Developers have been critical of Apple’s App Store approvals process due to a slowing in the time to bring products to market, AllThingsD said.

Apparently, the advice is to submit apps before the end of this month in order to ensure they are listed before the New Year – creating a rush for those looking to bring products to market in time for the lucrative Christmas holiday sales period.

It was noted that while the “normal” time for bringing an app to market varies depending on the “publisher’s circumstances”, the standard is 10 to 14 days. Apple has now warned that the process could take up to three weeks, due to increased volumes, AllThingsD reported.

In addition to developers targeting the holiday sales period, Apple has also recently launched the iPhone 5 and refreshed its iPad line, sparking a flurry of activity among developers looking to target the new devices.

The report said that while the App Store for iOS has been criticised, it is the App Store for Mac that is really suffering – leading to speculation that Apple has shifted resources in order to work through the mobile app backlog.