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I’m not sure what other outcome iPhone developer Swavvy Apps (Beer Pong) was expecting, but it appears that Apple has rejected their iDroid app. According to TechCrunch, the app didn’t do much other than display the Droid’s glowing red eye and show off a few marketing bullet points.

It’s unclear if this app was commissioned by Motorola or Verizon, or if Swavvy had some other tactic in mind to earn money with this thing (an ad within an ad?), but it is obviously something aimed to market the Droid. TechCrunch says Apple rejected the app because it’s just marketing for the competition, and I wonder if that reasoning is justifiable.

The app store is Apple’s private walled garden after all, so should they be expected to allow ads that promote competing products? If the iDroid app actually offerred some other functionality instead of just being a blatant ad, would Apple still have the same grounds to reject it? I’m also wondering if this is a trend we should keep an eye on.

It’s the sort of thing that could quickly get out of hand if left unchecked. If Apple starts banning apps that offer legitimate functionality, but also feature competing products, we have to wonder if they’re wielding their power too heavily.

[Source: TechCrunch]