Looks like Orange's e-book app has run into difficulties as a result of Apple's new in-app purchashing rules.

Orange announced today the launch of the Orange Book Club Android app, allowing customers to seamlessly browse and download thousands of books, including those from the Orange Prize for Fiction, straight to their connected smartphone or tablet device. Browsing from over 23,000 eBooks and audio books, a key advantage is the ‘one-click buy’ system which bills straight to the user’s Orange account, without ever having to enter any billing details.

Sound great, but where is the Apple version for iPhones and the iPad. A spokewoman told us that it was submitted for approval about the same time that Apple said apps would now have to allow in-app purchasing and NOT provide separate access to purchases via a web-browser.

The spokeswoman told us: "Orange had submitted the Apple app at the same time as the Android app, but at the time of submission Apple changed their policy, so Orange is now changing their app to meet with that new policy."

Presumably the change will necesitate the removal of Orange's USP here, the ‘one-click buy’ system, since that would imply using its own customer data rather than that provided through Apple.

It's be interesting to see how it shakes-out. It is still not clear how Apple will impose its rules on the likes of the Kindle app, or the Kobo app, where it will have to provide access to huge catalogue of titles. A few weeks ago Kobo proudly declared that its app update had gone through unmolested by Apple, even after the rule-change. But a Kindle update also went through unaffected at about the time the rules were changing. I asked on the Kobo blog, "Does this mean you are unaffected by Apple’s new terms, or is there a deadline pending?" I didn't get a response. But it is well-known that 30th June is D-Day for all apps to comply. When I asked Apple if this included the Kindle app, I was told yes.

We'll know more then, but in the meantime, Orange has shed a little light on how developers are having to go back to the drawing-board because of Apple's changes.