Hmm. I'm not sure about this aspect of history. iPhone app store launch was July...

		pjc50 3 months ago \| parent \| context \| favorite \| on: Apple App Store guidelines remove ban on encouragi... Hmm. I'm not sure about this aspect of history. iPhone app store launch was July 2008, Play Store launch was October 2008. Symbian store was actually after this (yes, really) https://venturebeat.com/business/mobile-os-company-symbian-e... Which app stores pre-dated iOS? Now, Symbian and various others had apps, but you had to buy them through the carrier. And carriers were even worse gatekeepers than Apple!

App Stores weren’t but native apps were:

> Back then, native apps were considered a “must have” feature for smartphones.