寻找Apple MFi计划注册流程的经验 [英] Looking for experiences on the Apple MFi program registration process

问题描述

我在一个小型电子设备上与一群朋友一起工作。我们在原型上取得了令人鼓舞的成果，我们非常高兴将其推向市场。

I'm working with a group of friends on a small electronic device. We're getting promising results with the prototype and we're very excited about releasing it into the market.

我们希望将我们的设备作为iphone外部配件来实现我正在努力收集可靠的信息。但是一切看起来都很混乱。

We would love to implement our device as an iphone external accessory and I'm trying to gather reliable information. Everything looks pretty confusing though.

将iphone外设引入市场的正确方法似乎是通过Mfi（Made for iphone）程序。以下是事实：

The proper way to introduce an iphone peripheral into the market seems to be through the Mfi (Made for iphone) program. These are the facts:

1. 我们的资源有限，我们希望了解更多有关获得Apple批准的相关费用的信息。


2. 如果我们申请Mfi计划，我想Apple会要求我们提供有关我们设备的详细信息。 Apple希望看到一个项目认真并且适合批准的是什么？


3. 我们甚至还没有作为一家公司存在。我看到个人无法注册Mfi计划，因此在认真考虑将iPhone作为一种选择之前，我们似乎必须将我们的合作正式化。我是对的吗？


4. 我们有硬件，我们对iphone应用程序有一个清晰的认识。 iphone和硬件之间的通信接口是一个很大的问号，这些信息似乎受到与设备供应商的NDA协议的保护。这是正确的吗？没有任何方法可以获得有关通信协议，所涉及的电子元件，连接器的功率输出的正确规范，而无需事先获得苹果的批准吗？

1. We have limited resources and we would like to know more about the associated costs of getting approved by Apple.
2. If we apply to the Mfi program I guess Apple is going to request details about our device. What does Apple expect to see to consider a project "serious" and suitable to be approved?
3. We don't even exist as a company yet. I saw that individuals cannot register into the Mfi program so it seems we would have to formalize our collaboration before seriously considering iphone as an option. Am I right?
4. We have the hardware and we have a clear idea about the iphone app. The communication interface between the iphone and the hardware is a big question mark and this info seems to be protected under NDA agreements with device vendors. Is this right? Isn't there any way to get proper specifications about the communications protocols, electronics components involved, power output from the conector without first being approved by apple?

如果那里有人经历过这个过程并且可以给我们一些建议，那将非常有帮助。在此先感谢！

It would be extremely helpful it there's someone out there who went through the process and can give us some advice. Thanks in advance!

推荐答案

虽然这个问题最终可能会转移到程序员或Apple网站，因为它更多的是关于Apple的批准过程中，这里有一个技术组件，所以我会咬人。我们目前正在努力构建MFi认可的iOS配件，并且处于硬件开发的早期阶段。我在我的回答中评论了其中一些内容。 Apple Stack Exchange网站上的类似问题，但我请点击此处以回答您的问题。

While this question may end up getting moved to Programmers or the Apple site, as it's more about Apple's approval process, there is a technical component here so I'll bite. We are currently working to build an MFi-approved iOS accessory and are in the early stages of hardware development. I comment on some of this in my answer to a similar question over on the Apple Stack Exchange site, but I'll expand on that to answer your questions here.

对于您的第一个问题，加入MFi计划没有预付费用。您的设备需要通过一系列标准的第三方测试，以证明它不会干扰iOS硬件等，您需要向测试提供商付费才能执行这些测试。根据电子设备的复杂程度，无论您是否使用外部承包商进行设计等，我预算总计约20,000美元 - 80,000美元，以便为生产就绪设计提供更简单的附件。这包括测试，设计和硬件成本对于各种原型。

For your first question, there are no upfront fees to join the MFi program. Your device will need to pass a standard series of third-party tests to demonstrate that it won't interfere with the iOS hardware, etc., and you will need to pay a testing provider to perform these. I'd budget about $20,000 - $80,000 total to get a simpler accessory to a production-ready design, depending on the complexity of the electronics, whether or not you use outside contractors for design, etc. This includes testing, design, and hardware costs for various prototypes.

Apple希望看到你认真对待这个产品，所以当你申请加入时，不要只是对某些事情有一个模糊的想法该程序。考虑到特定产品，具有已知的目标市场和近似定价。简而言之，完成所有的设计工作，就好像你要雇用一个承包商来设计它，并在其背后有一个连贯的商业计划。批准程序大约在一年前大幅缓解，但您需要能够回答有关您正在构建的内容的尖锐问题。

Apple will want to see that you are serious about making this a product, so don't just have a vague idea of something when you apply to join the program. Have a specific product in mind, with a known target market and approximate pricing. In short, have all the design legwork done as if you were going to hire a contractor to design this, and have a coherent business plan behind it. The approval process eased up significantly about a year ago, but you need to be able to answer pointed questions about what you're building.

您需要成为一家公司让他们认真对待你幸运的是，在美国大多数州，建立一个只有几个初始成员的LLC是相当容易和便宜的。

You will need to be a company for them to take you seriously. Luckily, it's fairly easy and cheap in most U.S. states to set up an LLC with just a few initial members.

你上一个问题中的信息是在NDA下，但是一次您在MFi计划中可以访问所有相关文档。当然，使用外部附件框架的软件方面对于iOS开发者计划中的任何人都是公开的，去年它们上面有一个很好的WWDC会话（会议201-开发适用于iPhone OS附件的应用程序）。

The information in your last question is under NDA, but once you are in the MFi program you have access to all relevant documentation. Of course, the software side using the External Accessory framework is public for anyone who is in the iOS Developer Program, and they had a good WWDC session on it last year (Session 201 - Developing Applications that work with iPhone OS Accessories).

这篇关于寻找Apple MFi计划注册流程的经验的文章就介绍到这了，希望我们推荐的答案对大家有所帮助，也希望大家多多支持IT屋！