Apple opens iPhone to developers--kind ofnews analysis Smart phone developers learned Monday that they won't be shut out of Apple's iPhone. But they're going to have to wait for the red carpet.
But this is not what many mobile developers were hoping to hear. Unlike other mobile phone makers, Apple has chosen not to set up a software development kit or support community for iPhone applications at this time. Call it the iPhone compromise--Apple is giving developers a chance to get their wares on the iPhone, but not every application will work properly inside a browser without native support. The decision means Apple has a better chance of guaranteeing application security and reliability on the native applications it does allow on the iPhone, but it falls short of what other smart phone companies--notably Nokia--offer mobile-application developers.
"It's a neat starting point, but I don't call this really third-party app support."
--Daniel Graf, founder and CEO, Kyte
"It's a first small step in the right direction, but they have many more steps they need to follow," said Daniel Graf, founder and CEO of Kyte, which allows mobile phone users to share videos and photos. When Apple unveiled the iPhone in January, Jobs hinted that Apple would be the only game in town for iPhone application development. He seemed concerned that a rash of third-party applications could create security and reliability problems that could derail Apple's first attempt at cracking the smart phone market. But at the D: All Things Digital conference in May, Jobs appeared to signal that he was amenable to third-party application support, which has been an important factor in the success of other mobile devices. This had developers eager to get their hands on a software development kit. They're going to have to wait. The Web application compromise "is probably the way to go," said one developer for a major financial services company who asked not to be identified. It avoids the potential problems that might come with allowing full iPhone development too soon, he said. |
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