Despite Apple’s best efforts to maintain the App Store’s position as the only way to get 3rd party apps on the iPhone, they may soon have some competition. While Cydia started off as just a way to distribute apps rejected by Apple, the creator, Jay Freeman, says he plans to start an App Store of his own, and he’s not the only one. Two other App Store competitors have popped up out of the woodwork. One called Rock Your Phone for users who haven’t hacked their iPhones, and another to offer what even Cydia won’t sell– apps with adult themes.

Apple has yet to make public any plans to block either store from coming into existence, but they have been trying their hardest to stop jailbreaking.

On one hand, this is great for developers who want to create paid content for the device that don’t stand a chance of getting past Apple’s approval process but are otherwise harmless. On the other hand, it could be a big problem for those who jailbreak for reasons like unlocking their iPhone for use on unsanctioned networks. One of Apple’s main arguments for making jailbreaking illegal is that it undermines their business model with the App Store. A Cydia store may validate Apple’s claim, tipping legal scales in their favor.

[via WSJ]

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