CHARGING for something in the App store? Isn't this forbidden?

I don't like the idea to pay for that. I think developers, who want people to pay for apps etc. should pay a license fee to Garmin to get permission to "sell" apps. Was this also the original idea of ​​Garmins IQ Store?

I know it is a lot of work, but nobody is forced to develop apps...
Perhaps that is a reason, why kommot is waiting with their app release?

This is great news.

It was fun building the code for Note2Watch to pair with the server, but I'd love to be able to rip that out in favor of a device ID.

I actually had your app in mind when I wrote this and was wondering how you'd solve the device-account pairing in a "bullet-proof" manner ;)

And maybe that is the reason, why developers get limited access to the epix code at the moment...And no, I am not willing to take that cost nor to pay for apps. But this is only my opinion.;)

And maybe that is the reason, why developers get limited access to the epix code at the moment...And no, I am not willing to take that cost nor to pay for apps. But this is only my opinion.;)

I don't get the meaning of "developers get limited access to EPIX code" - if not mistaken - no one gets access to any code from Garmin. Garmin provides the SDK / API that the code interfaces with the watches. If any, I would say Garmin doesnt' expose the EPIX to the API (yet) for some unknown reason.

There are many different types of people in the world, you may not want to pay for apps, that's your opinion (which you are rightfully entitled to), but there are those who will for features they want. Also, IMHO, Garmin actually gets "free" advertising by having developers (indie or corps) have apps in CIQ store. It's another reason potential customers will want to buy a Garmin rather than a Suunto or a Polar or xxx brand. It'll be like IF Garmin closes the ability to download YOUR GPX data from connect, you would not want to get a Garmin anymore.

Right now, As I know Garmin imposes USD5000 fee for 3rd party developers to get access to connect - a move which I do not like & for reasons i do not know, but this severely limits the useful-ness of the data from Garmin's watches/equipments (IMHO). Connect, in it's current iteration, has improved from the "classic" look, but still, I'm fairly sure lots (I have no stats on this) uses Strava or TrainingPeaks for data analysis

As fourteenislands.io mentioned - current indie developers are cyclists / runners / swimmers etc who gets to tinker w/ the watches and implement apps/widgets etc which are useful to them. These developers have 2 options.

• 1) side load it and keep the features for themselves
  
• 2) provide it in the CIQ store and get 2 benefit
  
• Freemium / Free / Paid model
  
• Expanding Garmin's potential value to potential customers in terms of competitiveness to competitors features
  

In any case, choice is the key word.

All the above are - IMHO.

the $5k (US) is to access the Garmin Connect website programmatically (folks like MFP).

When "user config" is available, I can see CIQ stuff where the user can set a "key" that unlocks more feature, but I think care must be taken as to how that "key" is sold. (like not in the forums!)

Today the CIQ folks said that at "some point", the device ID (serial number) could be available in CIQ, and a way to do this might be to use that ID gen generating the key, so that the key would only work on a specific device.

Hardware
Your Connect IQ app can require a connection to hardware that you sell, such as an ANT+ sensor.
In-app purchases
Your Connect IQ app can offer in-app purchases.
Subscriptions
Your Connect IQ app can offer a paid subscription for your web service via Garmin Connect Mobile.

Is the above sentence new? I don't recall seeing those sentences when we were debating this issue and prior to Brian or some other CIQ guy come in here and tell us what's what.


Can we get a little bit more details to the items as stated above??

Many thanks.

I think commercial apps would be only good for Garmin ConnectIQ ecosystem. What we can see now are mostly basic widgets/facewatches with few exceptions. But to develop some serious apps with proper code and testing takes lot of time and I will gladly pay developer few bucks for their time. Otherwise we wont get much progress i am afraid..

i agree. Just take a look at Apple watch vs garmin. I know perhaps it's not an entirely fair comparison but clearly there is something there.

Strava has an app there (before Garmin 520)
A few of the other big name fitness companies also have apps there.

While I am not sure how many watches garmin sells on a quarter, but Im sure it's fairly huge

To me, this topic is not clear and I'd like to get a formal clarification by Garmin.

I see that Garmin is not against developers to monetize, because of this webpage http://developer.garmin.com/connect-iq/monetization/
But here are the options and why that doesn't work.
- Hardware -> Developers don't typically make hardware. I don't have the time to do that. The apps I develop don't require hardware.
- In-App purchase (Garmin device to Developer's mobile app). I don't have time to invest in mobile apps. I make apps that run on the Garmin watches.
- Subscriptions (Your Connect IQ app can offer a paid subscription for your web service via Garmin Connect™ Mobile.). This sounds the easiest, but only a limited number of watch apps require a webservice. Some don't (think that people use Garmin watches and apps where there's no internet: mountains, oceans, aircrafts, so a webservice is not always a good idea).


Why no paid apps? Is it that Garmin has not yet developed the market place and infrastructure around paid apps, but plans on bringing this soon? Or is it a political decision?
Either way, I can't follow this logic.

I'm ready to develop apps that users request, but I can't spend my whole weekends doing this for free.
I also want to avoid doing things that are not approved by Garmin.

So please, Garmin, provide a formal answer to these questions.
Can developers:
1/ Sell an app outside the Connect IQ store (get money in exchange for .prg in a separate website)
2/ Sell an app activation (app downloaded from Connect IQ store, dev gets money in exchange for activation of a app through his website, either with Device ID or other system) (note this works only for Watch Apps and Widgets -> Can't monetize Watch Faces this way)
3/ Sell customization of a watch face outside the Connect IQ store (.prg emailed to customer - but original watch face available in the market place, only variation is sold)
4/ Sell customization of a watch face (.iq published on Garmin market for each ordered variation, but transaction happens in a separate website)
5/ What is the future of market place? With or without paid apps?

Thanks Garmin for answering.