Like all popular products, the iPhone has its share of detractors. One of the primary sources of scorn is the vetting process Apple uses to decide whether software should be allowed to enter its application store. But the App Store, which now has more than 100,000 available applications, is one of the iPhone's chief selling points, and Apple isn't about to give up its much-criticized role as a software gatekeeper.

In an interview with BusinessWeek, Phil Schiller, Apple's SVP for worldwide product marketing, defends the approval process at length, though he acknowledges that the company needs to be more flexible.