The Apple approval horror stories are getting to be few and far between. They're getting to the point where they're approving almost anything now.

The last items I've seen denied which I thought somewhat of a travesty were books containing adult language/themes. I'm not sure if that situation has been remedied yet.

The iPhone has a better set of development tools at this stage. There's also no arguing about whether or not the potential money to be made from iPhone app sales is huge. (huuuuge) It would be one thing if there was a particular cinderella story, but we're seeing quite amazing news and results from a very large number of developers. I know a few personally (making decent coin) and they don't publish their details, like the majority of others out there.

I would only expect the situation to slide more in favor of the iPhone when Apple can loose the handset on other carriers in the US. Can't forget of course that the iPod also plays a significant role here. I don't see Android or anyone else catching the iPhone platform without a huge market upset. Anything's possible. Just not probable. One need look only as far as the iPod in the music player category for an example from Apple.

In the web world, look at eBay - an auction site is vastly more simple to create and promote than a product like the iPhone, but it hasn't looked like anyone could ever match or beat eBay for over 8 years now. You have a few other marketplaces carving out their own little niches, but eBay remains king with no signs of losing its crown. I expect it to be like this for the mobile platform landscape. Android will have a niche, maybe even a significant one, but the iPhone will continue to be the worldwide leader for the foreseeable future (like it or not).