have decided that they will no longer develop for the iPhone either. The news comes after Amoeba has spent months in a hellish limbo waiting for Apple to approve a minor update to their app, Airfoil Speakers Touch.

The app allows users to stream audio from PCs and Macs via Amoeba’s Airfoil desktop app to any iPhone or iPod Touch. Soon after it was released for the iPhone, Amoeba noticed some audio issues and submitted an update. Unfortunately for them, that update took three and a half months for Apple to approve.

Amoeba details the multi-rejection process in a recent blog post. Basically, it boils down to Apple not wanting them to display “Apple-owned Graphic Symbols”–symbols which they’ve implemented previously, and apparently are well within Apple’s guidelines. But no matter, logic does not apply: This. Is. The APP STORE!

In the end, they had to acquiesce to Apple’s demands and removed the graphics. Amoeba is none too happy about this whole process, and announced that they’re going to be focusing on Mac development instead of dealing with the app store again. They also recommended their users donate to the EFF (which will hopefully start to call Apple out on these tactics).

It’s sad to see such a devoted Apple developer leave the iPhone platform. The only question now is how many will follow in their footsteps.

[Source: Rogue Amoeba via 9to5 Mac]