More Legit 3rd Party iPhone Applications on the Way?

Thu, 10/04/2007 - 2:56am — Cleve Nettles

While Apple's official line is that the only 3rd party iPhone development will be on the EDGE-crippled Web 2.0 "SDK", behind the scenes, there is much more going on. Apple has been furiously working with their partners on games and applications for the iPhone/iPod and the standardized Human-Interface Controls that will go along with them. For instance, EA is currently porting their iPod lineup to the OSX iPod/iPhone platform to be sold along side the classic iPod OS versions. Other big developers with strict confidentiality agreements are also on board.

Apple is specifically looking to replicate the model of TMobile's successful SideKick application development and distribution platform (although obviously not in the Sidekick's Java). Apple has even brought in some of Danger's (SidekickOS creators) application development team to help with the architecture. A public SDK announcement will likely be made in the coming months which could possibly be included with Xcode. More likely, the SDK will be given only to high level developers with established close ties to Apple.

In the Tmobile model, developers (who can prove they are developers by submitting a working application) get a key that opens their Sidekicks for further testing. Once they feel they have a stable working application, they submit it to the Danger/Tmobile team for compatibility testing. If Tmobile/Danger feel the application is stable, won't interfere with other applications and would be of interest to their customers, they make it available for download and install through an integrated payment system. The cost of application is added to the customer's monthly bill. The Danger team actively works with the developers to insure compatibility and stability in applications through SidekickOS updates.

Whether Apple would make the applications available on Mobile iTunes via an over the air upgrade compared to their current model of installing from a host computer's iTunes is uncertain. The direction they are heading is certainly towards making the iPhone a solitary device so one would expect mobile iTunes to bear some of this load. Also, the applications would be billed through the user's iTunes account rather than the phone bill in the Tmobile model.

The rationale for Apple's recent complete and total lockdown of the iPhone is that these games would be easy to port to the unlocked versions of the iPhone. Developers could easily sell the applications on their own without Apple taking its cut (which is guesstimated to be about 2/3rds of the take). These pirated applications could also be distributed via torrent sites like music and movies are currently.

Apple, learning about the devastating effects of pirating from its first hand experience in the music and film industry and their own OS/applications, does not want this to happen. Therefore, one shouldn't expect Apple to release a way for non-developers to freely install applications on their iPods and iPhones.

These moves will likely further sever the iPhone OS fork and subsequently make the unlocked iPhones more valuable than ever as a hacker device.

( Filed Under:

iPhone - iPod

)

Comments

What they don't mention, and

Fri, 10/05/2007 - 9:29am — 9to5Mac Noob

What they don't mention, and this coming from a 5 year sidekick user, is that the applications danger/tmobile release through their interface are few and far between.

These applications take forever to appear and danger is very picky about what they release. This means that applications you want almost never manifest themselves. This is because the decision to release an application is not only dependent on "compatibility" it has to do more with what axe danger/tmobile have to grind about what applications they might want to release, but not 'til later.

Don't doubt it... this model sucks.

I thought Apple was breaking

Fri, 10/05/2007 - 11:01am — 9to5Mac Noob

I thought Apple was breaking the mold by moving way past the "locked" up cell phone model here. But it when they have no plan in place for developers they are resorting back to the old carrier model - very disappointing.

Imagine what could be

Fri, 10/05/2007 - 11:04am — 9to5Mac Noob

Imagine what could be created with an SDK accessible from safari from javascript - now that would be incredible, well planned, and secure. Feels like iPhone development just took two steps back or more. If this is the type of support us developers will get fro Apple then I am rethinking developing anymore for it.

Dude, I was with you until

Fri, 10/05/2007 - 3:24pm — 9to5Mac Noob

Dude, I was with you until you said "devastating effect of piracy"; the only "devastating effect" is in the minds of RIAA and MPAA.

-T

We just have to trust Mr

Sun, 10/07/2007 - 9:15am — 9to5Mac Noob

We just have to trust Mr Jobs , He is the creator . He has a plan . He will unfold his blessings at the perfect moments witch will further his glorious creation . You have to resist the temptation to selfishly use the iPhone to improve your silly little lives . O ye of little faith , resist temptation , He Knows the big picture but he cant tell us because we would blow up ! Just keep repeating ,,,, I traded my Treo for the best iPod ever and soon I'll be able to by reeel fun games from iTunes !

I explained why legitimate

Mon, 10/08/2007 - 10:21am — 9to5Mac Noob

I explained why legitimate business, technology and design decisions may have kept Apple from opening up the iPhone/iPod touch here:

iPod touch nay-sayers: shackled by “gadget thinking”
http://counternotions.com/2007/10/01/ipod-touch-nay-sayers-shackled-by-g...

I fairly sure that Apple is

Tue, 10/09/2007 - 6:42am — 9to5Mac Noob

I fairly sure that Apple is going to open up the phones at least to widgets. If not they are going to loose big time against their biggest competitor Nokia, who announced a widget Platform on top of a WebKit based browser back in April.

If written extensively on this topic at:
http://relations.ka2.de/2007/10/09/dashboard-widgets-coming-to-mobile-ph...
and
http://relations.ka2.de/2007/06/13/how-apple-should-open-up-the-iphone-a...

As another 5 year T-Mobile

Tue, 10/09/2007 - 1:23pm — 9to5Mac Noob

As another 5 year T-Mobile Sidekick owner, I think this is a terrible idea. It's actually one of the reasons that I left T-Mobile. I knew that that iPhone could load any 3rd party app (even if they were unofficial) and that's what I want. The catalog for the Sidekick would go weeks without anything new in it. And the majority of the apps weren't that great. It only got an RSS reader and a weather app a few months ago.

I was part of the developer community and I saw plenty of people spend months creating great apps like video players or games that T-Mobile wouldn't include in the catalog without a reason. It puts huge limitations on what applications are created and hurts the customers. It's good for T-Mobile/Apple though because they get money out of it. It seems that Apple is becoming less and less concerned about making great products and more concerned about making money. I know they're a business but they're turning more and more into M$ everyday...

I have to say that I concur

Tue, 10/09/2007 - 2:29pm — 9to5Mac Noob

I have to say that I concur totally!

I also think Apple are being a bit snobby about what they'd allow on their ever-so shiny toy:

http://nevstokes.com/blog/2007/10/09/third-party-development/

Does anyone know what is up

Tue, 10/09/2007 - 10:50pm — 9to5Mac Noob

Does anyone know what is up with all the iPhone/Touch apps that are showing up in Apple's OSX Downloads RSS feed? They show up in the article list, but if you try to click on one, you just get a page not found screen. Very frustrating! Are apps on the way or what?

Excellent find! You get a

Wed, 10/10/2007 - 5:03am — admin

Excellent find! You get a 9to5Mac Mug :D

http://9to5mac.com/iPhone-Web-Applications-2345643

Who cares? The vast

Wed, 10/10/2007 - 7:59pm — 9to5Mac Noob

Who cares? The vast majority of people who purchased an iPhone are totally happy with it. If you all are as brillaint as you claim why don't you create your own phone? Why do you need Apple at all? Wahhhhhh...