REVIEW BITCOIN App for Iphone - Suggestions on Enhancements

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Bitcoin App (current version) - iTunes Store

I really like the idea of an easy Bitcoin app which helps you to check for changes in the market and the current exchange rates for the major currencies. Still there are some - easy to fix - problems with this app and I'd like to propose some solutions.

- exchange rates:
this, I think is a major problem: at the moment Mt. Gox is the big kahuna for USD to BTC exchanges (so, this BTCUSD rate is ok), but the exchange rate for EUR seems to be taken from bitmarket.eu (or I don't know where) - since most people will buy USD by sending MtGox EUR who converts it into USD at a standard exchange rate (e. g. reuters, Visa, etc.), then buy BTC for USD and recalculate into EUR using the same standard exchange rate, the BTCEUR-exchange rate on the app should display a "real" exchange rate instead of one which is taken from some EUR/BTC-exchange which displays a completely different market of its own.

Solution:
Include a setting-page in the app, where the user can choose whether he or she wants the MtGox, bitmarketEU, bitmarketGBP rate OR if the MtGox rate should be computed into the respective currency using a standard exchange rate. You could also include a menu where the user could choose which standard rate to use: e. g. reuters, ecb-rates, yahoo and so on. THEN include the source in the displays. I. e. for the exchange rate page you could show "BTCUSD Mt Gox" in the upper left corner and for EUR "BTCEUR Mt.Gox @ reuters" (GBP respectively). For the chart pages you could do the same thing in the upper left corner, so the user will always know the sources and therefore accuracy of the information.

- include your source from which you got the exchange rate and the charts

- include more currencies exchange rates (using the tips above); at least: USD, EUR, GBP, CHF, AUD, CAD, NZS, HKD, PLN, SEK, JPN, RUB

- include exchange rate of precious metals: XAG, XAU, XPT, XPD

- let the user decide which exchange rates are displayed on the exchange page: e. g. an Anmerican user might want to see USD, XAU, XAG and CAD; a central European maybe USD, GBP, CHF and XAG and a Eastern European USD RUB PLN ... and so forth

- charts: make the chart page rotatable and give the possibility to zoom in using gestures

- charts: if possible give the option to display candlesticks in red and green (like bitcoin watch)

- time: instead of saying GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) use UTC since it is not so confusing with summer time/daytime saving OR let the user decide which timezone to display

- colors: try different color combos - especially on the chart pages for better readability (black on brown suede doesn't make a good combo)

- price: 2.99 EUR (original price) for this app in this condition is far to much - you will have an increased revenue if you sell for 0,99 because more people will buy it , especially once the wallet is included and some improvements have been made

@ Developers: Alright, please don't see this as bashing down the app but as a list of constructive hints!

@ Forum: let's try to discuss the matter an give the best possible suggestions to the developers, so we will have a nice working app soon


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I would add:

- Please release source code, if you don't then nobody knows what you might be doing with my wallet and with the network. We are talking about money here, not fun and games. If the official client was not open source, we would not be talking about Bitcoin today. I would advise anyone against downloading it. If as a developer you do want to make some money (which is perfectly understood), accept BTC donations for user  suggestions, wish lists and customizations.

- Apple can ban an app anytime they want. Good luck running it and recovering your bitcoins afterwards. Android is much more open and safe in this matter. You don't need anyone's permission to run an app on your phone.

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It's true, that apple could do that. And I do believe the guys from Apple are not nearly a nice as the sell themselves. BUT they do a lot to ensure customer satisfaction and in case they really shut down the app without giving any notice to the consumer, just imagine the storm of complaints. Essentially this would be stealing.

BTW this is the case for any app which has been purchased - to simply shut it down is stealing the "invested" money from the consumer

If they really wanted to shut down the app (after approving it) they would have to send a notice to any person who has downloaded it and offer a refund.
And why would they do that? Unless they are forced by the government? They can make good money with the app.

=> 25% of 2.99 = 0,7475 times amount of downloads; this could be huge with an ever growing Bitcoin economy.

(I believe they get 25% but I am not too sure about that - might be more)

Furthermore, I don't suggest to use the Iphone wallet as your main wallet as long as the situation has not been stablilized.