iOS Data download overload

[Boris-VTR]

I will submit app to Apple in couple of weeks and i have heard that Apple can reject apps if they (upon first installation) starts downloading huge amounts of data. I know that there is not exact number but are we talking more than couple of G of data here? Or is like 500mb enough to get you rejected?

Let me explain a little what my app does. Since we have huge collection of antiques (around 500) with pictures (usually 3 per item) we didn't want to include them in app which would blow app installation size to around 500mb. and it is hard to maintain them. So we decided to have "skeleton" of app and when user runs it, he will be notified that he can update data (aka download content and images). So he can easily download 500MB of data at once.

Is that non-apple preferred way of doing that? Any suggestion will help.

 

[AppSwage]

One question would be why download all that data at once? Either the images are just massive or users will be getting many times more than they can review at one time. There are a number of ways to tackle this but downloading .5GB on to a phone at once doesn't seem like a good user experience even if Apple allowed it.

Based on your description and I would probably look to something like a collections view that has smaller images that once tapped will show the larger image. User clicks on the small thumbnail and it retrieves the larger image. No it wouldn't be available for off-line viewing but consider whether that is critical.

 

[1458279]

One option you might look at is to put the items into categories and only download based on demand. Example: if someone only looks at chairs, only the chairs will load. Much like the cell reuse in viewers works, it looks like all the items are loaded, but only the items seen are loaded.

This would require more custom code that stock, but should be able to solve the problem.

As far as app rejection goes, I understand that Apple has been more hawkish on apps because of the flood of apps making discovery very hard. Also, it seem they can change their mind at any time.

I've heard most 'catalog' apps can be rejected because there isn't a reason for them to be an app. In other words, if it can be a web site, it should be a web site. Some have gotten around this by adding some functionality that web sites don't offer and this can work, but understand there is a bit of a gamble with some types of apps.

 

[Boris-VTR]

Thank you for replays. The problem is that this project is under NDA and i cannot give full explanation. The reason that content must be downloaded is because app will be used on fields where there is no internet connection. And items are all related to each other so can't to packs of downloadable content also.
Think of it more of like encyclopedia on the go. And if app wants to be any good, it must have data (and pictures). Apple is always showing videos how people use iPad and iPhones on the field/forrest/sea where there is barely any internet so i believe those apps have some data stored on them also. For that reason i don't think that app would be rejected. But you never know with apple.

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One question would be why download all that data at once? Either the images are just massive or users will be getting many times more than they can review at one time. There are a number of ways to tackle this but downloading .5GB on to a phone at once doesn't seem like a good user experience even if Apple allowed it.

Based on your description and I would probably look to something like a collections view that has smaller images that once tapped will show the larger image. User clicks on the small thumbnail and it retrieves the larger image. No it wouldn't be available for off-line viewing but consider whether that is critical.

Nah, they just add because of number of items with pictures. Because app will be used on fields without internet i can't do any download and therefor images must be downloaded up-front.

 

[AppSwage]

It would have been helpful to understand this needed to work off-line from the start.

From Apple's point of view frankly they don't really need to know the amount of data you are talking about anyway. Unless of course you are going to have 500MB waiting for them during the review process which would seem a bad idea.

From a customer point of view obviously you would want to make very clear to them how much they are going to download. Perhaps even offer "packs" so they don't have to be downloaded all at one time. Certainly I would offer warnings when someone is downloading over a cell service versus wifi. If the customer knows the score I don't see a problem. Again for Apple's testing I doubt they would want to be forced to make that kind of initial download. Perhaps start with a very small selection just so that Apple has what it needs to verifty your app.

 

[Boris-VTR]

haha, yeah for sure, when i will submit app to apple, they will only have some sample data. And when full data is released, it won't be huge. Data is not all that huge. The pictures do take some place but will keep it to the minimum. No need for 4k pics on phone. Will down-sample them to save download data.
Thank for advice