Hmm, they say you can buy an Exponent app through the App Store, and then you can push updates to it through them, and they show up the "next time the user opens the app without having to do through the App Store"?
I don't think downloading scripting or native code that changes how an app behaves from outside sources has been allowed on the App Store, so what gives?
A couple of years ago Apple changed the iOS developer terms to say it's OK to download and run JavaScript as long as it's run on the built-in WebKit or JavaScriptCore engine (section 3.3.2 if you're curious). Exponent uses the built-in JavaScriptCore on iOS.
Apple allows updates like this as long as it doesn't substantially change the behaviour of the application. Of course the definition of 'substantially' is, deliberately I think, left open to interpretation. But new features and bug fixes are okay. Swapping out the application entirely and replacing it with another one would not be.
I don't think downloading scripting or native code that changes how an app behaves from outside sources has been allowed on the App Store, so what gives?